YuGiOh! The Legend of the Sorcerer Kings
by Cyber Commander
Summary: And now, a trailer for my upcoming fic, coming out in April. You'll want to be here for it's premiere!
1. Prologue

_**Good morning, or whatever time it is when you're reading this.**_

_**I'd like to welcome you to my latest Yu-Gi-Oh project. I don't know if I can top Dark Messiah, but this story ties a lot of loose ends, and does something I wanted to do for a long time.**_

_**Anyway, let's take a moment to reveal the game mechanics that this fanfic will follow, in regard to dueling.**_

_**Simply put, the duels will follow real-life rules almost to the letter. My biggest change from previous stories is, Monsters cannot be Normal Summoned in face-up Defense Position.**_

_**Of course, I will use anime-only cards, Japanese-only cards, and cards from my previous stories, as well as a few created by my partner in crime, Master of Paradox. Some anime rules will be in play, such as the anime effect of Card of Sanctity. However, not everyone will use that card. It will only be used rarely. The hero characters do not use it. (Okay, I'll only use it when I truly have to. That card is a cop-out if everyone uses it.)**_

_**Also, some cards are illegal in this world, but some that are illegal in ours aren't. You'll have to see for yourself. (Raigeki is still illegal, for example. Monster Reborn is not.) Also, some cards that are common in our world are much rarer in this one.**_

_**For anyone who was turned off by my using the Orichalcos in the last fanfic, I assure you, it is not in this one. In fact, the general plot of this story does not compare to any storyline in any anime season. There is a tournament, but it will get much more interesting eventually.**_

_**A note on the timeline.**_

_**My original trilogy began thirty-five years after the original series was supposed to end. The trilogy itself lasted three years. This fic takes place nineteen years after that. If we assume that the original series ended in 1996, that puts the year of this fic at 2053. We will assume that the events of "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" have all taken place (in fact, one chapter will reference them in a big way). The only event in the anime that occurred differently in this world is the Ceremonial Duel between Yugi and Atem (it did not occur, due to reasons that are explained in the opening monologue).**_

_**To avoid explaining things, I know that Disk technology has likely advanced even since the GX era. However, for practical purposes the physical design has not. Assume that characters use Disks that resemble those used in GX. Maybe a bit more streamlined. (It's very hard to change the device's appearance even further, even if internal improvements have been made. You still need the tray and the discard slot.) As for how other technology has improved, you'll see more advances as they show themselves.**_

_**If you want to brush up on the trilogy, go to where my stories are there to read under the penname Cyber Commander. **_

_**I'd also like to explain something I never got around to explaining. When I named Kaiba's nephew Siegfried, the character of Ziegfried Von Schroder had not even come close to being introduced. I realize that Mokuba would likely not have given his son a name that was similar to that of one of his big brother's enemies, but by the time Ziegfried was introduced, I was stuck with it. The reason I personally named him Siegfried, as Master of Paradox no doubt knows, is because it is a name associated with a dragon in Norse Mythology. The only reason, storywise, I can give as to why Siegfried got his name is, it was his mother's idea.**_

_**One final thing. I'm going try hard to avoid themes that everyone has displayed a dislike for. I solemnly swear that no duelist in this fic will use an Amazon or Dark Scorpion Deck. (I can't say for certain whether on not Don Zaloog will show up at all – he's used in a great deal more situations than with his four pals.) As for Cyber Dragons, they'll only show up once, but my lips are sealed as to in what regard. (Small secret – I cannot stand that card, and the only reason one of the main characters in my last fic used them is because he needed a substitute for Blue-Eyes.) I'll try to be as creative as I can. In fact, one of the goals of this fic was to use themes I didn't use in "Dark Messiah".**_

_**Oh, and before I forget…**_

**_I do not own any rights to the _Yu-Gi-Oh!_ TGC, OCG, anime, or manga, which are registered trademarks of Konami. I am an independent author not affiliated with Konami, and I am not an employee or representative of them._**

_**You likely knew that, but I have to say it anyway.**_

_**Read, review, and have fun.**_

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_**You know how the story goes…**_

_**You know how a young boy named Yugi Mouto was given a strange gift – a puzzle made of complex, interlocking pieces, and how after years of work, he put it together. He found that with the Millennium Puzzle came a stranger gift… The spirit of a five-thousand year old Pharaoh who would become his protector… his partner… his friend…**_

_**You know how he became skilled at the game of Duel Monsters, and along with his friends, saved the world from dangerous threats, many times over. Dangerous demons and madmen, using his cards and his Heart to overcome them.**_

_**When all of it seemed over, there was nothing more to do. An ally told him of a way that a ritual could be performed to release the Pharaoh from the Puzzle so that he'd be free…**_

…_**and that is where realities split…**_

_**You see, in the myriad worlds of the cosmos, there exist many different realities; in many of them, the occupants are the same. However, their lives and their fates sometimes differ.**_

_**In the one you are familiar with, Yugi faced the Pharaoh in a Ceremonial Duel; in order to be set free, the Pharaoh had to know something that the strongest men must know – defeat. Yugi triumphed, and the Pharaoh was allowed to leave the world. The Millennium Items were buried forever, and for a short time, the world earned a respite from evil…**_

_**But in another reality, something much different happened…**_

_**In this reality, before the ritual could even occur, it was interrupted. Everyone present was taken to a peaceful place, where a beautiful angel who called herself Shanalla told them that she could not allow the ritual to take place. Not yet. She foresaw a dangerous threat in the future, where the Pharaoh's skills would be needed once more. **_

_**But it was so far in the future, that Yugi himself would not be able to handle it. Shanalla predicted that Yugi would sire a son, and that the task would fall to him.**_

_**Shanalla left them with one promise. Sometime after this threat was dealt with, the ritual would be done. She gave her word. **_

_**And then she left everyone with no memories of what had transpired.**_

_**Eventually, Yugi grew up, and put his Puzzle away, while the Pharaoh slept in hibernation. He married, and did indeed have a son – Yugi Mouto Jr. When the son got older, Yugi gave him the Puzzle, and when he got older still, odd things started to happen.**_

_**The daughter of Maximillion Pegasus sought revenge on Yugi for turning her father's life into misery, and thought to do it by killing Yugi's son. During her mad trap, the Pharaoh awoke, and guided him through it. With his allies, including his father's best friend's daughter and the nephew of his father's old rival, he defeated her… and then saved her soul when Death itself tried to devour her.**_

_**A year after that, a madman sought to free the demon-god Set by imprisoning New York, seeking to use Yugi and his friends as fuel. Once again, they triumphed, and the evil was vanquished.**_

_**Finally, the threat that Shanalla spoke of arose. A fallen angel named Saurius sought to find and destroy a sacred artifact called the Mandate of Heaven, to bring doom to the world. Yugi and his friends fought him valiantly, and endured the death of their friend before the demon was defeated.**_

_**It is now nineteen years after that fateful summer when Duelatopia first opened. Yugi Mouto Jr. – now rarely calling himself "Junior" – never knew of any way to release the Pharaoh. Two years after Duelatopia, he married, and quickly, he sired a child of his own…**_

_**But this time, fate would prove a rascal…**_

_**The third generation of the Moutos, and thus the fate of the Pharaoh… would fall to a daughter…**_

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"_**Your move…"**_

_**Get ready to meet the challenge,**_

_**See your foes throw the gauntlet down;**_

_**Set your sights to new horizons,**_

_**Turn your hopes towards reaching the crown…**_

_**Each card… you draw…**_

_**Makes you… a little bit better…**_

_**Each time… you win…**_

_**Is one more step up the ladder!**_

_**It's a whole new generation!**_

_**It's a new legacy to be made!**_

_**Just believe in yourself,**_

_**And remember one thing:**_

_**The duel's never over until…**_

_**The last card is played!**_

_**Get ready to climb the rankings,**_

_**Face beasts and show no fear;**_

_**Make moves with careful choices,**_

_**Turn your goal from far to near.**_

_**Each duel… You start…**_

_**Is a new thrill to discover!**_

_**If you… fall down…**_

_**Just get back up, and recover!**_

_**It's a whole new generation!**_

_**It's a new legacy to be made!**_

_**Just believe in yourself,**_

_**And remember one thing:**_

_**The duel's never over until…**_

_**The last card is played!**_

_**No, the duel's never over until…**_

_**The last card is played…**_

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**YU-GI-OH!**

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**Third Generation**

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**The Legend of the Sorcerer Kings**

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It was 4:30 in the afternoon, on the boardwalk of the Domino City amusement park.

The young and the young at heart were about. Laughing, playing…

…dueling…

A young teenage girl stood, carefully considering the situation.

She was dressed in black, in a midriff (navel exposed, but not indecently) and black jeans, and had black hair cut short. She had sky blue eyes and dimples.

A Duel Disk was on her left arm – the latest model, recently delivered by KaibaCorp.

In front of her was Vampire Lady (1,550/1,550) waiting for her to give a command. Her opponent, twenty feet in front of her, had only a facedown Monster.

She couldn't believe the scores… She had 2,500 left, and her opponent only had 1,000. This was the closest she had ever come…

She made her draw…

"You're in trouble now!" she announced. "I sacrifice Vampire Lady, for Vampire Lord!"

Vampire Lady vanished, and the older, male vampire appeared in a dark shadow. (2,000/1,500)

"Attack the facedown Monster!" she shouted. "Children of the night!"

Vampire Lord lifted his cloak, and a swarm of bats shot at the facedown card. Blast Magician appeared on the card, and was blown away.

She fit a card into her Disk, and a facedown card appeared behind Vampire Lord.

"Won't be long now, Yumi…" she said with a smile.

"We'll see, Chelsea…" said her opponent.

Her opponent drew a card.

She played it, and Pot of Greed appeared on the field. She drew two cards.

She played a card, and Magician's Valkyria appeared to face Vampire Lord. (1,600/1,800)

"Huh?" said Chelsea.

"Now I play Magical Dimension," continued her opponent. "Meaning I can sacrifice her to summon Dark Magician Girl…"

Valkyria vanished, and the Dark Magician's cute, buxom apprentice appeared. (2,000/1,700)

"And then, your Monster… goes boom!"

Vampire Lord exploded!

"Fine!" laughed Chelsea. "Attack me! I dare you! You can't finish me off with her, and he'll be back next turn!"

"Oh?" asked her opponent.

A card appeared behind Dark Magician Girl…

Rush Recklessly…

Chelsea sighed as Dark Magician Girl flew at her…

Well, at least it was the closest she had ever come…

She cringed in pain as Dark Magician Girl cast her dark spell at her.

She almost fell over, but then someone caught her from behind.

"You okay?" said a voice.

The voice belonged to a boy her age, with black hair wearing a black leather jacket. He had a Disk on too.

"I'm okay Ren, I'm okay…" said Chelsea. "Not the first time it happened, you know."

She slowly removed the card from her Spell/Trap Zone.

So close… It had been her own Rush Recklessly…

Chelsea's opponent walked up.

The girl had flowing blonde hair, deep violet eyes, and was dressed in a halter, jean jacket, and a short skirt. Around her neck was a shiny golden pendant shaped like an inverted pyramid with an eye on the front.

"That's enough practice for one day, guys," she said.

"We both lost, Yumi," said Ren. "You're unbeatable."

"Please," said Yumi. "I'm the only one who can beat you two. You both have powerful decks."

She put her arms around them.

"The three of us are going to take Duelatopia by storm. The names Yumi Mouto, Ren Marris, and Chelsea Ramset are going to be household names in the dueling world. The Three Musketeers."

"_Three_ Musketeers…" muttered Ren. "There were four. How come everyone always forgets about D'Artagnan?"

"Heh…" chuckled Yumi. "Yeah, it wouldn't have been much of a story without him. Now who's up for pizza and root beer?"

They both grinned.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The pizza parlor at the amusement park had recently added a new feature – a TV screen as big as a movie screen. It was currently set to cartoons. As the three of them waited for dinner, the patrons were getting restless.

"Okay, okay…" said a waitress, grabbing a remote. "I'll change the channel…"

She flipped a switch, and the familiar logo of KaibaCorp TV flashed on the screen, along with the usual music.

"Hi!" said a young reporter. "This is Mandy Malone. We're here at Kaibaland, where a rare treat has just appeared…"

The cheering of children followed that remark.

"Hey Yumi…" said Ren, "it's your favorite opponent…"

Yumi looked at the screen.

It was true… Favorite opponent whose ass she liked to kick.

The eighteen-year-old girl had vaguely Chinese features, tanned skin, and long, chestnut hair down to her waist. She was also dressed in a midriff, with blue jeans.

Samantha Arachne, daughter of Sheena Arachne, the head of KaibaCorp. Her father was supposedly Siegfried Kaiba, who was killed shortly after she was conceived…

It seemed that the heirs of the Moutos and the Kaibas would be rivals forever…

Samantha ("Sam" to most) seemed to be always changing decks. As Yumi's grandfather would say, she hadn't found one that came from her heart yet. She had promised on a permanent one for Duelatopia, but it had not been seen yet. Yumi wondered about it as Sam faced her opponent, a younger kid with a t-shirt and dungarees, with a baseball cap on backwards.

Yumi frowned. Didn't anyone who didn't actually play baseball ever wear a baseball cap the way it was made to be worn anymore?

"The question on everyone's mind is," said the reporter, "will the secret of Samantha's new deck be revealed? This reporter is hoping so."

_A lot of duelists are hoping so too,_ thought Yumi. _Including this one. I just know I'm going to have to face it sooner or later._

The two duelists were shuffling each others decks.

"Ready to have your butt kicked from here to Bombay, Sam?" asked the boy, as they loaded their decks.

"Please, Nick," said Sam, as her Disk activated. "The day I'm beaten by the likes of you is the day I eat my deck."

They both drew five cards.

"Game on!" they both said at once.

**(Sam: 8,000) -------------------- (Nick: 8,000)**

"All right!" said Nick, drawing his first card. "For my first brilliant move, I'll place this in Defense Mode."

He played a card, and a facedown Monster appeared.

"That's all for now."

"I've seen better opening moves from preschoolers," said Sam, making her first draw.

She looked over her hand.

"I always say, the best defense is an aggressive offense," she said. "I summon Luster Dragon in Attack Mode."

She played a card, and a huge sapphire appeared in front of her. It shattered, revealing a slim Dragon made entirely of blue gemstones. Its eyes were pools of blue right that cast a soft glow. (1,900/1,600)

"Nope," said Yumi, with a shrug. "I've seen this deck before."

She leaned her head on her hand. She _really_ knew this deck. Sam had thought she could emulate Seto Kaiba by using Dragons… She even started calling herself the Dragon Queen after this deck proved mildly successful. And then Yumi showed her what Buster Blader was capable of.

Thus, the Dragon Queen was dethroned, and Sam started looking again. This girl was determined to find the perfect deck… And hints dropped to everyone were showing that she had recently found it.

"And now I'm going to use that aggressive offense," said Sam, "by wiping out your defense! Luster Dragon… Attack! Sapphire flash blast!"

Luster Dragon spread its wings and gave a cry. Then it exhaled a blast of blue fire. The Monster that appeared on Nick's card was a young woman dressed like a green beret, complete with blacking under her eyes, with feathered wings on her back. (1,200/1,900)

She shielded herself with her arm, and the fire was deflected.

She gave a mean look at Sam, as if to say, "I dare you".

"Sorry, Sam," said Nick, "but Command Angel's Defense was just as strong as your Dragon's so called aggressive offense. Better luck next time."

Sam looked at her hand.

"I'll set this facedown," she said, fitting a card into her Disk, "and take a break for now."

A facedown card appeared.

Nick drew a card.

"I summon Hysteric Fairy in Attack Mode," he said.

A slim figure in a blue formal suit and glasses with feathered wings, carrying a book with an ankh on it appeared as he played the card. Its gender could best be described as… androgynous. It adjusted its spectacles and gave a fussy look. (1,800/1,000)

"You call _that_ a Monster?" asked Sam, sarcastically. "It looks like my old algebra teacher!"

"I'll also shift Command Angel to Attack Mode," said Nick, "and she grants all Fairies on my side of the field 400 more Attack Points. So, stand up!"

Command Angel stepped up and pulled a golden machine gun from her back. Hysteric Fairy rose to 2,200 Attack, and Command Angel herself rose to 1,600.

"Okay, that might be a problem…" muttered Sam.

"Hysteric Fairy, attack the Dragon!" shouted Nick.

Hysteric Fairy adjusted its glasses, and fired a beam of light from them, blasting the Dragon to shards.

"And since you're defenseless," said Nick, "Command Angel, attack Sam directly!"

Command Angel grit her teeth and aimed the machine gun. Sam winced as she fired six rounds into her torso.

**(S: 6,200) -------------------- (N: 8,000)**

"Man, Sam just got nailed," said Ren.

"Watch," said Yumi. "She'll come back. I know she will."

Sam caught her breath and made her draw.

"I play Premature Burial," she said, placing a card in her Disk. "I'm sure you know how it works. I merely give up 800 Life Points, and my Dragon returns."

She played the card, and as her Life Points dipped, Luster Dragon crawled out of the ground.

"Now I sacrifice him…" she continued, "for his big brother… Luster Dragon #2."

The Dragon turned into a huge emerald. It shattered, revealing a larger, fiercer-looking Dragon with green scales. Its glowing green eyes again glowed with soft light. (2,400/1,400)

"Attack the Command Angel!" she shouted. "Emerald flame!"

Luster Dragon roared, and then breathed green fire. Command Angel screamed as she was engulfed in it. She shattered.

**(S: 5,400) -------------------- (N: 7,200)**

Hysteric Fairy dropped back to 1,800 Attack.

"That's enough for one turn," said Sam.

Nick drew a card, and looked over his hand.

"I'll move Hysteric Fairy to Defense Mode," he said, "and set another Monster in Defense Mode."

Hysteric Fairy shielded itself, and a facedown card and Monster appeared.

Sam made her draw.

"Not the wisest choice," she said. "First, I summon Element Dragon."

In a flash of light, a medium-sized Dragon with orange scales and a mane of fur around its neck appeared. (1,500/1,200)

"Next, I'll activate my facedown card, a little thing called Dragon's Rage."

Her Trap Card lifted.

"Now, due to this powerful Continuous Trap, all my Dragons can hurt you even when your Monsters are in Defense Mode, as if all of them were Equipped with Fairy Meteor Crush."

"That's… not good…" muttered Nick.

"But wait…" said Sam. "There's more. When there's a Wind Monster on the field, like my Luster Dragon is right now, my Element Dragon gets to attack again if it kills one Monster first.

"So… Element Dragon attack the facedown Monster! Incendiary breeze!"

Element Dragon breathed a cloud of fire, and Nick cringed as his Monster was blown up.

"You destroyed my Skelengel," said Nick. "So now I get to draw one card."

He made a draw.

"Big deal…" said Sam. "It can attack twice, remember? Element Dragon, attack the Hysteric Fairy!"

Element Dragon breathed its lethal cloud again, and Hysteric Fairy was blown to shards.

"Luster Dragon, attack Nick directly!"

Luster Dragon shot its emerald flame forward, and Nick screamed as an inferno of green fire erupted around him.

**(S: 5,400) -------------------- (N: 2,700)**

"Looks like Sam has this in the bag," said Chelsea.

"Where's our pizza?" sighed Yumi. "Are they going to Italy to get the mozzarella?"

"You're gonna pay for that…" muttered Nick.

He drew a card and considered his hand.

"So what pathetic move are you going to make now, Nick?" asked Samantha.

"How's this for pathetic?" he asked, opening his Field Slot. "I play The Sanctuary in the Sky."

Everyone took notice, as the whole arena was enveloped in light. The floor became a mass of clouds, and an ancient, stone temple rose behind Nick. It was topped by a spire holding a glowing orb. Soft light glowed from the whole structure.

"Okay…" muttered Sam, nervously. "Nice place…"

Meanwhile, the pizza had come. The three friends took a slice.

"So what does this mean?" asked Chelsea, sprinkling parmesan on hers.

"By itself, Sam can't hurt him by attacking his Fairies," said Yumi, "but if he combined it with other cards…"

"Now, let's get serious," continued Nick. "I summon Warrior of Zera."

A stern-faced Warrior in armor with a sword, wearing a horned helmet appeared. (1,600/1,600)

"Case in point…" muttered Yumi.

"But he won't be here long," he continued, taking another card. "This Warrior is a man with a dual nature, who constantly struggles between good and evil… And when in the blessed realm of the Sanctuary, a powerful transformation can take place…"

Warrior of Zera became shrouded in light, and a great transformation started to occur. A more imposing figure appeared, in silvery armor with huge, feathered wings on his back with a helmet. A long scarf covered his mouth and swept behind him in the unseen wind. He held a gleaming broadsword in his hand that shone with pure light. He radiated an air of authority that was impossible to ignore. (2,800/2,300)

"Meet the ace of my deck…" said Nick. "Archlord Zerato!"

"Impressive…" muttered Sam.

Yumi was watching intently. Her father had used that guy in his duel against Saurius so many years ago… He had been instrumental to victory…

"Here's something that's even more impressive," said Nick. "I'm going to discard my Dunames Dark Witch…"

He discarded one of his cards.

"And say sayonara to your Monsters!"

The spire of the Sanctuary glowed, and blasted a lightning bolt, vaporizing Luster Dragon and Element Dragon.

"You're wide open!" shouted Nick. "Zerato, attack! Holy sword!"

Zerato flew at Sam with his blade, and she was helpless to do anything but take it. She screamed and toppled over.

"Wow…" said Ren. "This is exciting."

"Mmm…" said Yumi, with her mouth full. "Exciting…"

_And if Sam is humiliated on live television right before her debut in Duelatopia,_ she thought, _it's gonna be so much fun rubbing her nose in it…_

**(S: 2,600) -------------------- (N: 2,700)**

Yumi eagerly watched. One more attack and Sam would be defeated… All Nick would need was another Light Monster…

Nick played two of his three remaining cards, and two facedown cards appeared.

"Your move," he said. "One more blow like that, and you're history."

Sam drew a card.

"I play… Graceful Charity…" she said.

She played the card, and an angelic form appeared over her. The angel's feathers fell on her deck, and she drew three cards.

"Now I can draw three cards, so long as I toss two…"

She looked at the cards in her hand.

She discarded Masked Dragon and Divine Dragon Ragnarok.

"Now I summon Cave Dragon," she said, playing a card.

A hulking, elderly Dragon with no wings appeared in front of her. It yawned, and looked at its opponent with tired-looking eyes. (2,000/100)

"He may look tough," she said, "but he's actually a shiftless, lazy slob who can't do much on his own. You see, he can't attack unless I have another Dragon on the field.

"So, I'll also place three cards facedown, and end my turn."

Three facedown cards appeared.

Nick drew. He looked at the two cards in his hand.

"Problem?" asked Sam. "Don't have the right card to discard, huh?"

"Actually, no, I don't," said Nick. "So I'll just have to get one."

A facedown card lifted.

"I activate Beckoning Light. Here's how it works. First I toss all the cards in my hand."

He discarded his two cards, a Mudora and an Agido.

"Then, I can recover one Light Attribute Monster from my Graveyard for each card that I tossed…"

Two cards came out of his discard slot.

"…like Hysteric Fairy and Dunames Dark Witch.

"First, just in case, I'll summon Dunames Dark Witch…"

He played the card, and a pretty female Fairy in a red dress and metallic wings appeared. (1,800/1,050)

"Now I'll discard Hysteric Fairy, and activate Zerato's effect!"

He discarded the card. The spire of the Sanctuary started to glow.

"Not so fast!" shouted Sam. "I chain two of my facedown cards. First, Rush Recklessly."

One of her cards lifted.

"It increases Cave Dragon's Attack Score by 700 points, to 2,700. Next, I'll activate Burst Breath!"

Another card lifted.

"Now, I can sacrifice my Cave Dragon, and all Monsters with lower Defense Scores than his Attack Score go down in flames!"

A blast of green flame shot out of Cave Dragon's mouth, and both Zerato and Dunames Dark Witch cringed against it before they shattered. Then Cave Dragon shattered.

"Aw, shoot…" muttered Nick.

"Finally," said Sam, "my last card activates…"

Her last facedown card lifted, showing another Quickplay.

"Super Rejuvenation," she said. "Now, for each Dragon that I sacrificed this round, I get to draw one card."

She made a draw and looked at it.

"You have no cards left, so I'll move…" said Sam, drawing again.

She looked at the new card.

"You like Light Monsters? Here's a good one for you. I summon Mirage Dragon."

She played the card, and a beam of light fell from above. A wispy Dragon that seemed made out of pure light appeared. (1,600/600)

"In case you think that facedown card will block this attack, forget it. He'll prevent you from activating it. Mirage Dragon, attack with spectrum blast!"

Mirage Dragon breathed a blast of multicolored light, and Nick shielded himself as it hit him.

**(S: 2,600) -------------------- (N: 1,100)**

"Not bad…" he said, panting for breath.

He drew a card.

"But you aren't out of the woods yet… I play my Pot of Greed."

He played the card, and the green, smiling jug appeared in front of him, and gave an evil cackle.

"Now I draw two cards…"

He looked at them.

"And now I'll activate my facedown card… Light of Judgment."

His facedown card lifted, and storm clouds appeared over the Sanctuary.

"Now, since the Sanctuary is on the field, by discarding one Light Monster, like my Absorbing Kid From The Sky…"

He discarded a card.

"I can either destroy one card on your side of the field, or one card in your hand. So… Mirage Dragon dies!"

Lightning struck, and Mirage Dragon was atomized.

"Good grief…" muttered Chelsea. "If that other card in his hand is a Monster, he can attack her and bring her down to dangerous numbers."

"Well, Zerato is a NOMI," replied Yumi. "He can't summon him from the Graveyard.

"You know, I often wondered just what 'NOMI' stands for. I've never gotten a straight answer from anyone."

"I'll place my last card in Defense Mode, and end my turn," said Nick.

A facedown Monster appeared.

Sam drew a card.

"My patience has paid off, Nick," she said. "First, I summon Lord of Dragons to the field."

She played the card, and the draconic Spellcaster dressed in black with a claw-like helmet appeared. (1,200/1,100)

"Now I play… Dragon's Mirror!"

"Dragon's Mirror?" asked Nick. "What's that?"

"A mirror that's sure to give you bad luck," said Sam, "whether you break it or not. It's a Polymerization substitute. Now I can remove Fusion Material Monsters on the field and in my Graveyard from play to summon the Fusion Monster, so long as it's a Dragon.

"So, I'll fuse together Lord of Dragons and the Divine Dragon Ragnarok in my Graveyard…"

A large mirror with a golden frame appeared on the field. Ragnarok appeared beside the Spellcaster, and both of them were drawn into the mirror...

Then the mirror cracked, and smoke started to pour out of it…

"…and say hello to King Dragun."

The smoke formed into an impressive creature. It was a serpentine Dragon, centaurian in general outline, whose upper body resembled that of Lord of Dragons, only more majestic. His lower body was bulky and serpentine. A mane that resembled more a cloud of mist than hair surrounded his neck. He gripped a staff resembling the Flute of Summoning Dragons, and he radiated a dark aura. (2,400/1,100)

"King Dragun, attack!" she shouted. "Flaming scourge!"

King Dragun breathed white-hot flames from his maw, and an explosion burst on the facedown card.

Sam cringed as pain coursed through her…

"What happened?" she gasped.

She looked…

Where her target had been was a small creature, resembling a dollop of whipped cream. It had two big eyes, and above them was a smile that was upside down. It grinned at Sam. (300/500)

"What in blazes?" asked Ren. "Is that a Monster or a dessert soufflé?"

"Don't estimate Marshmallon," said Yumi, between chews. "It's powerful. Since Sam attacked it while it was facedown, she lost 1,000 Life Points. And it can't be destroyed in battle. Not to mention the fact that it's a Fairy, so the Sanctuary keeps Nick from losing Life Points from that Dragon's Rage.

"This is a big handicap for Sam, because this deck is mostly slash and burn. She's already used her Burst Breath."

**(S: 1,600) -------------------- (N: 1,100)**

"My move now…" said Nick.

He drew a card.

"Perfect…" he said, looking at it. "I don't know if you'd ever hit a guy with glasses on Sam, but now you don't have a choice, I play Marshmallon Glasses."

He played the card.

"So long as this card is on the field with Marshmallon, you're only allowed to attack him. So I have lots of time to summon something to bring tall, dark, and gruesome there down!"

"We'll see…" said Sam, drawing.

"This duel is over…" she said. "It will be a cold day in Hades before my Monsters are brought to a halt by some little cream puff."

"And just what are you gonna do?" asked Nick. "Summon whatever Dragon you want. Marshmallon can't be destroyed."

"Only in battle," replied Sam. "I just drew this Spell Card. It's called Dragon's Gunfire.

"See, I can only activate it when I have at least one Dragon on the field. Then I have to make a choice. I can either inflict 800 points of direct damage to you, or destroy a Monster with 800 Defense Points or less.

"And since your Marshmallon only has 500 Defense Points, I can fry it up like a Baked Alaska."

"What's a Baked Alaska?" asked Ren.

"Don't you guys know anything about gourmet desserts?" asked Yumi. "Let's just say it's the only ice cream dish that you serve hot."

King Dragun blew a stream of flames, striking Marshmallon. The little Fairy was burned up and reduced to ashes.

"You're next," said Sam. "King Dragun, attack directly!"

King Dragun blasted another gout of super-hot flames. Nick screamed and was propelled backwards as it hit him.

**(S: 1,600) -------------------- (N: 0)**

The clouds of the Sanctuary and Sam's Monster slowly vanished.

As Yumi, Ren, and Chelsea watched, a boy about Sam's age ran up and hugged her. He was handsome, with shaggy-long hair.

It seemed Sam had a boyfriend now, and now Yumi was a little jealous.

Mandy Malone came up to Sam.

"Congratulations, Ms. Arachne on another victory," she said. "Care to give anyone a hint on this new deck you've been working on?"

"Well," said Sam, "it will be unveiled in Duelatopia in two weeks. Anyone with internet access merely has to look up my name to see me use it.

"And there's one girl out there I can't wait to show it to.

"I'm not naming any names, of course, but she has a bad hair style, and wears a tacky piece of jewelry. Of course, I can't blame her for the first part. It seems her whole family has been hated by beauticians. Although I doubt her maternal grandfather ever even went to one. Heck, I doubt he even ever used a comb.

"If you're out there, listen up… This tournament, the Consort of Ha Des is going to drag you into the Underworld and throw you into the Pit of Fire!"

Her boyfriend hugged her lovingly, and they walked away from the reporter.

"Uhm…" said Mandy. "Strong words, and a powerful prediction of things to come. I guess the gauntlet has officially been thrown. Now this…"

"My Puzzle is NOT tacky!" shouted Yumi. "She has some nerve!"

Yumi made a face.

She knew that Sam had been _waiting _for this tournament… She had been eligible to compete in the last two Duelatopia tournaments – you only had to be sixteen – but she had turned the offers down both times, saying she wouldn't until she could win by beating Yugi Mouto's heir… Not the most subtle hint…

"Relax, Yumi," said Ren. "She's all bark and no bite."

"Yes, relax…" said a gentle voice in her head.

Yumi calmed down a little.

"We can't let insults distract us, Yumi," said the voice. "Things are coming to a headway…"

Yumi sighed and took out her deck.

She took out Dark Magician Girl and looked at her…

She put her deck back.

"Check please…" she said.

Behind Yumi, a spectral form appeared…

It was a tall woman, who seemed young in terms of age, but a definite aura of experience was present. She wore a white business suit that was spotlessly clean, and sunglasses over her eyes. Her hair was platinum blonde, and down to her waist.

No one seemed to see her as she walked up behind Yumi. She removed the sunglasses, and her eyes were green… Deep, sea green that you could lose yourself in.

She smiled sweetly and placed her hand on Yumi's head affectionately.

Yumi felt strange at that point. It was a sensation of warmth… A gentle feeling…

The strange woman replaced the sunglasses and slowly faded away…

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**COMMAND ANGEL (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fairy/Effect  
**Attribute:** Fire  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,200  
**DEF:** 1,900

**Card Description:** When this card is face-up on your side of the field, all Fairy-Type Monsters on your side of the field gain 400 ATK for as long as this card is face-up on your side of the field.

_Note: "Command Angel" was first used by Tristan in the original anime episode "Mechanical Mayhem". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**MARSHMALLON (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fairy/Effect  
**Attribute:** Light  
**Level:** 3  
**ATK:** 300  
**DEF:** 500

**Card Description:** The user of the Monster that attacks this Monster while it is in facedown Defense Position takes 1,000 points of direct damage after battle damage is applied. This card is not destroyed as a result of battle (damage calculation still applies).

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**MARSHMALLON GLASSES (Spell Card)**

**Continuous Spell**

**Image:** A pair of eyeglasses with a picture of Marshmallon in each lens.

**Card Description:** When this card and "Marshmallon" are on your side of the field, your opponent cannot attack any Monster except "Marshmallon".

_Note: "Marshmallon" and "Marshmallon Glasses" are Japanese cards that have not yet been released in the United States. They were both used by Little Yugi during the original anime series Pharaoh's Memory Arc._

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**Ren: I'm so psyched, Chelsea! We're going to Duelatopia!**

**Chelsea: Just like our parents did all those years ago. I can't contain myself…**

**Yumi: Yeah guys, I know we should be excited but…**

…**somehow, the turmoil inside me is strong, and a friend of mine is feeling it too.**

**But don't let me distract you. Review your decks, review your strategies, and get ready…**

**Next chapter is Chapter One, "A New Beginning; A New Starting Point".**


	2. A New Beginning

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**CHAPTER ONE**

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**A New Beginning; **

**A New Starting Point**

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Sheena Arachne walked down the spotlessly clean halls of the tech building, located far away on the island that many called Duelatopia.

She was a tall, slim, and striking woman, even at the age of thirty-eight…

Some would call her life amazing…

Her mother had been abandoned by her true father after she had been conceived. Hope came when her mother was taken in by another man, but it was dashed to pieces when both her mother and foster father were killed in an accident. She had spent the first nineteen years of her life in near-poverty, first in an orphanage, and then working demeaning jobs… Flipping burgers, bagging groceries, and at worst, scrubbing floors. Only the occasional boon from winning at Duel Monsters enabled her and her younger sister the occasional luxury. It seemed she and her sister had a bleak future…

…until she met Siegfried Kaiba.

He had been looking for special duelists for the first Duelatopia tournament. Eliminators. Duelists who used psyche-out warfare and sinister threats as well as skill to crush anyone who looked for a shortcut. Sheena's big break came when Siegfried saw potential in her…

She joined the Eliminators, becoming the spider-savant known as Shelob, and the best one he had. Having a four-armed, half-spider-half-human woman as your opponent who was threatening to devour you could unnerve anyone. Not to mention the fact that her Insect Deck was incredibly well-built. She even got a chance to duel Yugi Mouto Jr., but he couldn't be scared, and he beat her.

But it became more serious. She and her employer were falling in love.

She didn't expect to carry his child so soon, but it happened, as Duelatopia entered the end phase. And sadly, a crisis struck which he didn't survive.

Siegfried would not abandon her, even in death. The bulk of his estate and KaibaCorp itself was willed to her, and she did her best to accept the responsibility. Even while raising his daughter.

From rags to riches… She was now the most powerful figure in the gaming world.

And as she entered the computer room, she intended this tournament to be safe and fun for all.

"Waylan," she said, walking to the head computer technician.

"Uh, yes, Miss Arachne," said the thin, bespectacled man.

He was visibly nervous. He had been for a week now.

"Has the main computer been checked this morning for online intrusions?" she asked.

"Yes, twice…" answered Waylan. "But I assure you…"

"Mr. Smalls…" she said sternly. "In the history of KaibaCorp, tournament guest lists tend to be hacked into. The Rare Hunters did so in Battle City, causing the legitimate guests all sorts of grief. Ziegfried Von Schroder did so during the Grand Prix in an attempt to literally destroy KaibaCorp by destroying its complete computer system.

"It will _not_ happen again. Capish?"

"Miss Arachne…" he said. "I studied computer programming for eight years. I graduated at the top of my class at Harvard…

"I installed firewalls and anti-viral programs that the government would envy, and a few tricks of my own.

"The only one who could hack into that guest list is… Well, is me."

"Make sure…" said Sheena, turning to leave.

As Waylan sat back at his console, he picked up a cell phone, and nervously dialed a number.

"Hello?" he said into it. "Is this… uhm, John Smith?"

"It is," said a voice. "Talk to me."

"I got your file in my personal e-mail last night," said Waylan with a sigh. "It has been done."

"Excellent," said the voice. "Is it secure?"

"Yes," said Waylan. "Get this… The new names will be on what I call a 'shadow list'. They will identifiable as legit tournament guests if anyone checks their badges, but their names will not be on the official list. Miss Arachne will not see any names on the list that she didn't approve, and thus won't get suspicious."

"Excellent," said the voice. "Now, I'm going to make you an offer…

"I'm willing to increase the payment to three million, if you remove three names from the official list."

"Oh?" asked Waylan, taking a pen. "Who?"

"Write this down," said the voice. "Yumi Mouto, Ren Marris, and Chelsea Ramset. They must be…"

"Hold on!" said Waylan, in a frightened whisper. "No way, Jose. That would get me caught for sure."

"What makes you so certain?" asked the voice.

"What makes me so certain?" he replied. "Their parents are close friends of Miss Arachne! They'd want to know why if those kids were turned away from the boat, and she'd find out I did it, and…"

"Mr. Smalls," said the voice, "I thought you needed money."

"I do!" he whispered. "And they only pay you twelve cents an hour in prison!"

"Four million dollars?" offered the voice.

"You know…" said Waylan, in an annoyed tone, "I'm beginning to think this whole thing was a bad idea, so you can keep the one million. I'm going to delete those names I already added…"

He reached for the mouse.

"Wait…" said the voice.

Waylan paused.

"Very well… You needn't remove anyone. Just keep the first part of the deal, and the money will be in your account in the morning."

"Enjoy the tournament…" muttered Waylan.

He hung up.

In a dark room somewhere in Europe, a figure put down a phone.

"Ah, well," he said with a shrug. "Not as much as I'd hoped, but more than I expected… I guess there's nothing wrong with a little… competition.

"Very soon, the conclusion to a great amount of work will finally come to fruition…"

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Chelsea sat on the unmade bed in her messy room, slowly going over her cards.

She had the problem right now that all duelists had when they wanted to add a card to their decks – what to take out to make room.

She sighed.

"Eenie, meanie, minie, moe," she muttered, "catch a Monster by the toe, if it stinks then… let it go…"

Eventually, she picked up her Despair From The Dark. She supposed it was the one that had seen the least amount of use… She put it aside…

Then she picked up the new card and grinned. Her father had designed it with her in mind… She'd be the first duelist in the world to use it…

She heard a low moan coming from the wall to her left…

She turned, and saw a spectral, aged knight, clad in pitted and broken armor, with a full beard. He moaned again.

"Hi, Sir Percival," she said.

The phantom sighed.

"You know, milady," he said, "when I was your age, I'd have been scared out of my wits if I ever saw a ghost…"

"Dunno…" said Chelsea. "I guess these days, kids are just harder to scare. Probably due to movies and television. So what have you been up to?"

"Oh, just looking for…" he started. "Uhm… Well… That… thing I'm always looking for, you know…"

Chelsea frowned.

She had been seeing undead spirits for a long time, and Sir Percival was one of the most complicated. He was always looking for something, but he didn't know what. He was certain he'd know it when he saw it.

Chelsea knew a little about how ghosts worked… She realized that Percival would likely be able to rest in peace once he found whatever it was he was looking for. But without a single clue, she couldn't help him.

"Working on that odd card came of yours?" asked Percival. "I was always more a fan of straight poker myself…"

He looked over her shoulder.

"Humph… Vampires, eh? Never liked such folk… They considered themselves the aristocrats of the supernatural, but in reality, all they ever became were a bunch of snobs. I feel a little sorry for them, though… They were wiped out in the Great War…"

"Great War?" asked Chelsea.

"A secret conflict…" said Percival, ominously. "No one knows who started it, no one knows the cause, but a war of sorts occurred between the race of vampires and humanity. Clearly, humanity was the victor… Vampires are all but extinct, now… Not one has been seen for centuries…"

Chelsea looked at the special card.

"Well, they have their uses…" replied Chelsea. "And they fit well. For someone like me, using this deck… This Vampire/Immortal Deck… It just seems to fit…

"Duelatopia had better watch out…"

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Five streets over, in his room in another house, Ren looked through his deck…

Then he removed a card, and picked another one up.

"Dad's best card…" he muttered. "The one that he took to Hell and back, literally… It's mine now…"

He sighed and shuffled it into his deck. His dad always seemed to be away on business. This precious card had come via certified mail. But it was the clincher that he needed.

At that moment, two small hands covered his eyes.

"Guess who?" laughed a childish voice.

"Connie?" said Ren, annoyed. "Don't you know how to knock?"

He turned around, and lifted up his kid sister, a ten-year-old with a dimpled face and black pigtails.

"Ren, why can't I come too?" she asked. "I can duel…"

"Connie, you have to be at least sixteen," said Ren. "Besides, you're too young to duel using a Disk. You don't know what it's like to take a direct attack. It can be painful even for me sometimes…

"Now, one more year, and we'll sign you up for Duelist Camp… You'll get your first experience there…"

Connie crossed her arms in a sulk.

Ren picked up the card he had removed from his deck.

"Here…" he said, handing it to her. "A new card always cheers me up when I'm feeling down…"

She took the card and looked at it.

"Getsu Fuhma?" she asked.

She read the card text.

"I don't need a third one," said Ren. "And Getsu Fuhma has a special power… She drives away evil creatures and night terrors. Keep that card with you, and you'll always be safe…"

Connie smiled slightly.

"And be sure to check the Duelatopia website every day and look up my name," he said. "You can see every duel I'm in. It's gonna be great…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In a penthouse apartment on the upscale part of town, Samantha Arachne looked over the cards in her Dragon Deck.

Des Volstgalph… Spear Dragon… Even Tyrant Dragon…

Then she put the deck in a metal deck case and put it on a shelf, right next to four other deck cases, holding her other decks. Warriors, Beasts, Fire, and RFG.

None of them had ever met her calling. They all had their weaknesses as well.

Take the Warrior Deck. Its major weakness was, it only had four Traps, three of which were Royal Decree. Disabling all Traps seemed like a good idea at the time, but it had problems. Not being able to defend yourself with them could put you in a bad situation. There was only one way to disable your opponent's use of Traps and still use them yourself, and that was to combo Jinzo with Amplifier. And THAT was more dangerous than using Jinzo alone. One Mystical Space Typhoon would take out both Jinzo and your so-called advantage.

She sat on her bed and picked up a sixth deck.

She smiled.

She hadn't used this deck against a live opponent yet – only against the virtual ones in Kaibaland. But this deck had filled a spot that had previously been empty… It had struck a cord with her…

This… this deck was truly hers…

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The famous game store that had been opened by Solomon Mouto was still the property of the Mouto family. But these days, the apartment over it was rented out, and the staff of the actual store simply worked for the family.

The Moutos themselves could afford better, especially after Yumi's father had won a great deal of money in the first tournament, and had emceed the tournaments afterwards for the summers of his college education, which paid a considerable salary.

Right now, Yumi was making the last adjustments to her deck, sitting in her bedroom – much neater than Chelsea's – in the apartment in uptown Domino that her family called home.

Her father was also away on business – the life of an archaeologist was one that required a great deal of travel – but he always managed to keep in contact. Her mother was home more often, but the field of pediatric medicine always kept her busy.

Yumi looked at one card in her deck. The Dark Magician.

This had always been her father and grandfather's favorite card… And to her, he was the "main man" of her deck…

But as she looked at another card, something drew her closer…

She looked at Dark Magician Girl.

She slowly shuffled the deck, and placed it on her desk.

Then a spectral hand reached for it and picked it up.

"It's a powerful deck, Yumi," said the strong voice of the Pharaoh. "And far more organized than anything your parents or grandparents ever used. I should know."

"I hope it's good enough…" said Yumi. "Maybe it needs more Spell Cards…"

The Pharaoh chuckled.

"I had this discussion with your grandfather right before Battle City," he replied.

He paused.

"Those were dark times… Days of madmen and tyrants… And cursed cards…"

"Someone is getting tense…" said Yumi with a grin. "I know this whole deal hasn't been easy for you… Me being a girl, and you having to adjust. But there's something else, isn't there?"

The Pharaoh paused.

"Come on…" said Yumi. "I had a hard time accepting the fact that you were there while I was in the shower, but I learned to accept it after a while. You can tell me."

The spirit sat down.

"It's complicated, Yumi…" he said. "For years, my memories have been suppressed, waiting for the time when… Something happened.

"I think that the 'something' is going to happen soon. It can happen at any time."

He paused.

"And every time I look at you, little pieces of my memory start to come back… It's as if I knew you in some form or another… At a different time…"

Yumi grinned.

"Hey…" she said with a chuckle. "Maybe when you were Pharaoh, I was some slave girl you had…"

The Pharaoh shook his head…

"I suppose it might be possible…" he muttered. "Although I'd like to think if I ever kept slaves, I had a benign reason for doing so…"

Yumi's expression turned serious.

"Uh, yeah…" she muttered. "Anyway…"

She placed her deck into a holder on her belt.

"We're going to make some history… I'm going to go right to the top…

"Some might call me the Princess of Games… But I won't call myself Queen until I deserve it."

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It was a sunny morning on the third day of July, when the three friends met outside of Yumi's apartment building.

Ren carried his guitar strapped to his back. His dad had at first disapproved of his desire to play the instrument, remembering how it was Remi's hobby, but he eventually gave in, and Ren's music was enough to lift anyone's spirits.

Chelsea carried a satchel full of photography equipment, reminiscent of the one her dad always carried when he was her age. She intended to take pictures of every opportunity she could find, and maybe start a book that would be a best-seller among the dueling world, like her dad's had been.

The instructions they were given told them to be at Domino Pier at eleven, so they had plenty of time.

"So," said Yumi, "anyone up for bagels and juice before we…"

She was startled as a large stretch limo stopped in front of them. It was one of the most expensive models, driving on air jets that hovered over the ground, rather than tread on it.

The chauffer stepped out.

"Ms. Mouto?" he said. "The young lady inside would like to offer you and your companions a ride."

"Oh, she would, would she?" asked Yumi, annoyed.

She knew who was in the limo already.

The chauffer opened the door, and sure enough, Samantha was sitting there. The boy who had been with her at Kaibaland was next to her.

"Why am I not surprised?" asked Yumi.

"Thought you might enjoy riding to the Pier in style," said Sam. "Trust me Yumi… I'm only nasty when you're my opponent…"

The three of them got in, and sat opposite the two older teenagers.

The car started up.

"Where are my manners?" continued Sam. "This is Erik Matell."

"Uh, hi…" said Erik. "Nice to meet you all."

_He seems nice enough…_ thought Chelsea, _but what does he see in her?_

"Why are you even going by boat, Sam?" asked Ren. "Is KaibaCorp's private jet in the shop?"

Sam shook her head.

"Mom insisted that once I get to the Pier," she replied, "my special treatment ends. In this tournament, I'm just like you."

She looked at Ren and Chelsea.

"I kind of wonder how you two got invited," she asked. "Being related to important folks doesn't cut it…"

"See here…" started Ren.

Yumi raised her hand.

"Ren and Chelsea came in second and third place, respectively, in the Tokyo National Tournament," she replied. "The one the two of us had to skip.

"And what about your boyfriend, Sam? What did he do that was so special?"

"Well, I…" started Erik.

"Erik _won_ the Kaiba Dome Intermediate Division Tournament," replied Sam. "And he's fully capable of going far in a major tournament."

"Pray that the two of you never have to duel each other," said Chelsea, with a smirk.

Sam looked a little surprised.

"Uh, apple strudel?" she asked nervously, holding up a plate of pastries.

Yumi took one.

"So, Sam…" she asked, "any chance you can spill the beans on the big secret behind the Coliseum this year? I heard your mom's put some incredible money on the holographic systems in that place."

Sam was quiet for a minute.

"Well, you didn't hear this from me…" she muttered, "but the arena will change with each duel in the finals. The Coliseum will create seven whole worlds to serve as battlegrounds. All I know are the names…

"In the quarter-finals, the arenas are called The Fiery Perdition of Gehenna, The Savage Wilderness of the Beastlands, The Olympian Glades of Arborea, and The Tarterian Depths of Carceri…

"In the semi-finals, the two arenas will be The Clockwork Nirvana of Mechanus and The Ever-Shifting Chaos of Limbo…

"And finally, for whoever makes it to the finals, the arena will be The Mounting Heavens of Celestia."

"Interesting…" said Chelsea.

"Need I remind you," continued Sam, "that the finals are going to be broadcast worldwide. Someone will bask in glory for all the world to see…

"And others will be humiliated…"

She smirked at Yumi.

"I just hope you all remembered those badges that came with the invitations…"

"You mean these?" asked Ren, holding something up.

It was an octagonal brooch made of glass, colored orange.

"What do they do exactly?"

"You'll find out…" said Sam. "Just don't lose them…"

The limo pulled up to the Pier.

"Looks like we're here…" said Sam. "See you three in Duelatopia. But remember, the next time we meet, we're rivals!"

"I can hardly wait…" muttered Yumi, as they got out. "And you're gonna be a riot there with that zit on your forehead."

"WHAT?" screamed Sam. "NO! I can't be getting a zit! Not now!"

She scrambled and looked for a mirror.

"Easy, Sam, easy…" said Erik. "She's just pulling your chain… You're skin is totally smooth…"

Sam took some deep breaths.

"You aren't just saying that, are you?" she asked.

"I'd never lie to you, baby…" he replied.

He kissed her on the forehead.

"I'd love to teach her a lesson…" he said with a growl.

"Please, baby…" muttered Sam, kissing him back. "You wouldn't stand a chance. I'm gonna be the one to bring her down. You'll just have to watch…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

A sizable crowd had formed in front of the large luxury liner several hours later. All the duelists in this part of the world had come to Domino to take this boat to Duelatopia, and a similar liner would be leaving from America at the same time. Another had already left Europe. Duelatopia was going to be bigger than ever.

"Okay…" said Chelsea, looking through her bag. "I have my cameras, extra batteries, twenty rolls of normal film, five rolls of high-speed film…"

"Chelsea, don't worry…" said Ren, "they sell film there at every store. You'll have everything you need to make your dad proud."

As everyone waited to board, a man stepped up on a pedestal. He was wearing full armor, like the kind seen in science fiction movies, his face completely concealed by a helmet.

Yumi knew these men. The Duelatopian Centurions, the peacekeepers of the tournament. They were among the best trained security forces in the world, with skills that rivaled some government agencies.

"Greetings, everybody," he said through an amplifier in his helmet. "You may call me Sergeant McAlmer, and I will be in charge of your welfare for the transport portion of this endeavor.

"Now, the goal of this tournament is to have fun. Nonetheless, we have a few guidelines.

"When you check into your cabins, you'll find several things. A guide to the facilities, and a guidebook to Duelatopia itself. As you might expect, it has a lot to offer.

"We've also provided the latest rules for dueling set by Industrial Illusions. Lists of Forbidden and Limited cards are with the package. Make sure your decks are all tournament legal, because cheating is not tolerated.

"A buffet lunch is going to be served in the cafeteria at one, and dinner is at seven. Our ETA for arrival is four PM tomorrow afternoon.

"If you want to hone your skills by dueling, we have a designated arenas below deck. But no dueling using Disks elsewhere. Trust me, when you get to Duelatopia, you'll be able to duel anytime, anywhere.

"Now that that's out of the way, everyone line up, and your tickets will be scanned, and your Disks will be registered.

"And no shoving! Our insurance doesn't cover you until you're actually on the boat."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

With organization that could best be compared to an old episode of IThe Keystone Cops/I, the passengers finally all made it on board just fifteen minutes behind schedule.

Yumi had to admire the ones in charge. They had a great deal of patience.

Chelsea was amazed at what was offered at the buffet. She had heard Yumi's grandparents talk of the boat to Duelist Kingdom, where food wasn't even served and they had to sleep on the floor.

Sheena Arachne knew how to treat her guests.

As Chelsea reached for the hot wings, she felt a familiar chill behind her.

"'Ello, Chelsea old girl," said a voice with a high British accent.

Chelsea frowned, and turned to see the tall, thin phantom wearing the trappings of a harlequin.

Of all the local ghosts in Domino, Figlio was the most annoying. Rumor was he was once a nobleman's jester who was killed after poking fun at the wrong person. Being dead apparently didn't teach him a lesson. When this guy was around, he simply never shut up.

"Why are you here, Figlio?" she asked. "Get tired of haunting the mall?"

"Well, yes…" he replied. "But word spread around among all the local ghosts about this… Uhm, event you're going to, and since you can see us, a few of us… Well, we decided to tag along to watch."

Chelsea held her head.

"_Define_ 'a few of you'," she growled.

"Oh, three… four…" he replied. "Uhm… twenty-two…"

Chelsea held her head again.

"Lovely…" she said. "I've got my own fan club… The problem is, they're all a bunch of restless spirits!"

She quickly piled food on her plate.

"Oh, come on!" protested Figlio. "We have feelings too, you know!"

Chelsea didn't answer.

She simply marched right _through_ him, towards the table where Yumi and Ren were.

"Ooh, I _hate_ that!" moaned Figlio.

He vanished.

Chelsea sat down at the table.

"Yumi…" said Ren, who was nervously stirring a chicken tender in sauce. "I can't help but think that something bad is waiting on that island…"

Yumi sighed.

"Okay, folks," she said, "let's all cover the possibilities…

"First, the Millennium Items. The Scales are with Jade's family, and she'd never hurt us.

"The Key, Rod, and Ring are with Shadi, and he hasn't even shown his face in years.

"The Eye and Necklace are also in good hands. Dad knows who has them, and she's a friend.

"That only leaves the Puzzle. It's with me, and we know we can trust it.

"Anastasia is dead, and her soul was redeemed. She isn't a threat.

"Remi and Set are still banished, and they likely will never come back.

"Saurius was obliterated, having lost a Shadow Game to holders of all seven of the Items, so he'll never threaten the world again. And the Mandate of Heaven was given to the higher powers. Dad assumes it was transformed into a state that cannot be stolen or destroyed.

"So guys… There's nothing left that can come after us. No Millennium Items, no more holy artifacts, no Shadow Games. We're safe."

There was a long pause.

Yumi munched on a breadstick…

She was a little worried herself, especially after her talks with the Pharaoh…

But she simply didn't know what could threaten them this time…

Ren was the first to say it.

"You realize," he said, "that if we all go to the top, we might have to duel each other. And not for fun like we usually do. It will be for real."

They paused.

"Then it will be a duel of honor and integrity," said Yumi. "Let's make an agreement – we won't disclose to each other anything about our updated decks that we don't learn on our own. No one will have an advantage against each other."

"Agreed," both of them said.

Yumi paused.

"Even so…" she said. "Let's try not to get into any duels without anyone for support. The sure way to defeat a group is with the Divide and Conquer strategy…"

It was true. Her grandparents had been the victims of such a trick a few times in the past. They had made the mistake of keeping to themselves in Battle City. If the two of them had stayed together, a lot of dangerous situations that they had fought alone would have been avoided…

Arkana…

Lumis and Umbra…

Not to mention the two of them being forced into a deathmatch with one of them brainwashed. It would have been avoided if Joey had had someone other than Tea to fight off the Rare Hunters in the first place.

Ever since her father had formed a group of his own, he remembered this… He tried his hardest never to let the group fall apart, lest one of them be caught alone…

It could lead to disaster.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Ren walked into the dueling arena below deck.

He looked, and saw a duelist with a Blowback Dragon facing one with Gear Golem the Moving Fortress.

The duelist with Blowback Dragon drew a card. He was a short youth wearing a sweatshirt with a hood, baggy jeans, and a red bandana.

"Go!" he shouted. "Triple toss!"

Three golden coins dropped down in front of Blowback Dragon. They started to spin.

One stopped: Heads.

The second stopped: Tails.

The third: Heads

Gear Golem the Moving Fortress exploded.

"Attack directly!" shouted the youth. "Flaming forge!"

Blowback Dragon's chest opened, and flame shot out. The youth's opponent was knocked over.

_Guess he won,_ thought Ren. _Hope I don't have to duel him…_

As Ren watched, the youth motioned, and an older teenager went up to him. He was dressed in full "punk" ensemble, with a rainbow Mohawk and leather jacket.

The youth whispered something to the punk, and they looked at Ren.

"Aw, don't worry, he's harmless," said the punk.

Ren made a sideways glance.

_I heard that…_ he thought. _They don't know I did, but I did…_

_This could be trouble…_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Yumi was on the upper deck, looking out over the ocean.

The moon cast a soft glow on the sea.

The strange woman was standing behind her. Yumi tensed a little…

She turned around. Nothing was there…

The Pharaoh appeared beside her.

"You felt it too, huh?" she asked.

He nodded.

"It's strange, Yumi…" he said. "This… familiar presence… I've been feeling it ever since I've known you. But it's gotten stronger of late."

"Is it bad?" asked Yumi.

"I don't think so…" he replied. "But it might not be good either."

"You think maybe some _other_ restless spirit is hovering over my shoulder?" she asked.

The woman chuckled a little at that.

Yumi turned again, but again, she saw nothing.

Yumi took a deck out of a deck holder on her belt…

This wasn't her regular deck, but her _second_ deck.

She looked at it longingly.

This deck had been the product of three generations of work by the Mouto family. He grandfather had started working on it right after he had won Pegasus's Duelist Kingdom, and he, her father, and herself had worked on it since. As of last week, it was done at last…

Three generations of work, and it was finally done…

"Yugi…" said the Pharaoh, "I know it's tempting, but let's hold off on that. We haven't used it in a single duel, it's completely untested, and in a tournament like this, we can't afford to use a trial deck."

"I guess you're right," said Yumi, returning it to the holder.

The woman reached over and gently stroked Yumi's hair. She yawned.

"Look at the time…" she muttered. "We're gonna be fighting jet lag tomorrow… Best get some shut eye…"

She turned and walked back to the cabins.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Duelatopia.

In the Marshal Islands of the Central Pacific, this place had history dating back thousands of years…

Magical energy had long risen from its core, and when man was just becoming civilized, the powers of Heaven had chosen it as a location to hide a sacred artifact called the Mandate of Heaven. It was Earth's defense against the armies of Hell, what prevented the infernal forces from making a full-scale invasion. With it in place, they simply couldn't. Their numbers on Earth were severely limited.

In recent years, it had become threatened, so they entrusted a group of mortals to guard it… Chosen Ones who would give their lives to protect it from evil…

And one of them was Seto Kaiba.

To help protect it, he came out of retirement. He bought the entire island with his own funds.

And when he learned the nature of the threat that was posed, he devoted the bulk of KaibaCorp's resources to one project – the building of a grandiose dueling resort that would be called Duelatopia.

Kaiba was willing to die before he gave information to the ones who wanted the Mandate… And sadly, he did indeed have to make that sacrifice. But before he breathed his last, he passed the secret and the mantle to his nephew, and chosen heir, Siegfried.

Siegfried presided over the first Duelatopia tournament as a mysterious armored ruler called the Master of Games, knowing that his ally would have to end the threat. And sadly, he gave his life to protect the Mandate as well. But the deaths of Seto and Siegfried were not in vain. The demon was defeated, and the Mandate was saved.

And now… Duelatopia lived on, a monument to dueling, and a memorial to two martyrs. In the past nineteen years, it had grown, in size and in splendor…

The three friends watched as it appeared over the horizon. The spires of shining buildings grew from the center, the largest of which was the holographic tower, a giant antenna that could generate the holograms for hundreds of Duel Disks at once.

Getting closer, they saw beaches and boardwalks, and other buildings. Duelatopia would be like the typical resort city, if not for the competition that the guests engaged in. It was far evolved from Pegasus's Duelist Kingdom, where guests would have to sleep out under the stars and bring their own food. Here, it was a city with hotels and restaurants that would treat the guests well.

It wasn't only a tournament… It was a vacation, in every sense of the word.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Three boats were disembarking when Yumi, Chelsea, and Ren walked down onto the docks. Ren knew of this area… His dad had dueled Orin Tsunami here, at the gateway to Duelatopia.

But this time, a change had been made. The tower where the Master of Games had once welcomed their parents was gone. Would anyone be there to greet them?

A squad of Centurions stood in front of the ample crowd. Everyone knew enough to wait.

And then a huge, fiery dragon appeared in front of the crowd! It roared and spewed flame into the air!

"That's Tyrant Dragon!" shouted Chelsea.

Then they noticed that a woman was perched on the Dragon's head. It lowered its head to the ground, and she stepped off.

"Greetings, my friends," she said, "I'm Sheena Arachne. And welcome to what promises to be a competition like none other. Duelatopia has been upgraded with a few new surprises, and the next six days are going to be a test of survival for all of you. Three hundred duelists are here, only eight will make it to the final rounds.

"The whole city is your arena. Duels can take place anytime, anywhere. Every public place has a spot where a duel can happen – just ask whoever is in charge.

"Now then, you might be wondering about those badges you all have. Do NOT lose them! You're helpless without them.

"First of all, they are what links you to the trust fund that each duelist has been given. Each of you has four hundred dollars put aside that can be spent anywhere."

"Four hundred?" said Ren, amazed. "Wait… how much is that in yen?"

"Now, you might wonder," said Sheena, "is KaibaCorp crazy? Giving away $120,000? Don't worry, we make more than ten times that in one hour.

"When you want to use your fund, scan the badge like a credit card, scanning it at one of our stores or restaurants. This fund is irredeemable elsewhere, so be sure to use it. On the other hand, once it's all gone, you'll have to use your own finances.

"Now, you get ahead in this competition as you'd expect… By dueling! The badges are Orange now, and change color with each victory or defeat. If you lose at Orange, you fall to Red… Lose then, and it will fade to Black, and then, I'm afraid you're out. Still, you may stay and enjoy our hospitality and attractions, the least of which will be the finals, which everyone will be invited to free of charge.

"If you ever want to have an unofficial duel, for fun, you and your opponent can temporarily turn off the badge by turning the small switch in the back, and it will remain off for one hour. But a duel cannot take place if one duelist's badge is on and another's is off.

"Win an official duel, and you can progress to Yellow, then Green, Blue, Violet, Silver, and finally Gold.

"However, if you're at Silver, you can't just find someone with Red status to get an easy advance to Gold. In order for you to advance, your opponent can be no lower than one rank below you. This rule has been in effect for the past six years to make sure that the higher ranking guests don't seek out the lower ones. If you win a duel against someone with too low a rank, you will not advance, and he will not be downgraded. However, if you win a duel against a duelist who is a much higher rank than you, you will indeed be upgraded, and your opponent will be downgraded.

"Again, this rule is in effect to make sure that the stronger duelists do not seek out the less strong.

"The first eight duelists to reach Gold will be given a spot in the finals. If you miss the finals, keep dueling! If you reach Gold anyway, you'll get a consolation prize, a grab bag of great cards.

"Now, there are two types of employees in Duelatopia you should know about. The first, are the legendary Eliminators. I trust you've heard stories about these folks… Tread cautiously if you locate one of them. If you can defeat them, you will be upgraded one level, as always. In addition, you'll get one or more incredibly rare cards, and get one other priceless gift. I cannot elaborate on that. But if you lose, you will be disqualified. Also, you may be punished, depending on the Eliminator's whims.

"Again, tread with caution. These duelists are without mercy or compassion. They are trained not to win, but to make sure their opponents lose.

"The other employee is a new addition that we call a Bonus. These folks could be any employee you see in Duelatopia. A store owner, bellhop, ice cream man… They might approach _you_ with a challenge, and the reward is the same as a standard duel – one upgrade for winning, but no downgrade for losing. You might also be able to make some small wager in the process.

"After six days, the finals will be held. The winner will receive the grand prize of five million American dollars."

Murmurs broke out among the crowd.

"How much is _that_ in yen?" asked Ren.

"And also…" continued Sheena. "A special prize. The winner gets one request. Anything he or she wants that KaibaCorp's deep pockets can provide. The sky's the limit for the one who goes all the way.

"Now that I've explained the good stuff, some ground rules…"

She paused.

"You've already met the Centurions, and they exist to keep the peace. Three things are absolutely not allowed in this city – fighting, stealing, and cheating. Do not think you are in the clear merely because you don't see a man in armor. Several of them work undercover. And if you think you can tamper with a Disk so that illegal cards will work on it, guess again. That has been attempted many times in the past, and the perpetrators have always regretted it. Using an older model won't work either. That's another trick that many have tried and no-one has gotten away with. No matter what is done to a Disk, no matter what model is used, we can detect what cards are used, I assure you.

"Now that that's out of the way…

"Dueling commences at seven AM tomorrow morning. The gates of the city await!"

She climbed back on the Dragon's back, and it vanished in a burst of flame.

The gates opened, and everyone started moving towards them.

"Slowly!" warned one of the Centurions. "No one is going to get hurt…"

"What hotel are we in?" asked Chelsea.

"According to this, Camelot," said Yumi. "The guidebook says it's the second-best hotel."

"Mmm, Sam probably has the best…" sighed Ren.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Camelot was well-named. The lavish hotel (all the hotels were lavish) seemed to have the underlying theme of three of the Mouto family's signature Monsters – Queen's Knight, King's Knight, and Jack's Knight.

Fighting jet lag, most of the guests of Duelatopia ate light that evening, and tried to sleep early.

And once asleep, _they dreamed…_

_One night remains before the tournament officially begins on Duelatopia. Sleep well, rest well everybody. Because when morning comes, you'll need all your strength to fight your way towards the top!_

**0**

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**0**

**Chelsea: Well, it was a long trip, but I'm ready to get started.**

**Yumi: So am I. I just have to find an opponent…**

**Ren: Hey, Yumi… That guy in the cowboy hat looks like he's checking you out.**

**Chelsea: Heh… Wonder what sort of deck a cowboy plays?**

**Yumi: Maybe we should find out. There's no time like the present.**

**Next time, "The First Duel! Princess of Games!"**

**Ren: I could sure use some popcorn for this…**

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_One final note: Don't miss Kaitou Kouji's new fic, starting soon. It's a spin off of my fic, "Dark Messiah"._


	3. The First Duel! Princess of Games!

_A small note:_

_In this chapter, a duelist uses two copies of a card that, as of the last Forbidden/Limited list, is Limited._

_The outline for this chapter was written before I knew about this. Anyway, in a reality where Pot of Greed and Monster Reborn are legal, it isn't much of a stretch for this card to be Semi-Limited or not Limited at all. Besides, cards come on and off the list with increasing frequency. So no one bring it up if you notice it._

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**CHAPTER TWO**

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**The First Duel!**

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**Princess of Games!**

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Dreams are fickle things. They come and go, and they are fleeting in our waking hours…

For the dreamers that night, everyone in Duelatopia who dreamed them dreamed of glory. Visions from their fantasies played out in their heads.

In a hotel down the street, Samantha Arachne dreamed of wandering through the dark caves of the Underworld, clothed in a dark dress and a golden crown. Vicious demons crawled from the shadows; she pointed, and they all fell on their knees before her…

In the adjoining room, Erik Matell dreamed of the French Revolution. Cannons blasted, muskets blazed… Soldiers marched to battle…

Chelsea Ramset dreamed herself in a creepy castle, dressed in an Elizabethan era dress. She held a mallet in one hand and a wooden stake in the other… A golden cross was around her neck, and a garlic chain was tied to her belt. She looked around nervously at the shadows…

Ren Marris dreamed of flying, but not via his own power. He dreamt he rode a winged dragon as a mount, soaring over the countryside. He felt the wind in his face, and the rush of air around him…

And as for Yumi…

She dreamed herself in the days of ancient Egypt, witnessing the original contests that had inspired Duel Monsters.

All seemed to be quiet…

And it was for now…

In another hotel on the strip, in the penthouse suite (available only by special request, and not for free), one man didn't dream. He couldn't, because he did not sleep. A side effect of something he had been doing to himself for years.

He hated doing it, because the unnatural insomnia made him bitter and cold. He could be friendly and courteous to others if he wanted to be, but it would always be an act. He wanted to stop doing what he did to himself, and if his plans worked, he could. Then he'd be free to sleep again… And he could freely dream…

As he looked out onto the island, two teenagers, one boy and one girl, stood behind him. They were still able to sleep, and they would shortly. But a few last-minute details had to be discussed first.

"Is everyone out there?" asked the man, turning towards them.

"Uh huh," said the boy. "Everyone's ready to start looking. It's gonna be just like a big scavenger hunt."

"Mmm…" said the man, rubbing his chin. "But to start a scavenger hunt, one needs a list… And finding one before our 'friends' do will be the first step."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

It was six-thirty AM the next day, the first day of the competition.

In the very center of Duelatopia, not far from each other, were two huge buildings. Both were off limits to guests – one would open its doors eventually, but the other was for staff only.

The one that would open was the grand Coliseum where the finals would be held. A small army of Centurions patrolled the outskirts, making sure that its secrets remained hidden for now.

But even more of these soldiers patrolled the other building, which no guest would ever enter. The enormous holographic projection tower, the power source for every duel that would take place on the island, loomed over the skyline.

Inside, amid monitors and mainframes walked a woman who looked to be in her early forties. Dr. Cassandra Chang, D.Eng (Doctor of Engineering) had been with Duelatopia from day one, and had no intention of slowing down just yet. She had been here since four AM, and was going to make certain that the Tower started transmitting at seven.

Not one second later. Come Hell or high water.

A technician came up to her.

"That was the last dry run," he said. "We're all set to go. There's no chance of an error."

"There's always some chance…" replied Chang. "A wise man once said, the only absolute in life is that there are no absolutes."

"Okay…" said the technician, nervously. "There's about a 0.01 chance of an error."

Chang looked at the clock, which read six thirty-three and forty seconds.

She typed something into the mainframe, and took a key from around her neck. She fit the key into a slot.

When the clock ticked to six thirty-four, she turned the key, and the numbers 26:00:00 appeared on the screen.

A countdown began, right down to the tenths of the seconds…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Ren yawned.

"I know you wanted to get an early start, Yumi…" he said, as he looked over the outdoor café that was in front of the hotel, "but this is pretty early…"

Yumi sipped her orange juice.

"It's in my blood, I guess," she said. "In Battle City, grandpa's duel with that cheating Rare Hunter was the first duel of the tournament. It was quite a duel… See…"

"We saw the tape, Yumi," chuckled Chelsea. "Your grandpa was quite the duelist. I guess that whole Heart of the Cards thing wasn't just fluff…"

Yumi sighed. She took out her deck.

"I dunno, guys…" she said. "I don't share his sentiments exactly on that point… I mean, faith is a good part of it, sure…

"But there are other factors as well… Skill, strategy, smarts, good deck construction… Knowing what card to use at what time… And a little luck never hurt anyway."

She looked at Dark Magician Girl again.

"And my dad always told me to remember a key rule about dueling… It's never over until the last card is played! In other words, don't give up.

"You know, sometimes I've considered adding a second Dark Magician to this deck to increase her potential… But… It isn't her powers that make me want to keep her… It's something deeper.

"You ever get so close to a card that it stands out? Something that makes you favor it among all others?"

"Well…" said Ren, looking at his own deck, "right now, it's hard to say…"

"Howdy folks," said a voice.

They looked up, and saw that the greeting had come from a young man, about nineteen or so. He was dressed in a leather duster and jeans, and a white cowboy hat. A Duel Disk was on his arm.

"You're Yumi Mouto, right?" he asked, tipping his hat.

"I am, and you are?" she replied.

"Hector Dupree," he replied. "Call me Heck, everyone does. And ah must say, as far as your family is concerned, ah'm a big fan."

He sat down.

"Really?" said Yumi. "So the Moutos are well known even in Texas…"

"Montana, actually," said Heck. "Ah gotta tell ya, in that place, when you mind cattle for your folks, bein' a duelist is hard. Not many places to get cards, and even fewer places to compete. But look at me, ah was able to win what tournaments ah got into. Won last year in Kaibaland Seattle's West Coast Tournament."

Yumi smirked a little. She had never been to Kaibaland Seattle, but she knew about it. Until it opened five years ago, Seattle was known for two things – Starbucks and the Space Needle. The new addition was quite welcome.

"I guess you need something to do when you have to watch a group of cows," replied Yumi.

"Herd," corrected Heck.

"What?" asked Yumi.

"It's herd," said Heck. "Herd of cows."

"Well, sure I've heard of cows!" laughed Yumi. "Hasn't everyone?"

Ren and Chelsea laughed.

"Eh, ah walked right into _that_ one…" muttered Heck.

He looked at her.

"You are feisty…" he said. "Ah gotta wonder if you're as good as your folks were…"

"Is that a challenge?" asked Yumi, with a sinister grin.

Heck sighed.

He took off his glove and then tapped Yumi on the cheek with it.

"You're on!" she said with a laugh. "Let it be known that it is now ten minutes to seven…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

As the clock slowly inched towards seven, Yumi and Heck stood with their backs to each other, shuffling.

"So, what sort of deck does a cowboy use?" asked Ren.

"Dunno…" muttered Chelsea. "Beasts? Frankly, I have no clue…"

Yumi and Heck stared at each other…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In the Tower, the countdown read 01:02:43.

Then 00:32:19…

Finally, it hit 00:00:00, and the zeroes turned blue.

"**Holographic projection tower operational,"** said a computerized voice. **"Now transmitting."**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Yumi and Heck loaded their decks into their Disks, and with a whir, the crescent trays extended.

"Game on!" they both said at once.

The Puzzle around Yumi neck started to glow, and in a blinding flash of light, a change started to occur… After a few seconds, she had grown about half a head, and appeared a little older, with sharper features, longer, fuller hair, and a more serious expression.

"All right…" she said, in a deeper, huskier voice. "I'll let you make the first move. I wouldn't want to hog the spotlight, after all…"

**(Yumi: 8,000) -------------------- (Heck: 8,000)**

"All right, little lady…" said Heck, drawing his first card. "Let's see what we have here…"

He looked over the cards in his hand.

"Think ah'll place this in Defense Mode, and that will be my turn for now."

He placed a card on his Disk, and a hidden Monster appeared.

Yumi drew one card, and looked over her own hand.

_Not the worst…_ she thought. _But not the best either… But I can fix that…_

She chose a card from her hand.

"I play my Graceful Charity," she said, playing the card.

In an aura of light, a lovely angel appeared above her. Her feathers fell on Yumi's deck, and she drew three cards.

Yumi looked over the eight cards in her hand. Then she discarded two of them.

"I summon my Magician's Valkyria in Attack Mode," she said.

In a flash of light, a tall, female figure appeared. She looked like Dark Magician Girl at first glance, but was brunette instead of blonde, and had a fancier dress, hat, and scepter.

She looked at Heck, and her eyes narrowed… (1,600/1,800)

"Valkyria, attack!" she shouted. "Light beam blast!"

Valkyria gave a stern look and cast an eldritch spell. She shot a blast of pure light at the facedown card…

A young man in a white toga with feathered wings appeared crouching on the card. He was blown to pixilated remains.

"Uh oh…" muttered Ren.

"Heh…" said Heck, taking his deck. "Thanks a bunch, Yumi. When Shining Angel bites the dust in a battle, ah get to bring out any Light Monster from my deck that ah want, so long as it has 1,500 Attack Points or less."

He looked through his deck.

"Now let's see… ah think Y-Dragon Head should do…"

He placed a card on his Disk, and a red, shiny Machine that looked like a dragon with large wings and a beak materialized in a flash of light. (1,500/1,600)

"Terrific…" said Ren. "I think now we know what kind of deck he's playing…"

Yumi looked at her cards.

She fit a card into her Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

"That's all I can do," she said. "It's your move…"

Heck drew a card.

"First, ah'll play a Spell Card," he said. "It's called Frontline Base…"

He played a card, showing the image of a dark knight riding a flying dragon.

"Don't you have one of those in your deck?" asked Chelsea.

"Yeah…" answered Ren. "It's a Continuous Spell that will let him Special Summon a low-level Union Monster from his hand every round. And now I'm _really_ sure I know how his deck works…"

"Now another Spell Card," continued Heck, placing another card in his Disk. "Soul Absorption. This neat accessory gives me five Cs worth of Life Points every time a card is removed from play. And with my deck, that happens rather often.

"Next, I summon X-Head Cannon…"

He played a card, and a blue robot with a helmet-like head, clawed arms, twin lasers on its shoulders, and no legs materialized. (1,800/1,500)

"And finally, thanks to Frontline Base, I can summon Z-Metal Tank."

A third Machine materialized, this one a yellow caterpillar tank with one optic lens, thick treads, and no arms. (1,500/1,300)

"And now…" he said with a grin, "ah'll bring them all together!"

Y-Dragon Head folded its wings and fused to the top of Z-Metal Tank with a whir and a clank. Then X-Head Cannon changed shape and bonded to the top of both of them, shooting steam from where they connected.

"Forming the XYZ-Dragon Cannon," he said.

(2,800/2,600)

Yumi stepped back nervously… Magician's Valkyria looked a little nervous as well.

Then three globes of golden light flew into Heck, and he glowed.

"And since ah removed three cards from play to summon it," he said, "ah get a boost from Soul Absorption."

He held up another card. It was a Sangan.

"And its ability is pretty nifty too," he continued. "Ah just gotta ditch one card and ah can send one card on the field packing."

He discarded the Sangan, and Magician's Valkyria was blasted into bits.

"You're wide open!" he shouted. "XYZ, attack her directly! De-fission lasers!"

The Machine aimed its guns…

"Watch out Yumi!" screamed Ren and Chelsea.

With a roar, the Machine blasted its cannons. Yumi shielded herself and grit her teeth as an explosion ripped through her…

**(Y: 5,200) -------------------- (H: 9,500)**

"Good lord!" shouted Ren.

"She just got nailed!" shouted Chelsea.

Yumi gasped for breath and staggered a bit…

"Gee, Yumi…" said Heck, "ah'm kinda disappointed… ah'm guessing that the apple sorta fell pretty far from the tree this time, if you know what ah mean…"

"Oh, don't worry…" said Yumi, with a grin. "I think I'm just about ready to get my second wind…

"And as my grandpa used to say… When I see a powerful Monster… I get excited…"

She drew a card.

She looked over the ones in her hand.

_This might work…_ she thought, _but it's going to take a lot of luck and perfect timing…_

_And I think I might know what he'll likely do next…_

She took Blast Magician from her hand.

"I set one Monster in Defense Mode, and toss one card facedown," she said.

The facedown Monster appeared, and a facedown cards appeared next to the first.

"End turn…" she said.

Heck drew a card. He looked at it.

"Ah play… Pot of Greed…" he said.

He played the card, and the jar appeared in front of him.

He drew two cards.

"Next, ah play D.D. Treasure."

He played a Spell Card, bearing the image of D.D. Warrior Lady opening a chest with a golden glow illuminating her face.

"And what does that do?" asked Yumi.

"Ah gotta play this during my Standby Phase," he answered. "But at my End Phase, ah get to draw one card for each of my cards that ah removed from play this turn. So long as they were on the field when they were removed.

"Ready for more? Well, ah got more. Ah summon V-Tiger Jet."

He played the card, and a Machine that looked like a cross between a jet plane and a robotic tiger appeared in a flash. (1,600/1,800)

"And now, thanks to Frontline Base, ah can summon W-Wing Catapult!"

He played his last card, and a blue, double-engine jet plane appeared. (1,300/1,500)

"He has the whole set!" exclaimed Ren.

"And now…" said Heck, "ah bring them together…"

V-Tiger Jet and W-Wing Catapult soared into the sky and combined in a flash of light, fusing into a larger Machine that was a combination of both.

"Meet my VW-Tiger Catapult," he continued. (2,000/2,100)

"And now… Let's take it even higher… The sky's the limit!"

The two Machines in front of him burst into their component pieces…

Slowly, they all started to fuse together into a new shape…

…taking form into a giant, thirty-foot-tall robot that looked like a combination of all five Machines. It had weapons all over its thick, multicolored armor, and a grim expression on its face.

"It's the VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon! The V-through-Z!"

(3,000/2,800)

"Impressed?"

"Frankly, no…" replied Yumi. "Where I come from, you really can't turn on the TV or go to the movies without seeing a giant robot mecha every now and then… We pretty much invented the concept."

Four more orbs of energy flew into Heck.

"Funny…" he said. "Don't forget, I removed four more cards from play to create it, so I get two more Gs from Soul Absorption."

**(Yumi: 5,200) -------------------- (Heck: 11,500)**

"Good grief!" shouted Chelsea. "As if he needed any more Life Points?"

"I think Yumi's got bigger problems," said Ren, nervously.

"Ah'm about to get 500 more," said Heck. "Because now, due to one of V-to-Z's effects, it can remove one of your cards from play."

Yumi's facedown Monster vanished.

"And now…" commanded Heck, "attack Yumi directly!"

VWXYZ's weapons glowed.

"Hold it right there!" shouted Yumi.

One of her facedown cards lifted. It showed the image of a dark hero with a demonic mask flying out of a portal.

"Huh? A Trap?" said Heck, startled. "What is it?"

"It's called A Hero Emerges," said Yumi. "Now you have to choose a card from my hand. If it's a Spell or Trap, it goes to the Graveyard. But if it's a Monster, I get to Special Summon it right now."

She held up her hand of cards, which currently consisted of three cards.

"All right, all right…" muttered Heck. "Far left…"

"Well…" said Yumi, taking the card. "You chose the main man himself!"

She placed the card on her Disk, and Dark Magician appeared, kneeling in Defense Mode. (2,500/2,100)

"Heh, heh…" chuckled Heck. "Your family's signature Monster, huh? Well, you saved yourself some Life Points, but not all… Because my Cannon can switch the battle position of the Monster it attacks. So ah'll switch your Magician to Attack Mode."

Dark Magician stood up…

A grin appeared on his face, and Yumi grinned wickedly.

The Cannon prepared to fire…

"That's just what I wanted you to do, Heck," she said, as her other facedown card lifted. "Activate… Rush Recklessly!

"It gives 700 Attack Points to one Monster on the field, and I think I'll give them to Dark Magician!"

Dark Magician glowed, and his Attack Score rose to 3,200…

The Cannon fired, and Dark Magician swatted the beam aside with his staff. The VWYZ Dragon Catapult Cannon sparked and explosions erupted all over its hull. Finally, it collapsed, and exploded into a burst of hot debris.

Heck shielded himself from the fiery scrap…

"Well, dagnabbit…" he said.

**(Y: 5,200) -------------------- (H: 11,800)**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Among the spectators who had gathered to watch, a figure was taking notes.

_So…_ thought the figure, _the apple hasn't fallen too far after all…_

_I was wondering when Dark Magician would show up…_

The figure looked at the two names that were already written on the notebook:

Obnoxious Celtic Guardian and Beta the Magnet Warrior.

The figure smirked as Dark Magician was written under then. That guy was pretty obvious…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Dark Magician glared at Heck…

"Well, ain't that a fine how'd you do…" muttered Heck. "Anyway, my D.D. Treasure activates now… Since ah removed four cards from play that round, ah get four draws…"

He drew four cards.

"Which means your turn is over," said Yumi, "so it's my move…"

She drew a card.

"First, I summon Skilled Dark Magician," she said, playing a card.

In a shadowy aura, a Spellcaster in a bulky black robe and a flat-topped skullcap, with three disks on his collar, holding a staff appeared. (1,900/1,700)

"Next…" she continued, "I play the Spell Card, Dedication Through Light And Darkness."

She played the card, and dark tendrils emerged from it, enveloping Dark Magician.

"It lets me sacrifice my Dark Magician for someone better… the Dark Magician of Chaos!"

In a flash, the powerful chaos mage stepped out of the shadows. (2,800/2,600)

"And just by summoning him," she continued, "I get to reclaim one Spell Card from my Graveyard."

A card slipped out of her discard slot. She looked at it for a minute.

"And then…" she said, taking her last card, "I'll play Monster Reborn, to bring back an old friend…"

She played the card, and the glowing ankh appeared. Dark Magician appeared on it. (2,500/2,100)

Heck gulped.

Yumi grinned.

"Skilled Dark Magician…" she said, "you're up first. Attack directly!"

Skilled Dark Magician cast a powerful spell, and Heck staggered back as it hit him.

"Dark Magician of Chaos, scepter strike!"

The stronger mage spun his staff, and fired a more lethal spell, and Heck howled.

"Dark Magician… dark… magic… attack!"

Dark Magician cast his powerful incantation, and Heck fell on one knee. His hat fell off his head.

**(Y: 5,200) -------------------- (H: 4,600)**

"Whoa, that was intense!" shouted Chelsea.

"After an assault like that," said Ren, "I'd wager his ten-gallon hat is feeling five gallons flat."

"The apple fell far from the tree, huh?" asked Yumi.

Heck panted for breath.

He chuckled, and picked up his hat.

"Okay…" he muttered, putting it back on. "Guess you are pretty good… Well, ah like a challenge ah can sink my teeth into. No pain, no gain, ah always say…"

"Well, I'll place this facedown, and end my turn," said Yumi, fitting her card into her Disk.

Heck drew a card.

"That's Rush Recklessly again, right?" he asked. "Ah ain't dumb, Yumi…"

Yumi just glared at him.

He looked at what he had drawn.

"Okey-dokey…" he said. "Ah play this… Dimension Fusion. It might cost me two Gs, but now ah can bring back a bunch of Monsters that were removed from play."

He played the card, and in five bursts of light, X-Head Cannon (1,800/1,500), Y-Dragon Head (1,500/1,600), Z-Metal Tank (1500/1,300), V-Tiger Jet (1,600/1,800), and W-Wing Catapult (1,300/1,500) reappeared.

"You're forgetting," said Yumi, "I also get to summon anything of mine that's been removed from play. So I summon Blast Magician in Defense Mode."

A mage in fiery red robes holding a scythe-like staff appeared. He crouched in defense. (1,400/1,700)

"Fine," said Heck. "Now I'll remove them from play to summon the bigger Machines again…"

The Machines combined, forming a second XYZ-Dragon Cannon (2,800/2,600) and a second VW-Tiger Catapult (2,000/2,100).

"Now I'll combine the bigger ones into my biggest one again!"

The two of them shattered into pieces, and combined into the VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon again. (3,000/2,800)

"This is getting out of hand…" said Chelsea.

"And don't forget…" said Heck, "Ah just removed seven cards from play again, and Soul Absorption is still there, so ah get back what I lost, plus 1,500 more…"

**(Y: 5,200) -------------------- (H: 6,600)**

"Now, I'll Normal Summon a second X-Head Cannon…"

He played the card, and another of the tier-one Machines appeared. (1,800/1,500)

"Now ah'll use my big gun's effect to remove Dark Magician of Chaos from play…"

Dark Magician of Chaos vanished.

"You can activate Rush Recklessly if you want," said Heck, "my Cannon can shift him into Defense Mode when you try it.

"Attack Dark Magician!"

The guns fired, and Dark Magician was blown to bits.

"Eh?" he asked. "No Rush Recklessly?"

"Nope," said Yumi.

Heck shrugged.

"Now, X-Head Cannon, attack Blast Magician!"

X-Head Cannon fired, and Blast Magician was blown away.

"That's all for me for now, so ah'll turn it over ta you," he said.

**(Y: 4,700) -------------------- (H: 7,100)**

"I don't get it," said Chelsea. "He should have removed Dark Magician from play."

"Maybe he was planning to use another Dimension Fusion," said Ren. "He realized that Dark Magician of Chaos would be removed from play either way by his own effect, so he didn't want to give Yumi any more to summon."

"True," said Chelsea, "but he forgot all about Skilled Dark Magician…"

Ren looked, and saw that all three of the disks on Skilled Dark Magician's collar were glowing.

"Oh yeah…" said Ren.

Yumi drew a card.

"I play my own Pot of Greed…" she said.

She played the card, and the evil-looking jar appeared in front of her. She drew two cards and it shattered.

She looked at the two cards.

"Now, since more than enough Spell Cards have been played, I'll sacrifice Skilled Dark Magician to revive Dark Magician from my Graveyard."

Skilled Dark Magician vanished in a burst of darkness, and Dark Magician appeared again. (2,500/2,100)

"Next I'll summon… Injection Fairy Lily!"

She played the card, and a cute-looking nurse with wings holding a huge syringe appeared. (400/1,500)

"Hell-ooo!" she said with a big smile and a wave.

"Now, by paying 2,000 Life Points," said Yumi, "I can raise her Attack Points by 3,000!"

Lily laughed, and rose to 3,400 Attack.

"Lily, take down that oversized scrap heap! Stabbing syringe strike!"

"Say ah!" laughed Lily.

The Spellcaster flew forward and hurled her syringe. The giant robot exploded in a second fiery blast.

"Dark Magician!" shouted Yumi. "Attack X-Head Cannon! Dark magic attack!"

Dark Magician fired a blast, and the Machine exploded.

"I end my turn," she finally said.

**(Y: 2,700) -------------------- (H: 6,400)**

She looked at her last card. Then she looked at her facedown card.

_Next round, I'll have the best ending to my first duel that I could hope for,_ she thought.

Heck nervously drew.

He looked at his cards.

"First, ah'll place a card facedown…" he said.

He fit a card into his Disk and a facedown card appeared.

"Now ah play a powerful Spell Card. It's called Dimensional Destruction Cannon – STU…"

He fit the card into his Disk.

"Uhm, that stands for Super Thunder Unit, by the way."

"I never heard of _that_ card…" said Ren.

"It's simple…" said Heck. "It lets me ignore the Special Summoning requirements for V-through-Z and Special Summon it from the Graveyard, so long as I Equip it with this card…"

In a flash of light, the VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon reappeared, and a HUGE cannon appeared on its left arm. (3,000/2,800)

"Of course…" continued Heck, "it loses it regular effects. But it gains a good new one – a trampling effect.

"So Yumi… I know that Lily can destroy it again, but if she does, it's gonna cost you 2,000 more Life Points, and only cost me 400.

"V-through-Z…"

The giant cannon started to glow and take in energy…

"…attack Dark Magician!"

"Not so fast!" shouted Yumi.

Her facedown card lifted.

"I activate… Magical Dimension. Now since I have at least one Spellcaster on the field, I can sacrifice a Monster, such as Lily…"

Lily vanished.

"AND, I get to summon a Spellcaster from my hand… Come on out, Dark Magician Girl!"

In a flash of light, the young, nubile apprentice of Dark Magician appeared. She turned towards Dark Magician and they nodded to each other. (2,000/1,700)

"That's what it was?" exclaimed Heck.

"Yep," replied Yumi. "I put this in my Graveyard when I used Graceful Charity, and was able to get it back with my chaos mage's effect.

"And as another effect of Magical Dimension, now I get to destroy one Monster," she continued. "So say goodbye to your Cannon!"

The huge Cannon exploded again, reduced to shards of metal.

Heck grunted. He placed another card on his Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared.

Yumi drew a card.

_Hmm…_ she thought, looking at the Trap Card.

"Ah activate this," said Heck, as his Trap lifted. "It's called Greed Pact. Now we both draw once."

Yumi looked at him funny. She drew another card, and he drew one.

He grinned as he looked at the card.

Limiter Remover. All he needed was the right card to go with this…

"Ah always say, you can never have too much draw power in your deck," he said.

Yumi placed the Trap Card in her Disk, and it appeared in front of her.

"Dark Magician…" she commanded, "attack the facedown Monster! Dark magic attack!"

Dark Magician cast his spell. Z-Metal Tank appeared on the card, and exploded.

"Dark Magician Girl, dark burning attack!"

Dark Magician Girl flew up to Heck. He cringed as she cast her own spell, striking him with black magic.

**(Y: 2,700) -------------------- (H: 4,400)**

"Yumi's ahead on Monsters…" said Ren. "But Heck's ahead on points. Anything could happen…"

"All right Yumi…" he muttered. "Ah guess it all comes down to one draw…"

He drew a card.

"Yes!" he laughed. "Ah knew my luck wouldn't desert me!"

He played a card.

"Ah play my second Dimension Fusion! Now…"

Then, he was startled when the card shattered.

"What?" he said.

Then he noticed that Yumi had activated a Trap Card…

Spell Shield Type-8.

"Want to know how I was able to do that?" asked Yumi. "Well, I hate to say this, but… well… it was your fault. Your Greed Pact let me draw my Polymerization card, a Spell Card that I could discard to activate this, leaving you with nothing. And 2,000 Life Points less."

Heck bowed his head.

"Then finish it…" he said.

"Right!" said Yumi, drawing a card. "Dark Magician, finish him off!"

Dark Magician cast his powerful spell, and Heck tumbled backwards…

**(Y: 2,700) -------------------- (H: 0)**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In the main nerve center of Duelatopia (the "bridge"), Sheena Arachne watched the myriad of screens where duels were in progress.

"Close-up on screen two," she said. "And five…"

"Miss Arachne?" said a worker manning a screen. "We have confirmation of the first victory… A duel won by Miss Yumi Mouto."

Sheena smirked.

"Doesn't surprise me," she said. "She has a lot of her father in her."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Yumi grinned as she looked at her badge.

It slowly changed hue, from Orange, to Yellow.

The Pharaoh appeared next to her.

"We're off to a good beginning, Yumi," he said. "And so far, nothing sinister has loomed in front of us."

"Indeed," she said. "Hi five."

They raised their hands, and exchanged a slap, which was rather hard, seeing as he was immaterial.

Yumi walked up to Ren and Chelsea.

"Well guys," she said, "I'm going to take a break for a while. I'll leave the next ones we come across to you two… but we'll try to get a good lead in for the first day."

As they left, the shadowy figure looked at the cards written in the notebook.

They were cards that you would assume a Mouto would use, but most of them, she hadn't. The figure grinned, and then turned and walked away.

As the three friends wandered towards the heart of Duelatopia, Heck got up…

"Hey, pardners!" he shouted. "Wait up!"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In a dimly lit room, a young woman sat at a table.

She was a dark beauty, with flowing raven hair, dressed in garments that suggested the old gypsies of East Europe.

She spread a deck of cards on a table, and then shuffled them. These weren't Duel Monster cards, but the cards of the Tarot… older than Duel Monsters by many centuries. Some folks believed that Pegasus was inspired as much by the Tarot as he was by the Egyptians when creating Duel Monsters, but that could neither be confirmed or denied.

She rubbed her chin. She slowly lifted the top card off the deck and turned it over.

Its image depicted a young woman on a golden throne, dressed in a white toga and wearing a laurel crown. She held a scepter in one hand, and an orb in the other.

"The High Priestess…" she said. "The divine feminine. A holder of secrets and potential deep inside.

"Certainly, this is Yumi, but more remains to be revealed. Her potential is there, but it remains to be unlocked. And if what my ally says is true, that will happen soon."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Not far away, Sam was facing her own opponent.

She only had two facedown cards on her side, and her opponent had two Monsters that the first generation of her rival's family liked to use – Alpha the Magnet Warrior and Beta the Magnet Warrior.

She stared him down as he drew a card.

"I've got you now, Samantha!" he shouted. "I summon Gamma the Magnet Warrior…"

The third Magnet Warrior appeared.

"…and then I sacrifice all three of them to summon Valkyrion the Magna Warrior!"

The three robots broke into pieces, and then fused into one giant Monster.

"Go ahead…" dared Sam. "Knock yourself out…"

"Attack directly!" shouted her opponent.

Valkyrion flew towards Sam, its sword held high…

Both of Sam's facedown cards lifted, revealing a Ring of Destruction and a Ring of Defense.

The explosion blew Sam's opponent off his feet, knocking him senseless.

"Uhm, you know…" said Sam with a grin, "to most people, that's usually a figure of speech…"

Erik ran up and kissed her.

"You won, you won, you won!" he cheered.

"Yep," she said, looking at her badge. "One down, five to go…

"You take the next one… I can't hog all the fun…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"So why are you following us, Heck?" asked Chelsea.

"Hey, ah'm at Red now," said Heck. "One more loss and ah'm history. So ah don't want to get back on the saddle so quick…

"Maybe ah'll just watch you guys for a while before trying again… Take a little break…

"After all, ah don't want to get bumped out on the first day."

Chelsea felt a strange chill in the air… She assumed one of her "fan club" was near…

She didn't notice the small group of punk duelists watching her from behind the building down the block.

_Having won her first victory, Yumi advances to Yellow status. Unbeknownst to her, Sam is also at Yellow, but their paths have yet to cross again. Likely, it's only a matter of time._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**D.D. TREASURE (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** D.D. Warrior Lady opening a treasure chest, with golden light from it illuminating her face.

**Card Description:** You may only play this card during your Standby Phase. During the End Phase of the same turn, draw one card for every card on your side of the field that was removed from play during this turn.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**DIMENSIONAL DESTRUCTION CANNON – STU (Spell Card)**

**Equip Spell**

**Image:** The VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon with a huge, glowing cannon on its arm.

**Card Description:** Select one "VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon" in your Graveyard. Special Summon it to your side of the field, disregarding its summoning requirements, and Equip it with this card. If this card leaves the field, the Equipped Monster is destroyed. The Equipped Monster's effects are negated. When the Equipped Monster attacks with an ATK higher than the DEF of your opponent's Defense Position Monster, inflict the difference as battle damage to your opponent's Life Points.

_Note: "Dimensional Destruction Cannon – STU" was first used by Chazz in a third-season episode of "Yu-Gi-Oh GX". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**GREED PACT (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image:** Two hands in front of the Pot of Greed, handing cards towards each other.

**Card Description:** Both players draw one card from their respective decks.

_Note: "Greed Pact" was first used by Aster in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Ultimate Destiny". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**Ren: Watching that got my blood flowing! Now I'm ready to take this place by storm!**

**Chelsea: Hey guys, there's a duel over there… And that duelist looks… pretty tough.**

**Ren: I'm not afraid of tough! Let me at 'em! My cards are just waiting to burst out and fight!**

**Chelsea: Take it easy. We'll see. Coming next: "Shadow Warriors; A Curious Duel".**

**Yumi: As Ren's destiny starts to begin where his father's left off.**

**Chelsea: And who was that weird fortuneteller anyway?**

**Yumi: Somehow, I feel she's the least of our worries…**


	4. Shadow Warriors A Curious Duel

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CHAPTER THREE**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Shadow Warriors;**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**A Curious Duel**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

With Heck following them, mostly unwanted, the three of them delved further into the city. Chelsea had her camera out, and snapped photos of the landmarks and buildings with giddy interests.

Duels were happening all around them, but no opportunities were opening up yet. They'd just have to wait.

Eventually, they came within sight of a large courtyard in front of a huge building that seemed to be a library of some sort. Two sets of stairs led up to the cathedral-like building, on which was a mural depicting the robed Winged Beast known as Spirit of the Books.

"Hey, I know that building…" said Yumi. "I saw it on tape… It was where my mom dueled Clover."

"Clover?" asked Heck. "Weird name…"

"She was a harlequin who played a Toon Deck," answered Yumi. "She beat mom silly before she could make a comeback."

"It'll make a great photo shoot!" said Chelsea.

They all ran up to the courtyard…

…and they were surprised to see a duel in progress, or rather, one ending. A duelist screamed as a savage creature whom they couldn't identify pounced and tackled him.

He fell to the floor, shivering, as the holograms vanished.

"Meow," said a sultry female voice. "That's what you get for making fun of my outfit, honey."

They paused.

"I should have warned you," said the voice, "corner a cat, get scratched."

They all turned and looked at the victor… And they were surprised.

She was a tall woman with perfect curves, wearing a bodysuit made of black leather, the chest open to reveal a good deal of cleavage. She also wore a black domino mask, and some sort of headpiece with cat-like ears attached. A long, cat-like tail (hopefully part of the costume) grew out of her spine and lurked quietly behind her, and the ensemble was topped with black, fingerless gloves.

Her badge was hooked to her belt, and had just turned to Yellow.

She eyed Yumi and company, and then removed a water bottle from her belt and sipped from it.

"Does Batman know that Catwoman is loose?" asked Yumi.

"Cute," said the strange woman, removing her cards from her Disk and reshuffling.

She grinned.

"I'm Felicia…"

Chelsea rubbed her chin.

"Felicia Summers?" she asked. "Sergeant Felicia Summers?"

"You've heard of me?" asked Felicia with a grin.

"Yeah, Chelsea, you've heard of her?" asked Yumi.

"Uh huh…" said Chelsea. "I saw this on some news magazine show. It's a strange story. About five years ago, the U.S. Army started working on some sort of super soldier project, and she volunteered for a DNA splicing experiment. She had her genes spliced with those of… a mountain lion, I think…"

"It was a lynx, actually," corrected Felicia.

"Yeah…" said Chelsea. "Anyway, it made her stronger and more agile… But the problem was, it messed with her mind. She started to think she was one."

"Oh, please…" laughed Felicia. "You exaggerate…"

Then she started to lick the back of her hand.

The onlookers stepped backwards.

"Guys… she's nuts!" whispered Yumi.

"Say what you will," said Felicia, "but I got a medical discharge with full benefits, and a fortune from the contract I signed when I agreed to be a test subject. And if I was to become a predator…"

She shuffled her deck again and placed it in her Disk.

"…being a duelist helped a good deal. So who wants to be my next prey? Anyone?"

She purred, and her eyes narrowed…

"Don't look at me…" said Heck. "Ah try to stay away from women who're weirder than ah am."

"I gotta duel this one!" shouted Ren.

Everyone looked at Ren.

Felicia looked at him closely.

"You sure?" she said, in a seductive tone. "I warn you, I only play with real men… No children allowed."

"Oh, you've got it…" said Ren, shuffling his deck. "Gimme all you got."

"Purr-fect!" said Felicia with a grin. "Consider Felicia Summers… curious!"

She grinned widely at Ren.

Ren stepped back nervously at that last remark…

She had fangs…

He removed his guitar from around his back.

"Chelsea, why don't you hold on to this for now…" he said, handing it to her.

He knew that carrying the guitar during a duel was a good way to break it, especially if the duel got nasty.

And he had a feeling that this one would.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The shadowy observer was watching from the shadows with a notebook again.

_Hmmm,_ thought the observer. _Ren's father used a deck based on the Dark Scorpions… a truly difficult strategy to master. It will be interesting to see if Ren has adopted the same._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Ren and Felicia stood apart from each other and eyed each other.

"So…" said Ren, "have you eaten?"

"Are you asking me out?" asked Felicia with a laugh.

"I don't date outside my genus," replied Ren.

They drew five cards from their decks.

"Game on!" they both said at once.

**(Ren: 8,000) -------------------- (Felicia: 8,000)**

"I like to consider myself a gentleman," said Ren, "so ladies first… Even if the lady in question has claws…"

Felicia grinned, and drew a sixth card.

She looked over her hand.

_Looks like he had bad luck when this black cat crossed his path…_ she thought.

She took a card from her hand.

"I play my Graceful Charity Spell Card," she said, holding it up.

In a flash of light, an angel in a long, white gown appeared over her. Feathers fell from her wings and fell on her deck.

"I'm sure you know how this works…" she continued. "I can draw three cards, so long as I toss two…"

She made three draws, and looked over her hand.

She grinned, and slipped two cards into her discard slot.

"And now…" she exclaimed, "I summon my Panther Warrior in Attack Mode!"

With a roar, a humanoid cat-man in decorated armor holding a shield and a scimitar appeared. It snarled at Ren. (2,000/1,600)

"Lovely…" said Yumi. "My mom used that card. It isn't easy to use. Felicia must be pretty good."

"I'm done for now," said Felicia. "You'd best not waste my time, because like I said, I only play with real men…

"My cats don't like the taste of wimps."

She grinned again, again flashing those white, pointed teeth…

Chelsea grunted a little and crossed her arms.

Ren glared at her as he drew.

_Nuts…_ he thought, looking at his hand. _No way I can take that guy down on my first turn. Better defend…_

He placed a card on his Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared.

_I'm more or less safe for now…_ he thought. _Panther Warrior can't attack unless she sacrifices another Monster, so she can't attack me directly unless she's willing to sacrifice a Monster with more than 1,500 Attack Points._

He waved his arm to signal the end of his turn.

"I know what you're thinking…" said Felicia, drawing a card, "and you're wrong… very wrong…"

She added the card to her hand.

"First, I play my Stray Lambs," she said, playing a Spell Card. "This card lets me conjure up two Lamb Tokens."

With two wisps of light, two smiling, white lambs with small horns appeared next to Panther Warrior. (0/0 x2)

"Next…" she continued, "I'll give my Panther Warrior an Equip Spell… It's called Path to Destiny."

She played the card, and a strange Spell Card appeared behind Panther Warrior. It depicted two Samurai about to ambush each other from behind opposite ends of the corner of a building.

"Now…" she said with a grin, "I'll give up one Lamb Token so my Panther can attack… And thanks to Path to Destiny, he can go right past your Monster and go right for you!"

One of the two lambs vanished.

"Hey, wait a minute…" said Ren.

Panther Warrior roared again, and slashed his scimitar downward, and a blade of energy slammed into Ren. He hollered and fell down on one knee.

**(R: 6,000) -------------------- (F: 8,000)**

"Ooh…" he moaned.

Felicia purred.

"My cats just love to play…" she said.

She fit another card into her Disk.

"I'll place this facedown, and I'm done for now…"

A facedown card appeared.

"He'd better do something…" said Chelsea, "or she'll just do that again on her next turn."

"Well…" said Heck, "if he were smart, he'd take out that Lamb Token. Without it, Panther Warrior would just be dead weight."

Ren drew a card.

_Yeah, that's what I'd do if I were smart…_ he thought.

He looked at the card.

_But it would only be a temporary solution. I can get rid of the big problem right now…_

"I switch my facedown Monster to Attack Mode," he shouted. "Reveal… Dark Blade!"

The card flipped up, and a tall, dark Warrior appeared. He was clad from head to toe in black, steel armor that was studded with sharp spikes, and wore a black cape with red lining. He held two razor-sharp scimitars. (1,800/1,500)

"Heh, heh…" chuckled Felicia. "Dramatic, yes… But Panther Warrior has 200 more Attack Points."

"Not for long…" said Ren, taking another card. "Next, I summon… Pitch-Dark Dragon."

He played the card, and a new Monster arose in a dark shadow. It was small (for a Dragon), about ten feet tall, with black scales, wings, and a head that was a cross between a reptile and a wolf. (900/600)

"Big deal," said Felicia. "He's only half as strong as your Warrior."

"It is a big deal," said Ren. "Pitch-Dark Dragon is a very close friend of Dark Blade. You see, this guy is a Union Monster, that can Equip to Dark Blade just like an Equip Spell."

Pitch-Dark Dragon crouched down, and Dark Blade leapt up, landing on his back perfectly. The Dragon reared up with his rider and roared.

"Whoo-wee!" shouted Heck. "Never saw anyone do a bareback mount _that_ good!"

"And when riding Pitch-Dark Dragon," continued Ren, "Dark Blade gets a trampling effect. He also gets a little bonus… of 400 points, for both attacking and defending."

(2,200/1,900)

"All right, Dark Blade, take to the air!"

Pitch-Dark Dragon flapped his wings, and soared upwards with his rider.

"Attack Panther Warrior! Dragon dive-bomb!"

The duo swooped into the Beast-Warrior, and an explosion rocked Felicia's side of the field. She shielded herself…

**(R: 6,000) -------------------- (F: 7,800)**

"So much for him," said Ren, as Dark Blade and his mount alighted back on his side.

"True…" said Felicia, with a smile, "but thanks to my Trap Card, he leaves behind a parting gift…"

Her Trap Card lifted, showing the image of Panther Warrior on his knees, holding a broken sword, and glowing with a soft light.

"It's called Miracle Moment," she said. "I can only activate it when Panther Warrior is destroyed when he's Equipped with Path to Destiny.

"And it lets me summon someone new from my deck…"

She whipped out her deck and shuffled through the cards with the speed of a blackjack dealer…

"Come on out, Bronze Warrior!"

In a flash of light, a tall figure emerged. It looked like a shaman of some sort, with tan skin, a bald head, and blacking under his eyes. He wore a cape and a colorful battle kilt. He held a double-bladed dagger in each hand. He uttered a war cry, and twirled the daggers dramatically. (500/1,800)

"Only 500 Attack Points?" asked Ren. "What's the point?"

"Lots…" said Felicia, placing her deck back. "Is that your turn?"

Ren looked at the other cards in his hand.

"Yeah, I… guess so…" he muttered.

_Better watch out…_ he thought. _Low Attack Score usually means powerful effect._

"Then it's my draw!" she exclaimed.

She drew. She looked at the Spell Card.

_I'll save this for later…_ she thought.

"Now, as for the point…" she said, taking her deck. "There are actually two points, each of which happen when Bronze Warrior is in Attack Mode. First, during each Standby Phase, I can take any Beast-Warrior from my deck that I want and add it to my hand…"

She spread her cards out and looked over them before choosing one.

"…like Nekogal #2 here."

She put her deck back.

"And now I'll sacrifice my other Lamb Token to summon her."

The token vanished, and a tall, feline woman with claws, a tail, and whiskers, dressed in a violet bikini appeared. She crouched, as if ready to pounce. (1,900/2,000)

"And then there's the second point," she continued. "So long as he's in Attack Mode, he gives all Beast-Warriors on my side of the field 400 more Attack Points."

Bronze Warrior glowed, and Nekogal rose to (2,300/2,000)

"Not good…" muttered Ren.

"Nekogal…" commanded Felicia, "attack his Dark Blade! Cat scratch!"

Nekogal bore her fangs and pounced! She swiped with her claws, and Dark Blade leapt from Pitch-Dark Dragon…

The Dragon exploded, and Dark Blade rolled out of the way.

**(R: 5,900) -------------------- (F: 7,800)**

Dark Blade lifted himself up and glared at Nekogal. (1,800/1,500)

"What?" said Felicia. "He survived?"

"Now that there wasn't a bad dismount either," said Heck.

"Don't you know how Union Monsters work?" asked Ren. "If a Monster is attacked while Equipped with one, only one of them bites the dust."

Felicia hissed.

"Fine!" she scowled. "I'll get him next time."

Ren drew a card.

"Not gonna happen…" he said. "I'm going to sacrifice my Dark Blade for someone better… A catty lady of my own…"

Dark Blade vanished in a burst of shadowy energy.

"Come on out, Penumbral Soldier Lady!"

A far more attractive Warrior appeared. It was a lovely, leggy female, dressed in silver armor designed to form a midriff and shorts, gauntlets, boots, and a headband. She held a longsword in her right hand, and a very large shield in her left, on which was painted a crescent moon design. (2,100/1,400)

"Purr…" muttered Felicia. "She can't beat Nekogal…"

"She could if your booster were dead!" laughed Ren. "Penumbral Soldier Lady, attack the Bronze Warrior! Shadow sword!"

Penumbral Soldier Lady leapt up, and her sword glowed with shadowy energy. She made a quick slice with her blade. Bronze Warrior howled, and then burst into triangles.

**(R: 5,900) -------------------- (F: 6,200)**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

_Hmm…_ thought the onlooker, taking down notes.

_It seems that Ren has rejected the Dark Scorpions in favor of a broader variety of Warriors of the Dark Attribute. A very unique theme to say the least. _

_I hope this duel continues for a bit longer… I'm anxious to see what else he has…_

_I wonder… Is his father's prize card in his possession? It would certainly fit…_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Nekogal returned to her base Attack of 1,900.

"It's your move, Felicia," said Ren.

Felicia drew a card.

"First I'll move Nekogal into Defense Mode…" she said.

Nekogal knelt down and shielded herself.

"Next…" she said, taking a new card, "I play Silent Doom. Now I can choose one Normal Monster from my Graveyard, and Special Summon it in Defense Mode."

"Too bad you don't have any in there," replied Ren. "The only Monsters in your Graveyard are Panther Warrior and Bronze Warrior."

"I played Graceful Charity, remember?" answered Felicia, playing the card. "So I have someone who fits the bill. I summon Nekogal #2's little sister… Nekogal #1."

A new Monster appeared on the field. She looked similar to the first Nekogal, but a little younger, and wearing a green bikini. She shielded herself in defense. (1,100/900)

"Now I'll set another Monster in Defense Mode, and end my turn," she continued.

A facedown Monster appeared.

Ren looked at his hand.

_I have Penumbral Soldier Lady on the field,_ he thought, _but nothing else in my hand is a Monster. Still, if I draw one that I can summon, I can take out both Nekogals – that new one has a weak Defense that almost all my Monsters can beat._

He drew a card.

_Well, not the best,_ he thought, _but he'll do…_

"I summon Chthonian Soldier in Attack Mode," he said.

He played the card, and a new Warrior appeared in a shadowy aura. It was a hulking fighter, dressed in dull, black armor and a helmet, with a fierce scowl on his face and jagged teeth. He held a nasty, serrated sword. (1,200/1,400)

"Well, that sure don't look friendly…" muttered Heck.

"There's a story behind the Chthonian Soldiers…" answered Yumi. "Let's just say, it's complicated…"

"Chthonian Soldier, kill Nekogal #1!" shouted Ren. "Berserker blade!"

The Soldier swung his weapon and Nekogal #1 was blown to pieces.

"Penumbral Soldier Lady, your turn!" he shouted. "Take out Nekogal #2!"

The woman Warrior slashed at Nekogal, and she was smashed to bits.

"That will do it for my turn…" said Ren. "So now what?"

Felicia drew a card.

She smiled at Ren.

"Uh oh…" said Chelsea. "Now she's grinning like a Cheshire Cat!"

"Indeed…" chuckled Felicia. "Let's get busy. I Flip-Summon my facedown Monster. Presenting… Dark Cat With White Tail!"

The card flipped face up, and a small creature leapt up. It was a… dark cat with a white tail. (800/500)

"And it has a potent effect," she continued. "When it's flipped, two of your Monsters and one of mine return to our hands. So I'll take it back, and you'll take back your two Warriors."

Penumbral Soldier Lady and Chthonian Soldier vanished. Then Dark Cat With White Tail vanished. The cards appeared in their hands.

"No…" gasped Chelsea. "He's defenseless…"

"You got it…" purred Felicia. "Next, I'll summon my Rescue Cat…"

She played a new card, and the Monster that appeared hardly looked formidable. It was a white, sweet-looking kitten wearing a hardhat on its head and a whistle around its neck. It meowed softly. (300/100)

Ren gave her the eye.

"You're gonna attack me with THAT?" he asked, almost laughing.

"No, silly," said Felicia, "I'm going to use her effect. Do your thing, sweetie!"

Rescue Cat bore its claws, and burrowed into the ground…

"See, by sending Rescue Cat to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon two Beasts from my deck. They have to be Level Three or less, but that's all I need right now.

"So let's bring out Catnipped Kitty, and another Nekogal #1."

Two new Monsters burst out the pit dug by Rescue Cat. The first was the familiar Nekogal #1. (1,100/900) The second Monster was a kitten that looked even more adorable than Rescue Cat, with purple fur covered with odd symbols. (0/500)

"What good are they?" asked Ren.

"They have their uses," said Felicia. "But as a side effect of Rescue Cat, they'd be destroyed when I ended my turn. However, before that happens…"

She took a Spell Card from her hand.

"That's a Ritual Card!" shouted Ren, stepping back.

"If there's one thing ah've learned as a duelist," said Heck, "it's that Ritual Monsters are never good news…"

"That's right!" laughed Felicia. "One that can bring out the King of Beasts. My War Lion Ritual! And it requires seven levels worth of Monsters as sacrifices. So now, I'll sacrifice Nekogal #1, Catnipped Kitty, and Dark Cat With White Tail, to bring forth the mighty Super War Lion!"

Dark Cat appeared on the field, and then a fire consumed all three of the Monsters. The fire started to take shape, turning… catlike…

And then it formed into a large lion, with huge claws and fangs. Saliva dripped from its jaws… (2,300/2,100)

"Attack Ren directly!" shouted Felicia. "Predator pounce!"

Super War Lion roared, and leapt at Ren. Everyone gasped as it tackled him and raked its claws into his chest.

**(R: 3,600) -------------------- (F: 6,200)**

Ren got up and shook, half from pain and half from fear.

"Honey, give it up," cooed Felicia. "This isn't even my strongest Monster…"

"Fat chance…" said Ren.

He drew a card.

_I might have a chance now…_ he thought.

"I place one card facedown…" he said.

He fit a card into his Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

"Now I play… Magical Mallet. Now I can take any of the cards in my hand, reshuffle them into my deck, and draw the same number. And I'm gonna do that with all six of them."

He placed his hand in his deck, reshuffled, and then drew six new cards.

_Much better…_ he thought, looking at them.

"Time to really take things a step up," he said. "I summon one of my favorites… Meet Getsu Fuhma!"

He threw the card on his Disk, and in a shower of lotus flowers, a lovely female Warrior appeared. She had flowing red hair, and wore a black, Japanese battle dress. She held a glowing blue katana. (1,700/1,200)

"Humph…" said Felicia. "She'll be just more fun to feed to my Lion."

"I don't think so," said Ren. "They say a Warrior is defined by the weapon she carries, so I Equip Getsu Fuhma with this… The Fusion Sword Murasame Blade."

As he played the card, Getsu Fuhma's sword vanished, and was replaced by a much more elaborate sword. (2,500/1,200)

Felicia hissed again…

"Getsu Fuhma, attack her Super War Lion!" shouted Ren. "Blade of Vengeance!"

Getsu Fuhma leapt up, and cleaved the huge Beast down the middle with her sword. The pieces were blasted into pixels.

**(R: 3,600) -------------------- (F: 6,000)**

Ren stared at Felicia.

"Your move…" he said.

Felicia drew a card.

"I play my Pot of Greed…" she said, playing it. "Now I'll draw two cards…"

She made two draws.

"…both of which I'll use… First, I'll activate Premature Burial. I only have to give up 800 Life Points, and I get to bring back a Monster from my Graveyard.

"And I'll bring back the other one I discarded when I played Graceful Charity. The Trojan Horse."

The ground cracked, and burst open. A large, wooden horse emerged. It neighed, and bucked on its hind legs. (1,600/1,200)

"And now I'll sacrifice it…" she continued. "And in case you didn't know, when it's sacrificed for an Earth Attribute Monster, it counts as two Monsters."

The Trojan Horse vanished.

"So I summon… Nekogal #3."

A new Beast-Warrior appeared. She looked similar to the previous two Nekogals, but her bikini was fiery red, and her claws were sharper. (2,300/2,500)

"Is that all?" asked Ren. "I activate my Trap Card…"

His facedown card lifted. It showed the image of three soldiers hiding below a ledge in the foreground while another fought a dragon in the background.

"It's called Hidden Soldiers, and I can activate it as soon as you Normal Summon a Monster. Now I can Special Summon a low-level Dark Monster from my hand. And I've got one who's so Dark, the word 'Dark' is in his name.

"I summon Zombyra the Dark."

In a flash of energy, a dark vortex appeared, and a costumed superhero with a cape and a skull-like mask flew out. (2,100/500)

Yumi looked surprised. She took her deck, and looked through it until she found her A Hero Emerges card.

_Well,_ she thought, _I guess now I know who the hero is…_

"It doesn't matter…" said Felicia. "Because Nekogal #3 has a special ability. She gains 400 more Attack Points for every Monster in my Graveyard who happens to be named Nekogal. And I have three!"

Nekogal #3 glowed with energy… (3,500/2,500)

"I think _this_ is her strongest Monster…" muttered Chelsea.

"Go!" shouted Felicia. "Devour Getsu Fuhma!"

Nekogal pounced, and made a swipe with her claws. Getsu Fuhma let out a cry, and then shattered.

**(R: 2,600) -------------------- (F: 5,200)**

Ren paused, and looked at his hand…

The Fiend Megacyber, his second Pitch-Dark Dragon, and his second Dark Blade.

He drew one card.

"I play _my_ Pot of Greed," he said, playing the card. "Now I draw twice…"

He drew twice, and looked at the cards.

He thought for a minute…

He placed a card in his Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

"That's all for my turn…" he said.

"REN!" screamed Chelsea. "You forgot to switch your Monster to Defense Mode!"

"He's crazy!" shouted Heck.

_Is he?_ thought Yumi.

"It's his own fault," said Felicia, drawing a card. "And he's a fool…

"Time for someone new. I summon The All-Seeing White Tiger in Attack Mode."

She played the card, and a large, white, Bengal tiger appeared next to Nekogal. (1,300/500)

"Nekogal, attack Zombyra the Dark!" she cried.

"I activate Rush Recklessly!" shouted Ren, as his facedown card lifted. "It gives Zombyra 700 more Attack Points."

Zombyra rose to an Attack of 2,800.

"But not enough…" said Felicia, with a grin.

Nekogal leapt forward, and with one swipe, blasted Zombyra to shards.

"Tiger… attack him directly!"

The All-Seeing White Tiger let out a roar, and pounced, digging its claws into Ren's chest. He toppled over and fell on his behind.

**(R: 600) -------------------- (F: 5,200)**

He slowly got up, with sweat pouring down his face.

"Am I fool, Felicia?" he asked. "Notice that I'm still standing…"

There was a long pause.

"Now I get it…" muttered Chelsea. "Zombyra the Dark had only 500 Defense Points. If he hadn't been in Attack Mode with that Rush Recklessly, Felicia would have been able to destroy him with her Tiger, and then attack directly with Nekogal. Ren would have lost the duel."

"Exactly," said Yumi. "Ren is thinking on his feet."

"Yeah, but he's gonna need quite a good draw to get outta this…" replied Heck.

"It's your move, honey," said Felicia. "At least try to go out with some dignity…"

Ren looked at his deck.

_Okay…_ he thought. _Come on… Baby needs a new Duel Disk…_

He drew a card.

_YES!_

He flipped open his Field Slot.

"I play… Mystic Plasma Zone!" he shouted, placing a card inside.

With a wave of energy, a shadowy dome of darkness covered the whole field.

"In this aura of absolute darkness," he explained, "all Dark Monsters gain 500 Attack Points, at the cost of 400 Defense Points.

"And now, since you have two Monsters on the field and I have none, I can Special Summon this guy… I call forth my Fiend Megacyber!"

With a roar, a tall, hulking figure in bronze armor wearing a full helmet with blades on his gauntlets rose up, and struck a pose. (2,200/1,200) –) (2,700/800)

"Big deal…" said Felicia. "Even with that bonus, he still falls short of being able to defeat Nekogal…"

"I'm not done," said Ren, holding up three more cards. "Remember when I combined Dark Blade and Pitch-Dark Dragon as a Union? Well, there's another way to combine those two Monsters…

"I'll show you… I use Polymerization, to fuse my second Dark Blade and my second Pitch-Dark Dragon."

The Warrior and the Dragon appeared on the field. The Polymerization card appeared behind them, and they swirled into a dark vortex…

And then, Dark Blade flew out, flying on Pitch-Dark Dragon once again. (2,200/1,500) –) (2,700/1,100)

"Still not enough," said Felicia.

"We'll see about that," said Ren. "Go, Dark Blade the Dragon Knight! Attack The All-Seeing White Tiger with mounted joust!"

Dark Blade flew forward on his steed, and slashed with his sword, blasting the Tiger to bits.

"And now we get to the best part," said Ren. "When Dark Blade the Dragon Knight inflicts damage to your Life Points, I get to remove up to three Monsters in your Graveyard from play. So I'll remove the three Nekogals who are powering up Nekogal #3."

Nekogal #3 glowed with a dark aura, and was reduced to her base Attack of 2,300.

"Still my turn…" said Ren. "Fiend Megacyber, attack Nekogal #3! Mega-blades!"

The Fiend Megacyber held his gauntlets forward, and they flashed with light. He rushed forward and slashed at Nekogal with his blades. The Beast-Warrior screeched and shattered into bits.

**(R: 600) -------------------- (F: 3,400)**

"Whoa…" said Chelsea.

"Well, it ain't over till it's over…" said Yumi.

"Your move…" said Ren.

Felicia paused. She slowly drew a card.

She placed it on her Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared.

"Not much else to do, huh?" asked Ren.

He drew a card.

"I play The Warrior Returning Alive," he said, holding up the card. "Now I get to take one Warrior from my Graveyard, and add it to my hand.

"And I choose Zombyra the Dark, who I'm summoning now."

In a dark vortex, Zombyra reappeared, more determined than ever. (2,100/500) –) (2,600/100)

"Zombyra…" ordered Ren, "attack with super-powered punch!"

The dark hero flew forward. Panther Warrior appeared on the card; Zombyra socked it, and it shattered into shards.

Zombyra's Attack fell to 2,400, but he barely seemed to care.

"NOW it's over…" said Yumi.

Felicia bowed her head…

"And now…" continued Ren. "Dark Blade the Dragon Knight, Fiend Megacyber, attack directly!"

The two Monsters rushed at Felicia, and she screamed as she was stabbed by two blades.

She fell on her back.

"Guess they don't always land on their feet…" said Ren with a smile.

**(R: 600) -------------------- (F: 0)**

His three Monsters vanished, and the uncanny darkness faded away.

He looked at his badge. It slowly changed hue, to Yellow.

Felicia slowly got up.

"Need a hand?" asked Ren.

"Meow," said Felicia, as he helped her up.

She looked at her own badge.

"Looks like I'm back where I started… But no biggie… I have eight lives left, and maybe we'll meet again…

"Think I'll go take a little catnap before I hit the streets again.

"And Ren… You're pretty good. Trust me… We're gonna duel again…"

And then she sped off with a series of mighty leaps.

"And he'll beat you again!" shouted Chelsea, after her.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

_Interesting…_ thought the observer.

_Ren's deck is well designed, and handles his odd strategy as best as it can. I think he is one whom we can expect a lot from._

_Our only variable left to study is Chelsea. I have to wonder how the daughter of Peter Ramset has developed her own strategy. It should be interesting to say the least…_

The figure faded into the shadows…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The group was taking it easy on a park bench. Ren was sipping orange juice he had gotten from a vendor.

He took out his deck.

"Maybe now I can tell you that story behind the Chthonian Soldiers that Yumi mentioned…" he said.

"Forget them!" laughed Heck. "Ah wanna hear about that cool superhero you've got!"

"Zombyra the Dark?" asked Ren, looking through his deck.

He found the card.

"Actually, his story and that of the Chthonians is linked.

"See, a long time ago, a demon lord named Dark Master Zorc decided to extend his influence in the realm of mortals. He decided he needed an army.

"He told his fiendish sorcerers to start creating demonic warriors, ones that were relentless, merciless, and durable.

"The sorcerers created the Chthonians as grunts – foot soldiers who were loyal and disposable… Not very smart.

"They also created a squad of elite fighters. Ones who were stronger and smarter. Zombyra was one of them.

"But the sorcerer who created him did something different. He cast a hex on the newly created warrior that gave Zombyra emotions.

"Why did he do it? Well… He was kind of… funny that way.

"Zombyra served Zorc loyally for a long time, drawing on his master's energy to fuel his dark power. But there was something different. You see, having emotions is a dangerous thing for someone in Zombyra's line of work. He started to have a conscience. He started to have feelings. He began to be able to tell right from wrong. What Zorc was making him do, it was _very_ wrong.

"Finally, one day, Zombyra killed an innocent man at Zorc's order. He felt remorse… and anger… He deserted his master forever, swearing that he'd only use his abilities for good from that point on.

"The story doesn't say what happened to that funny sorcerer.

"Anyway, without Zorc's dark power, Zombyra would get weaker. This is illustrated by the fact that he loses 200 Attack Points after each attack he makes. Also, for his betrayal, Zorc cursed him so that he could never strike his true enemy. This is illustrated by the fact that he can't make direct attacks.

"Still, he's a welcome addition to my deck of Dark Warriors."

"Well, I hope I get to duel soon," said Chelsea.

"You get the next one, Chelsea, we promise," said Yumi. "We want to see all the improvements you've made to your deck anyway."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"So do we!" laughed someone, who was watching with binoculars.

From a safe distance, the two punks who Ren had seen on the boat were watching. The older one (the one with the rainbow-colored Mohawk) was keeping an eye on the group, while the younger one (the one who had won the duel with the Blowback Dragon) was nearby. Another member was with their group – a girl who seemed about the same age as the second boy, dressed in similar punk attire.

"So what now, boss?" asked the younger teenager, in an accent that was clearly Australian.

"Well," said the older punk, "the best bet is to try to get her away from the bigger group. But with all those Centurions snooping around, simply grabbing her is a big no-no."

He handed him a small slip of paper.

"Use this," he said. "It will make a good chip for a wager. Once you outduel her, I'll take it from there."

"It's as good as done, mate…" said the boy. "She won't know what hit her…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The strange fortuneteller sat at her table, pondering.

"Clearly, Yumi does not face the upcoming battle alone," she said. "But what are the roles of her two companions?

"What of Ren?"

She lifted the top card off her deck and turned it over.

The image was that of a young man in colorful clothes, wandering towards the edge of a ravine under a starry sky. A small dog was at his feet, and he held an oaken quarterstaff over his shoulder.

"The Fool…" she muttered. "The sign of a true maverick, a wanderer and a thrill seeker with an eccentric lust for life.

"Ren is the energetic part of the team… Likely, he will be the part that will find light in the gloom. And his role in the conflict to come might well be that of one to provide morale…"

_With his first victory, Ren advances to Yellow Status. And it seems a challenge is waiting for Chelsea too. It soon may be three for three, and it isn't even time for lunch yet!_

**0**

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**NEKOGAL #3 (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Beast-Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute:** Earth  
**Level:** 7  
**ATK:** 2,300  
**DEF:** 2,500

**Card Description:** This card gains 400 ATK for every Monster in your Graveyard with the word "Nekogal" in its name.

_Note: "Nekogal #3" was created by King Dragun for his "Sister of Anansi" fic. Creative credit goes to him._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**BRONZE WARRIOR (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute:** Earth  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 500  
**DEF:** 1,800

**Card Description:** During your Standby Phase that this card is on your side of the field in Attack Position, you may search your deck for one Beast-Warrior-Type Monster and add it to your hand. If this card is on the field in Attack Position, increase the ATK of all Beast-Warrior-Type Monsters on your side of the field by 400.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**PATH TO DESTINY (Spell Card)**

**Equip Spell**

**Image:** Two Samurai about to ambush each other from behind the corners of a building.

**Card Description:** This card can be Equipped to a Beast-Warrior-Type Monster. The Equipped Monster may attack your opponent directly.

**0**

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**MIRACLE MOMENT (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image:** Panther Warrior on his knees holding a broken sword, glowing with soft light.

**Card Description:** You can activate this card when a "Panther Warrior" on your side of the field that is Equipped with "Path to Destiny" is destroyed as a result of battle and sent to the Graveyard. Special Summon one "Bronze Warrior" from your hand or deck.

_Note: "Bronze Warrior", "Path to Destiny", and "Miracle Moment" were first used by Atticus in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Pop Goes the Duel". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**SILENT DOOM (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** A hand with a glowing orb in the palm.

**Card Description:** Select one Normal Monster in your Graveyard and Special Summon it in face-up Defense Position. The battle position of this Monster cannot be switched, except with a card effect.

_Note: "Silent Doom" is a Japanese card that has not yet been released in the United States._

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**Chelsea: I smell something, guys… Something like a pretty foul body odor…**

**Ren: Hey, I showered good this morning!**

**Chelsea: It isn't you, Ren. I think I recognize this stench. I have a feeling this nice morning might turn unpleasant.**

**Yumi: Maybe, maybe not. Coming up next, "The Dark Lady; Supernatural Deck".**

**As the legacy of Peter Ramset is unleashed.**


	5. The Dark Lady, Supernatural Deck

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**CHAPTER FOUR**

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**The Dark Lady**

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**Supernatural Deck**

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A short time later, the group was still on the bench… All except for Chelsea, who was trying hard to take a good picture of a nearby statue that depicted Kanan the Swordmistress.

Ren was strumming on his guitar, and singing a very old tune:

_**Trailer for sale or rent,  
Rooms to let... fifty cents.  
No phone, no pool, no pets,  
I ain't got no cigarettes…  
Ah, but… two hours of pushin' broom,  
Buys an eight by twelve four-bit room.  
I'm a man of means by no means…  
King of the road.**_

"Y'know…" said Heck, "most people think Montana is a dull state, but we got our perks. Take Glacier National Park.

"It ain't no Yellowstone or Yosemite, but it's a great place if you like fishing, hiking, cross-country skiing, and other stuff that'll get your blood flowing.

"An' it's got wildlife everywhere. A shutterbug like her would be in Heaven.

"In fact, ah was up there once, fishing for river trout, when a big, black bear came up, not a hundred feet away from me, to do some fishing of his own…"

"Weren't you scared?" asked Ren.

"Scared?" asked Heck, almost laughing. "Pal, ah'm a duelist, ah've taken blows from things much scarier than some old bear. Besides, there's a rule you have to remember about bears… If you don't bother them, they won't bother you. That, and always secure your food where they can't get it.

"Anyway, ah caught two trout that day… He caught about five by the time ah decided to leave. Ah guess natural instinct is better than any old pole…"

They looked, and saw someone walk towards Chelsea.

"Uh oh…" said Ren.

He recognized that guy.

Chelsea had finally gotten the right angle for her picture when she was interrupted.

"G'day," said a voice.

She put the camera down and looked at him.

"Did you say good day?" she asked, suspiciously.

"Naw, I said 'g'day', but close enough," said the speaker.

It was the youth from the ship, the one with the sweatshirt, baggy jeans, and red bandana. His Disk registered Yellow already.

"Do I know you?" she asked, suspiciously.

"Naw," he said, "but we have a friend in common…"

Yumi, Ren, and Heck walked up.

"Somehow I think that the word 'friend' doesn't define him," said Chelsea. "At least where I'm standing…"

"I'd love ta introduce you," said the youth. "In fact, I wanna duel you, and make a little side wager. If I win, you come to see him – without them."

He pointed to Yumi and Ren.

"Why would I make such a dumb bet?" asked Chelsea.

"I'll ante up this," said the youth. "I… uh… won it from the first loser I beat."

He held up something that looked like a coupon.

"Free dinner at the Sizzling Sirloin?" asked Chelsea.

"Good for parties up to five," said the youth. "It's a steakhouse right in the middle of the Restaurant District. Interested?"

Chelsea paused…

"You're working for Edan, aren't you?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.

"I ain't gonna confirm or deny that," he replied.

"Edan?" asked Yumi. "Who the heck is Edan?"

"Tell you later," answered Chelsea.

She hesitated. The thought of treating Ren and Yumi to a steakhouse and not having to use her trust fund was tempting… And even if she lost, she knew who this guy wanted her to meet – and it would be the same thing all over again…

"Chelsea, be careful…" said Ren.

"I'm being careful," replied Chelsea. "Okay, I'll take that bet… Uh, do you even have a name?"

"Mick…" said the youth.

_This'll be like takin' candy from a joey…_ he thought.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The shadowy onlooker watched once again, concealed between two buildings surrounding the courtyard.

_Hmm…_

_Peter Ramset used an Archfiend Deck, a difficult strategy to master…_

_It will be refreshing to see whether his daughter has adopted the same strategy, or whether she has chosen something entirely different. _

_Will Chelsea seek to imitate her parent, or be an individual? We'll soon find out…_

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Chelsea stood apart from Mick and shuffled her deck. She glanced up at the large mural of Spirit of the Books on the building behind him. She often wondered if that Monster had a story behind it… Some sort of scholar in the world where Duel Monsters lived?

As she was doing so, a wisp appeared next to her, and a phantom appeared. It was a young woman, dressed in Geisha-style clothing of the feudal era of Japan.

"Lady Akemi?" whispered Chelsea. "You came too?"

The ghost nodded.

"I was bored, so I came to watch," replied Akemi. "I think this should be interesting…"

"I warn you…" said Chelsea, "I can't give you the play-by-play on how every rule works."

"Oh, don't worry…" said Akemi. "I've been researching this little game of yours for a while…"

Chelsea gave her a strange look.

"Chelsea, I've been haunting the Domino Library ever since it _became_ a library," said the Geisha. "I don't have much to do _but_ read."

"You gonna talk to yourself all day, or are we gonna duel?" asked Mick.

Chelsea's Disk activated.

"Bring it…" she said.

Mick's Disk activated.

"Game on!" they both said.

**(Chelsea: 8,000) -------------------- (Mick: 8,000)**

"I insist, you go first…" said Mick.

"You're too kind," said Chelsea sarcastically, drawing her first card.

She looked over her opening hand.

"To start…" she said, "I'll summon Vampire Lady in Attack Mode."

She played the card, and with a haunting female laugh, a female vampire with green skin and hair, wearing a purple robe appeared. She smiled, revealing small fangs. (1,550/1,550)

"Be careful, because she's hungry," she said. "That's all for my move…"

"Heh, heh…" said Mick, drawing a card. "Too bad…"

He opened his Field Slot.

"I play Mystic Plasma Zone."

He played the card, and the same uncanny darkness that Ren had created covered the field like a dark fog.

"You gotta be kidding!" laughed Chelsea. "You do know that my Vampire Lady is a Dark Monster, right?"

Vampire Lady grinned, bearing fangs, and her stats changed to (2,050/1,150).

"All part of my plan…" said Mick, taking another card. "Now I'm gonna teach you how ta say 'ouch' in Australian!"

"Oh, please…" replied Chelsea, putting her hand on her hip. "I happen to know that that the Australian word for 'ouch' is _also_ 'ouch'. Furthermore…"

"I summon Drillago in Attack Mode!" interrupted Mick.

He played the card, and a weird Machine appeared. It looked like it was made entirely out of sharp drills and screws. (1,600/1,100) –) (2,100/700)

"What is THAT?" shouted Ren.

"It's trouble…" answered Yumi.

"This guy not only looks cool," said Mick, "but he can attack you directly if the only cards on your side of the field are Monsters with 1,600 Attack Points or more. And since I upped your vampire's Attack Points, that's all good.

"So… open wide!"

Drillago's drills started to spin, and it flew forward. Chelsea screamed as it jammed its weapons into her chest.

Akemi caught her as she fell over…

"Thanks…" muttered Chelsea.

"Thanks?" said Mick, grinning. "What, you want me ta do that again?"

"These demons aren't real, are they?" asked Akemi, getting scared.

"They're illusions…" whispered Chelsea. "Phantasms… So no, not really. The pain they cause comes from the Disks. It's rather hard to explain…"

**(C: 5,900) -------------------- (M: 8,000)**

Chelsea looked at her foe.

"Such a pretty smile…" she said, with a growl. "It'd be a shame if I knocked out some teeth…"

She drew a card.

_Widespread Ruin…_ she thought. _Might come in handy… But I can take out his demented drill now…_

"I sacrifice Vampire Lady…" she said.

Vampire Lady vanished in a burst of shadow…

"To summon my Vampire Lord!"

In another burst of shadow, an older, male vampire appeared, dressed in an exotic costume and a cape. His eyes glowed with sinister light, and he smiled, also revealing fangs. (2,000/1,500) –) (2,500/1,100)

"Attack his Drillago!" she shouted. "Children of the night!"

Vampire Lord lifted his cloak, and a swarm of bats flew forward. Drillago sparked and exploded into scrap.

"And when Vampire Lord preys on a Monster, he preys on your deck too," continued Chelsea. "I'm telling you to discard a Spell Card from it."

Mick lifted an eyebrow.

He took his deck and leafed through it until he found a Polymerization card.

_Don't really need this…_ he thought, discarding it, _since I've already got my other one in my hand…_

"Continuing my turn…" said Chelsea, "I'll place this facedown…"

She fit a card into her Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

"And next, I'll play my Book of Life Spell Card. It's called the Book of Life because it gives life to creatures that didn't have any to begin with. Of course, to give life to such creatures, you have to take some away, so I'm removing your Drillago from play to bring back Vampire Lady. Don't want to mess with that thing again…"

Mick grunted as she played the card and Drillago fell out of his discard slot.

Vampire Lady reappeared next to Vampire Lord in a burst of energy. (1,550/1,550) –) (2,050/1,150)

"Bet you're sorry you played that Field Spell now," she said. "It's your move…"

**(C: 5,900) -------------------- (M: 7,600)**

"She's got him good!" laughed Ren. "He's pushed into a corner!"

"Quiet…" said Yumi. "What do you want to do, jinx it?"

Mick drew a card.

"First let's clear the air," he said. "I play Heavy Storm."

He played the card, and a fierce wind erupted around the arena. Chelsea braced herself, and Akemi held her kimono down. The darkness of Mystic Plasma Zone blew away, and Chelsea's Trap Card lifted up and shattered.

"Widespread Ruin?" said Mick with a smirk. "Glad I got rid of it. Next I play Nightmare's Steelcage."

The ground erupted around Chelsea, Akemi, and the two vampires, and an iron cage studded with spikes formed, trapping them inside.

"This is creepy…" muttered Akemi.

"Don't worry…" said Chelsea. "He can't attack me any more than I can attack him… For two of my turns…"

"I can't attack, sure," said Mick, who apparently had overheard, "but I still can hurt you by summoning this – another Machine called Bowganian."

He played a card, and a smallish Machine appeared. It was spherical, with its body shaped like a big eye. It had two mechanical arms one of which gripped a metal crossbow. (1,300/1,000)

"Cage or no cage, each time I start my turn, this thing will shoot 600 off of your Life Points.

"Next, I'll play a Continuous Spell Card," he said. "It's called Dark Mechanic."

A Spell Card appeared on his side of the field. It showed an ominous picture of a fiendish creature dressed as a mechanic, holding a wrench and wearing a tool belt.

"And what does that do?" asked Chelsea.

"Let's just say…" said Mick, "that if you destroy any of my Machines, there'll be consequences.

"I'll end my turn at that."

"Ah've seen a deck like this before…" said Heck. "He likely has all Machines of the Dark Attribute. The guy ah saw who used it called it an Infernal Technology Deck."

"Swell…" muttered Ren. "I hope she can bust free before he manages to summon that Blowback Dragon… That thing is hard to stop."

Chelsea drew a card.

"I summon Soul-Absorbing Bone Tower," she said.

With a rumble, a tall column of bones and skulls rose out of the ground behind her. (400/1,500)

"It may not be the strongest Monster," she said, "but it can't be attacked so long as I have at least one other Zombie on my side of the field. And that will be all for me."

The cage rusted over and started to chip.

"Then I draw!" said Mick with a laugh. "And Bowganian's effect activates!"

Bowganian pointed its crossbow and shot a metal arrow at Chelsea. It turned into energy, flew right through the cage, and struck her in the chest. She gasped and doubled over in pain.

**(C: 5,300) -------------------- (M: 7,600)**

"Next, I'll move it to Defense Mode…" he said.

Bowganian backed up and pointed the crossbow upward.

"And then I'll summon one of my most useful Monsters. It's called a Cyber Esper."

He played a card, and a new Machine appeared. It looked like a thin, metallic, humanoid wasp of some sort, with four blade-like wings. Its shoulders were shrugged, and it bowed its head downwards. (1,200/1,800)

"Most useful?" said Chelsea. "It has 1,200 lousy Attack Points."

"Maybe so…" said Mick, "but Attack Points ain't everything.

"By the way, your friend over there wasn't entirely right… This guy is a Fire Monster. But he still does the job…

"That's enough for my turn for now…"

Chelsea drew again.

"Hold it," said Mick. "So long as Cyber Esper is on the field, I get to see any card you draw. Now ain't that useful?"

Chelsea growled and showed it to him. It was Monster Reincarnation.

"I'll move my Soul-Absorbing Bone Tower to Defense Mode, just in case…" she said.

It was hard to see any difference in the Tower's position, since it was a tower of bones, but it was now defending.

"And I'll place this card facedown too…"

She fit a card into her Disk, and it appeared behind her Monsters.

She waved her hand. The Steelcage rusted over completely, and then shattered to bits.

"All right," said Mick, drawing. "Time to take out your Vampire Lord. But first…"

Bowganian fired another shot, and Chelsea screamed.

"Now I play… Megamorph. And I'll Equip it to your Vampire Lord."

He played the card, and Vampire Lord held his chest and grimaced, as if in pain.

"Since I happen to have more Life Points than you," continued Mick, "it cuts his Attack Points in half."

Vampire Lord fell to an Attack of 1,000.

"Next…" he said. "I'll summon my Card Trooper."

With a series of beeps and whistles, a much cuter Machine rolled up in front of Mick. It looked like a cross between Robby the Robot and a toy tank, with two cannons, with wheels for locomotion. (400/400)

Chelsea raised an eyebrow.

"Now I activate its effect," said Mick, reaching for his deck. "By discarding up to three cards from the top of my deck, for one turn only, it gains 500 Attack Points for each."

He took three cards off the top of his deck and looked at them.

He discarded a Battle Footballer, Rare Metalmorph, and Limiter Removal. Card Trooper rose to an Attack of 1,900.

"Attack her Vampire Lord!" he shouted. "Cosmic cannons!"

Card Trooper beeped and whirred. Then it blasted its guns, and Vampire Lord groaned before he was blown to pieces.

**(C: 3,800) -------------------- (M: 7,600)**

"Well…" said Mick with a chuckle. "My turn is over, so Card Trooper's Attack Score goes back to 400. So, what are you gonna do now?"

Chelsea angrily drew a card…

She frowned again and turned it towards him.

"Ooh, Mirage of Nightmare…" said Mick. "Think it will do you any good?"

"Did you forget about this?" asked Chelsea, holding up Monster Reincarnation.

She played the card, and an ankh appeared on the field that looked somewhat like the one on Monster Reborn, but different.

"Now, I'll toss one card…"

She slipped one card into her discard slot.

"…and Vampire Lord returns to my hand."

A card came out of it.

"Now I'll sacrifice Vampire Lady to summon him again."

Vampire Lady vanished in a wave of shadow, and Vampire Lord reappeared. (2,000/1,500)

"Vampire Lord… Destroy his Bowganian!"

Vampire Lord shot forth his flurry of bats, and the Machine sparked and exploded.

"I was getting sick of that thing…" she muttered. "Next, I place one card facedown, and activate Mirage of Nightmare."

She played the cards. A facedown card appeared, followed by the Spell Card.

"I end my turn…"

Mick grimaced and drew a card.

"Now my Mirage of Nightmare activates!" exclaimed Chelsea. "I get to draw until I have four cards…"

She made four draws.

"Take a look," she said, turning them towards him. "You may be able to see them, but you can't stop me from using them."

They were Vampire Genesis, Blood Sucker, Call of the Mummy, and Ryu Kokki.

"On a side note," she continued, "I'd also have to discard four cards when I started my turn. But now I activate Emergency Provisions, to get rid of the Mirage card before that becomes an issue. And I gain 1,000 Life Points to boot."

One of her facedown cards lifted, and a huge mouth appeared and swallowed the Mirage card.

"You are one lucky bitch," said Mick. "Still my turn… I move Cyber Esper and Card Trooper into Defense Mode…"

Cyber Esper knelt and shielded itself, and Card Trooper shielded itself with its cannon-arms.

**(C: 4,800) -------------------- (M: 7,600)**

"Your move, Goth-girl."

"Don't call me that…" said Chelsea, drawing a card.

"And this will be the last time," she said, as she turned it towards him.

_Another Vampire Lady…_ he thought. _Pathetic…_

Chelsea looked over the five cards in her hand.

"I remove Vampire Lord from play, to summon the Vampire Genesis!" she shouted.

Vampire Lord faded away, and in a burst of darkness, a huge creature rose up. He was a hulking, fiendish thing, ten feet tall and muscular, wearing a spiked harness and a thick cape studded with spikes. His large mouth had tusks, and its eyes glowed with a light that looked like burning embers. (3,000/2,100)

"And since I just Special Summoned a Zombie," continued Chelsea, "the effect of Soul-Absorbing Bone Tower activates, and you lose the top two cards off your deck."

The skulls on the Tower glowed with sinister light. Mick frowned and took the two cards off his deck.

_Blimey!_ he thought._ My Jinzo and Hex Sealed Fusion! She's gonna pay for that…_

He discarded them.

"Vampire Genesis, attack Cyber Esper!" shouted Chelsea. "Crimson shroud!"

Vampire Genesis burst into a cloud of blood-red vapor, and blew forward, blowing the Machine to atoms.

"Your move…" said Chelsea, as the vampire reformed on her side of the field.

Mick drew a card.

"I play my Pot of Greed," he said, playing the card.

The wicked jar appeared, and he made two draws.

He smiled.

"My patience has paid off…" he said with a sinister grin. "I use Polymerization, to fuse together Barrel Dragon and Blowback Dragon!"

Two huge Machines made of dark metal appeared on the field… They were both drawn into a dark vortex…

"Oh no…" muttered Ren. "He can combine those into…"

"That's right, mates!" laughed Mick, as the two Machines combined. "The incredible Gatling Dragon!"

With a whir and a rumble, a huge Machine on large wheels rolled onto the arena. It was hulking, standing ten feet tall, with an armored hull made of black plating, with three laser cannons on thick tentacles. It hummed a scary, menacing sound… (2,600/1,200)

"Man, if he gets more than one head with that thing's effect," said Ren, "Chelsea is in big trouble…"

"You do realize…" said Chelsea, "that if you run out of Monsters on my side of the field to destroy, it's gonna have to destroy yours…"

"What do ya think my Card Trooper is for?" asked Mick. "There's no way I can't come out on top!

"Go! Triple toss!"

Three lights shot up, and then three coins fell to the ground. They started to spin…

The first one… Heads.

The second one… Heads.

The third one… Heads.

"Ah, well…" said Mick with a smirk. "At least I'll be able to…"

"Go, Trap Card!" shouted Chelsea, as her Trap Card lifted. "Interdimensional Matter Transporter!"

A weird-looking device resembling a metal, futuristic Christmas tree appeared on her side. It shot out a beam of light, and Vampire Genesis vanished.

"Wh… what happened to him?" asked Mick. "When did you set that?"

"My Trap removed him from play until the End Phase," said Chelsea, with a grin. "And as for your second question, I set it on the turn after you played Cyber Esper, so it was already in my hand, and you never saw me draw it.

"Well now… Your Gatling Dragon must destroy three Monsters, but Vampire Genesis is no longer a valid option."

Mick seethed with anger…

Soul-Absorbing Bone Tower shattered to bits, then Mick's Card Trooper was also blown to pieces, and finally, Gatling Dragon itself exploded in a fiery conflagration.

"Ugh…" he said. "Well… When Card Trooper is destroyed, I get to draw one card…"

He made a draw. He added the card to his hand.

"I end my turn…" he muttered.

The Interdimensional Matter Transporter glowed, and Vampire Genesis returned.

Chelsea drew one card. She looked at it for a minute.

"I summon… Blood Sucker!" she exclaimed.

In an explosion of dark energy, a bat-like humanoid with red skin and horns, with claws, talons, and wing-like protrusions on its arms appeared. (1,300/1,500)

"Now I attack directly with Vampire Genesis!"

Mick screamed as the crimson shroud flew into him, propelling him backwards.

He staggered up and held his head…

"Blood Sucker, you too…" said Chelsea. "Claw rend!"

Blood Sucker slashed at Mick with both his claws, and he screamed in pain.

"And when Blood Sucker damages your Life Points," continued Chelsea, "you lose the top card from your deck."

Mick took the top card from his deck. He growled when he realized what it was. He discarded it.

"Good show, Chelsea," said Lady Akemi.

She took a fan out of her kimono and started to fan herself.

"Now finish him good. This uncultured rake is starting to get on my nerves."

"Will do," said Chelsea. "It's your move, Mick…"

**(C: 4,800) -------------------- (M: 3,300)**

Mick drew a card.

"Heh, heh, heh…" he chuckled. "You are as good as E…"

He stopped short.

"Uh, forget I said that…" he quickly said.

"Now it's time to show you what my Dark Mechanic can do…"

The card started to burn with black fire… Then it vanished.

"See, every time one of my Machines was sent to the Graveyard, it gained one counter. Now I can remove it from play, and then Special Summon a Machine from my hand or deck that has an equal or less number of counters.

"Eight of my Machines have been sent to the Graveyard since I played it… But I'm only going to summon a Level Seven Machine… My best Monster…"

The Spell Card vanished.

A huge form started to materialize onto the field, burning with golden fire...

"Meet Emes the Infinity!" he shouted.

The creature that appeared on the field was both big and intimidating. It was built to resemble a creature in golden armor, with a serpentine, metal trunk in place of legs. It had four arms, holding a huge sword, a shield, a scepter, and a spear. (2,500/2,000)

"That guy can't beat Vampire Genesis…" said Chelsea.

"Can he now?" asked Mick. "Well, maybe not yet. Emes, attack her Blood Sucker! Divine blade!"

Emes the Infinity charged forward, slashing at Blood Sucker with its sword. The Zombie was smashed to pieces.

"And by the way," chuckled Mick. "Whenever he kills a Monster, Emes gains 700 Attack Points. So now he's strong enough."

Emes grew to an Attack of 3,200.

"I'll end my turn there…"

**(C: 3,600) -------------------- (M: 3,300)**

Chelsea nervously drew.

"I move Vampire Genesis to Defense Mode…" she said with a gulp.

The huge Vampire knelt in Defense.

"Then I'll set another Monster in Defense Mode…"

She played a card, and a facedown Monster appeared.

"Then I'll set this facedown…"

She fit a card into her Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

"I can't do anything else…"

Mick drew a card. He looked at it for a second.

"Emes, destroy her Vampire Genesis!" he shouted.

Emes slithered forward, and slashed with its sword. Vampire Genesis howled, and then exploded.

"And once again, he gets stronger…"

(3,900/2,000)

"Does that thing have a limit?" asked Heck.

"Unfortunately, no…" answered Yumi. "Hence the term 'Infinity'."

"Don't worry…" said Ren, nervously. "Chelsea will think of something…"

Chelsea's hand shook as she drew a card.

"Come on, Chelsea," muttered Ren, "think of something…"

Chelsea placed another card on her Disk, and another Monster appeared in Defense Mode.

She glared at him.

"I take it that means you want me to move…" said Mick.

He drew a card.

Then he laughed.

"I play the Spell Card, Double Attack!" he exclaimed. "Now I just have to discard a Monster who's a higher Level than Emes, like my Perfect Machine King here…"

He discarded his last card.

"And Emes gets to attack twice! Emes, attack the Monster on the left!"

Emes charged. A werewolf wearing ragged trousers with broken shackles on his wrists appeared on the card. Emes's sword struck it, and it was blown to bits.

"That was my Zombie Werewolf!" shouted Chelsea. "And when he's destroyed in battle, I get to summon another one from my deck, with 500 more Attack Points. So I'll put him in Defense Mode."

In a burst of shadow, another Zombie Werewolf appeared, crouching in defense. (1,700/1,200)

"Big deal," said Mick. "Emes, destroy the second one!"

Emes slashed with his sword, and the second Werewolf was destroyed.

"Close…" said Chelsea, "but I have three in my deck."

In another burst of energy, a third Werewolf appeared, also in defense. (2,200/1,200)

Emes grew to an Attack of 5,300.

"You're stalling, and it isn't gonna help…" said Mick. "It's your move."

Chelsea drew.

_Oh no! _she thought, in panic. _I have nothing to summon at all! Just my Ryu Kokki… Whether it's him or Vampire Lady defending won't make a difference against that thing… And if I sacrifice one of them to summon him in Defense Mode, he'd know which Monster has the higher Defense… _

_If he draws something that can beat a 1,200 Defense, I'll be left defenseless! If Edan's toadies are this good, how much better has he gotten?_

"I have to pass…" she muttered.

"Don't give up, Chelsea!" shouted Ren. "Do what Yumi would do!"

_Do what Yumi would do?_ thought Chelsea. _If I were Yumi, I'd have already drawn a card that would have saved me. My facedown card is only a bluff… This may be the last round I can defend…_

Mick drew a card.

"Well, Chelsea…" he said, "It's been fun, but this duel is over. I just drew Big Bang Shot!"

He showed her the card.

"And I'll Equip it to Emes. It not only raises his Attack by 400, but it gives him a trampling effect to boot."

Emes the Infinity roared, and rose to at Attack of 5,700…

Chelsea's eyes opened wide.

_My facedown card!_ she thought. _Now it CAN save me!_

"I activate my facedown card!" she shouted. "Go, Dust Tornado!"

Her Trap Card lifted, and a tornado flew across the field, and blasted the Big Bang Shot card to pieces.

"You obviously know…" said Chelsea, "that when Big Bang Shot is destroyed, the Monster it was Equipped to is removed from play…"

Emes the Infinity faded into a blur, and disappeared.

"Wha… buh… guh…" gasped Mick. "How… No one's ever beaten it before…"

Ren and Yumi started to cheer.

"First time for everything…" laughed Chelsea. "And now, it's my move!"

"I flip my facedown Monster into Attack Mode," she said. "My second Vampire Lady."

The card flipped up, and Vampire Lady appeared. (1,550/1,550)

"And then… I move Zombie Werewolf to Attack Mode too…"

Zombie Werewolf stood up, and howled…

"Ho boy…" muttered Mick. "This is gonna hurt…"

"Zombie Werewolf," she ordered, "you're up first. Terror claw!"

The werewolf flew forward and slashed at Mick with its talon.

Mick teetered, dizzy…

"Vampire Lady…" said Chelsea, "finish him off. Lunch time."

Vampire Lady vanished, and Mick looked startled…

He was more startled as the vampire gently embraced him from behind. He tried to break free, but he was frozen in place…

Then Vampire Lady plunged her fangs into his jugular, and he moaned. His remaining Life Points started to fall…

"That's it…" said Chelsea. "Drink up and savor it."

Mick fell to his knees as Vampire Lady drank her fill. Finally, he fell to the ground with his face in the dirt as the vampire simply smiled.

**(C: 3,600) -------------------- (M: 0)**

"So, you won?" asked Akemi.

"Uh huh," said Chelsea. "I love ending a duel with her. She always brings the end with a good show."

The two Zombies slowly vanished.

She checked her badge, which was now at Yellow.

"Way to go, Chelsea!" shouted Ren, as Chelsea walked up to Mick.

Chelsea yanked the coupon away from Mick, who was just getting up.

"Next time Edan wants to deal with me," she said through her teeth, "tell him he can come himself!"

Mick gave an ashamed look, and then ran off.

Chelsea looked at her friends.

"Come to think of it, it is lunch time," she said. "How about some hamburgers?"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

_Well,_ thought the onlooker.

_Chelsea has clearly decided not to build a deck of Fiends, but to instead go with a different creature of darkness – Zombies. The reason for the shift, I'm not sure, but she clearly has a reason. _

_She's also a powerful woman who won't be dominated, not by this Edan fellow or by anyone else. She'll be someone to look out for, for certain…_

_Anyway…_

The onlooker put the notebook in a dufflebag and took out a Duel Disk.

_I can't waste time here forever…_

And then the spy turned and left, heading deeper into Duelatopia… Undoubtedly in search of a challenge.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

A short time later, the four of them were at a small, open-air restaurant called Hamburger Recipe. The place was dominated by a large mural of Hungry Burger, and the menu offered a great deal of finger-food. The burgers were big and had all the trimmings.

"So…" said Yumi, watching Chelsea pour ketchup on hers, "just who is this Edan character?"

Chelsea took a bite out of her hamburger and slowly chewed.

"Ever hear of underground dueling?" she asked.

"I know about those things…" said Ren. "Secret nightclubs in the slums of the cities, where brutal, painful duels are held for the patrons' amusement. They're little more than cockfights."

"Edan is one of the participants," answered Chelsea, "and he's survived a long time in those places with his Rock Deck, but ever since he saw me, he's had a demented crush on me.

"Of course, the reason he's into underground dueling is because he's not a nice guy. He was admitted to the Pro League, but he got kicked out after his first match.

"I was told about it. His opponent had only 1,000 Life Points left, and Edan was in the position to make a direct attack with his Granmarg and win.

"But he got an idea that he thought would make a true showstopper. He played Double Attack, discarding his Megarock Dragon so that Granmarg could attack twice, even though that was completely unnecessary.

"Instead of getting the cheers he expected, he was booed out of the arena. He had forgotten that this wasn't professional wrestling. The ones in charge threw him out of the Pro League for such a cruel move.

"Underground dueling suited him better. In places like that, it pays to be brutal. Frankly, I don't know why he's here. I'm guessing he and that guy I just dueled used forged papers or something to get invited.

"He's been trying to bring me into his fold for a long time, offering tempting wagers… But I've beaten him time and time again. Last time he tried using the Megarock Dragon, and I was even able to beat that. Blew it to pieces with my Widespread Ruin. He's notorious for running right into Trap Cards. That's his weakness.

"He's never going to learn that you can't force a woman to love you, no matter how hard you try…

"And now, thanks to him, we have dinner for free tonight!"

"Well…" said Heck, tossing his napkin and soda cup in the trash, "ah think ah'll be leaving you guys. Ah've watched for long enough."

"You sure you're ready to try again, Heck?" asked Yumi. "You only have one more chance…"

"Ah can't avoid it forever," he replied. "Who knows… Maybe we'll all meet up again before this is out.

"So ah'll be seeing you around…"

He got up and strode off.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The fortuneteller sat at her table. In front of her was The High Priestess in the center of the table, and The Fool to the left.

"Two members of the conflict have been revealed," she said. "But there are more… What of Chelsea, I wonder?"

She took a card off her deck and turned it over, setting it to the right of The High Priestess.

It was a bizarre card. A beautiful maiden, dressed in a white dress, held a lion firmly around the neck with one arm, and held its mouth closed with the other. Despite her purity and fragile appearance, she was dominating this beast.

"Yes, The Strength…" said the fortuneteller. "A sign of unshakeable will that cannot be broken. Whatever enemy approaches, he will find Chelsea a difficult foe to dominate…"

She looked at the deck.

"More remains to be seen… But not just yet…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In another part of Duelatopia…

Two duelists stood apart. One was a twenty-year-old man with glasses and a short beard (no moustache), wearing a sweater and casual pants.

The other duelist was a sixteen-year-old with a boyish face, and golden-blonde hair. His arms were slightly muscular, and he wore a sweatshirt and jeans.

Both of them were at Orange status.

"You don't know what you're getting into, Nicholas was it?" said the older man. "I'll have you begging for mercy in less than three rounds!"

"I came here to duel…" muttered the youth, in a clear British accent. "Not to listen to hot air."

"Well, duel then," said the older duelist. "Try not to embarrass yourself."

The scores both set to 8,000, and Nicholas drew a sixth card.

"I'll start by playing Pot of Greed…" he said.

He played the card, and drew twice.

"Now I set a Monster in Defense Mode, and I'll take a break for now."

A facedown Monster appeared.

The older duelist drew.

"I'll place a Monster in Defense Mode as well…" he said, setting a card.

Another facedown Monster appeared.

"And now, I play Dimensional Fissure."

As he played the card, the air behind him tore open, and a dark void opened up.

"Now, any Monster that would normally go to the Graveyards in removed from play.

"Your move again."

Nicholas made a draw.

"First," he said, "I'll place three cards facedown on the field…"

He played three cards, and three facedown cards appeared.

"Next…" he said, "I'll sacrifice my facedown Monster to summon Total Defense Shogun."

He played the card, and the facedown card vanished, replaced by a burly Warrior in armor and a cape, holding a huge sword. (1,550/2,500)

"And when Shogun is summoned," he continued, "he automatically moves into Defense Mode."

Total Defense Shogun knelt in Defense.

"I could attack with him, despite him being in Defense Mode, but I think I'll wait. It's your move…"

The older duelist drew.

"Heh, heh…" he said. "First, I play Graceful Charity. I draw three cards, and discard two…"

He drew three cards, and looked them over. Then he pocketed two of them (clearly they were Monsters).

"Next…" he continued. "I flip-summon my Magician of Faith."

The set Monster on the field rose up in Attack Mode, revealing the ponytailed Spellcaster in a tunic, holding a staff topped with a crescent moon. (300/400)

"I'll use her effect to get Graceful Charity back…" he continued. "Then I play it again."

He played the card, drew three cards, and pocketed two.

"Is this bloody combo of yours gonna take much longer?" asked Nicholas.

"Quiet!" he replied. "Never saw anyone so anxious to lose… And now I play… Dimension Fusion. I'll pay 2,000 Life Points to summon the four Monsters I removed from play."

In flashes of light, four Monsters appeared on his side of the field: Two Marauding Captains (1,200/400 x2), one D.D. Assailant (1,700/1,600), and one Command Knight (1,200/1,900).

"I get to bring back a Monster too…" said Nicholas. "Earthbound Spirit, in Defense Mode."

A ghoulish creature made of soil crept partially out of the earth in front of Nicholas. (500/2,000)

"Whatever…" said his opponent, "Finally, since I haven't Normal Summoned I'll sacrifice Magician of Faith to summon Freed the Matchless General!"

He switched cards on his Disk. The Spellcaster vanished, and General Freed appeared. (2,300/1,700)

"I'd say I was impressed," said Nicholas, "but frankly, I am not…"

"Oh?" said the duelist. "Let me explain a few things. Since I have two Marauding Captains on the field…"

"I know, a Captain Lock," interrupted Nicholas. "I'm not dumb. And your Command Knight raises all their Attack Scores by 400. I'm still not impressed."

"I'll impress you…" said the duelist. "Freed, attack his Total Defense Shogun!"

Freed leapt at the Shogun.

"I activate The Reliable Guardian," said Nicholas, as one of his facedown cards lifted. "It increases my Shogun's already-formidable Defense by 700 for one round."

The Shogun swatted Freed aside with a backhand, and the General fell backwards.

The duelist growled.

"D.D. Assailant, destroy Earthbound Spirit!"

Assailant slashed with her sword, destroying the Fiend.

He looked at another card in his hand.

Bottomless Trap Hole.

He fit it into his Disk, and it appeared facedown.

"So now what?" asked the duelist.

Nicholas drew.

He gave his opponent a sinister look.

"I play my own Graceful Charity…" he said.

He drew three cards, and then pocketed two of them.

"And now, I activate my other two facedown cards…"

Two minutes later, a scream echoed across that part of Duelatopia…

The overconfident duelist was lying on his back with his cards scattered, shivering and babbling incoherently. Nicholas shuffled his deck, his badge now at Yellow.

"I can't envy the nightmares you're gonna have tonight…" he said. "But try to get some sleep anyway…"

He turned and walked away.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Half an hour later, in yet another part of the city…

Two other duelists were facing each other. One was a twenty-year-old with black hair dyed with green streaks.

The other was a sixteen-year-old girl with honey-blonde hair tied in two long braids. She wore clothing that was simple, but seemed outdated.

Again, both of them were at Orange.

"Want a piece of this, Olga?" said the man.

"Just duel…" said the girl, again in an accent that was British. "I have no time for frivolities."

The scores each set to 8,000. The older duelist drew a card.

"I start by playing… Card Destruction!" he said. "Now we must both fold our hands and draw new ones."

Olga shrugged, and discarded her hand, and then drew five new cards.

"Next, I play the Field Spell Luminous Spark, which grants all Light Monsters 500 Attack Points in exchange for 400 Defense."

He played the card, and a bright light surrounded the field.

"Now I summon, The Creator Incarnate."

He played the card, and a tall man in golden armor and a helmet appeared. (1,600/1,500) –) (2,100/1,100)

"And now I sacrifice him… To Special Summon… The Creator!"

The Creator Incarnate vanished, and a giant monolith of a being made of bronze appeared. It seemed made of gleaming metal, and had a huge disk on its back. (2,300/3,000) –) (2,800/2,600)

"And now I discard one card to active its ability, and Special Summon Hyozanryu from my Graveyard."

He discarded a card, and the huge, diamond Dragon appeared and roared. (2,100/2,800) –) (2,600/2,400)

"Heh, heh…" he said. "And next round I can summon someone who's just as powerful. Your move…"

Olga drew a card.

"Two powerful Monsters in one turn, huh?" she asked. "Not bad, but I've seen better…

"I play this Spell Card…"

One minute later, another scream echoed over Duelatopia…

Olga's opponent lay shaking on the ground, just as Nicholas's opponent had. Olga shuffled her deck, and looked at her badge, which was now Yellow.

"Don't think I'm harmless because I'm soft and cuddly!" she said with a smile.

She walked away.

_Yumi, Ren, and Chelsea now have one victory apiece. But it seems some competition looms over the horizon. What lies ahead? What will the future hold?_

**0**

**0**

**0**

**ZOMBIE WEREWOLF (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Zombie/Effect  
**Attribute:** Dark  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,200  
**DEF:** 1,200

**Card Description:** When this card is destroyed as a result of battle and sent to the Graveyard, Special Summon one "Zombie Werewolf" from your hand or deck. The Special Summoned Monster's base ATK becomes 500 more than the one that was destroyed to activate this effect.

_Note: "Zombie Werewolf" was first used by Camula in the multi-part "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Field of Screams". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**BLOOD SUCKER (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Zombie/Effect  
**Attribute:** Dark  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,300  
**DEF:** 1,500

**Card Description:** When this card damages your opponent's Life Points as a result of battle, your opponent discards the top card from his deck.

_Note: "Blood Sucker" is a Japanese card that has not yet been released in the United States._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**DARK MECHANIC (Spell Card)**

**Continuous Spell**

**Image:** A fiend dressed as a mechanic, holding a wrench and standing in a junkyard.

**Card Description:** Whenever one of your Machine-Type Monsters is sent to the Graveyard, put one Summon Counter on this card. During your Main Phase, you may remove this card from play, and Special Summon a Machine-Type Monster from your deck whose Level is equal to or less than the number of Summon Counters on this card. If you use this effect, you may not Normal Summon, Flip-Summon, or Special Summon another Monster during the same turn.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**Ren: Duelatopia… What wonders do you have that are waiting for us to unlock?**

**Chelsea: It's a city of a thousand treasures. So many things to find if you know where to look… So Yumi, ready to give it another go?**

**Yumi: You bet! I'm getting right back into the thick of things!**

**Ren: Next chapter, "Magic versus Mesozoic; Miracle Jurassic". Tell me, Yumi, did your grandpa ever duel Rex Raptor?**

**Yumi: Not the one you're thinking of… But I have a feeling this will be more challenging…**


	6. Magic Versus Mesozoic, Miracle Jurassic

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CHAPTER FIVE**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Magic Versus Mesozoic;**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Miracle Jurassic**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

As Yumi, Ren, and Chelsea wandered farther into the city, restaurants and shops gave way to larger buildings.

"I think we're in the Museum District…" said Ren, looking at the map.

They were indeed, due to the structure that was visible from every part of this district. Construction of it was supposedly just completed, but sadly, it would not be open to guests until winter break.

It loomed over the skyline – a life-size and very real replica of Clock Tower Prison, the infamous Field Spell used by the famous pro-duelist Aster Phoenix, who was now long since retired. The clock tower itself currently worked, and supposedly, when it opened, it would hold many new, colorful attractions, including a wax museum and a supernatural lore archive.

Yumi would have loved to go there if it were open. But this was still the Museum District, and she always liked museums. It ran in the family.

"What do they have here?" she asked.

"Well, let's see…" said Ren. "The technology museum, the art museum, the planetarium, the Egyptian exhibit…"

Yumi paused to see the Pharaoh standing behind her.

"Maybe later, Yumi," he said. "I've seen plenty of those…"

Yumi nodded.

"The Kaiba Memorial Library…" continued Ren.

"That's where his Dragons are, right?" asked Chelsea.

Yumi nodded.

"Some other time," she said.

"Oh, look…" said Ren, pointing.

They looked up, and saw a large building with the entrance flanked by statues of velociraptors.

"The Duelatopia Museum of Natural History," said Ren. "Just opened this year…"

They looked at each other.

"Why not?" said Yumi. "Who doesn't love looking at dinosaur fossils?"

"You said it," replied Ren. "For creatures that have been extinct for millions of years, dinosaurs are pretty popular."

They walked towards the building.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The entrance hall of the museum was huge, and dominated by a very large exhibit. It was a nearly complete skeleton of a triceratops, bigger than any that they had seen before.

Chelsea looked at the sign in front: _No eating; No drinking; No horseplay; No flash photography._

Typical rules for a museum. She quickly put her ordinary camera in her case, and switched to the one holding high-speed film.

Yumi read the plaque next to the triceratops.

"Ironhorns…" she read. "Discovered in North Dakota in 2030, by Maurice Leason, both the biggest and most complete triceratops fossil known."

"He looks like a mean one…" muttered Chelsea. "I'll bet if some T-Rex were causing trouble, he'd charge at the guy like an offensive linebacker, and jam those horns right into the big guy's gut."

"Not likely…" said a voice from behind.

They turned. The voice belonged to a man who was about forty, dressed in a grey formal suit. He held a derby hat by his side. He had hair that seemed to be going prematurely grey, and a bushy mustache.

"The triceratops could never have charged at an enemy like a modern rhino could have," said the man, in an accent that seemed British. "If it did, its horns would break. If, as you say, it were threatened by a T-Rex or other large predator, its strategy would more likely be to stand its ground, like a _defensive_ football player would, to use your analogy, and let the enemy run itself into its horns."

"How do you know?" asked Chelsea.

"Well, I…" started the man.

"Hey!" shouted Ren. "I know you! You're Marlon Farnsworth!"

"Ah heh…" chuckled the man. "You saw me in _National Geographic_, I assume…"

"Who is this guy?" asked Chelsea.

"He's a big… what are they called?" asked Ren. "Pale… Platea…

"Paleontologist…" said the man.

"Right," said Ren. "Three months ago, he headed a group that discovered a complete stegosaurus skeleton."

"Truthfully, it was only just under 98 complete," said Marlon. "But I do like to be noticed for my work."

"So why are you in Duelatopia, Mr. Farnsworth?" asked Yumi.

"Call me Marlon," he replied. "And I was invited…"

He held up a badge, which was already at Green.

"One must have hobbies, don't you know," he said. "And since I discovered Duel Monsters, I took to it like I was a natural."

"So, Green already…" said Yumi with a grin.

She saw the Pharaoh appear beside her. He nodded.

"Care to try for Blue?"

Marlon looked at her.

"You're Wheeler's daughter, aren't you?" he asked.

Yumi nodded.

"Well, jolly good…" he said. "I accept your challenge… But you'll find me a great deal harder than your grandfather found that upstart Rex Raptor."

"Wouldn't have it any other way…" said Yumi.

She chuckled.

"Rex Raptor… He was a sad story… Came in second in the Japanese nationals behind Weevil Underwood, but once he got to Duelist Kingdom, he sank like a stone."

"Well, his style was primitive," said Chelsea. "It had the subtlety of a wrecking ball. Problem is, he relied too much on powerful Monsters, and had very few Spells or Traps. You can't expect to win simply by charging at the enemy."

"Exactly," said Marlon. "And let me tell you, since his time, Dinosaur cards have improved by leaps and bounds… After all… Paleontology is a science…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

As Yumi and company walked outside with Marlon, they didn't know that Nicholas was watching from a safe distance with a pair of binoculars.

Olga walked up to him with two hot dogs that she had gotten from a nearby vendor.

"I specifically told him to put the sauerkraut on and _then_ the mustard," she said, handing him one. "I hope you're bloody happy, Mr. Frankfurter Connoisseur."

Nicholas took it.

"I might be happier in a minute," he said. "Looks like the Mouto kid is going to duel again.

"She's awfully cute… Wonder if she'd be interested in a different type of one-on-one?"

Olga took out a pair of opera glasses and looked.

"Where have I seen that guy before?" she asked.

A shadow fell across them…

"His name is Farnsworth," said the owner of the shadow. "A paleontologist from Liverpool and a duelist who naturally specializes in Dinosaur Monsters.

"Let's watch closely. The more we can discover about young Yumi and her two henchmen, the better…"

The two teenagers nodded, and continued to look.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"So…" asked Yumi. "What's it like these days in Great Britain?"

"It rains a lot…" answered Marlon. "And the people I have to associate with there are uppity snobs. Plus, the only thing there that's worth eating is the fish and chips, which would taste a whole lot better if they didn't serve it wrapped in newspaper. Some traditions we could do without.

"That's one of the main reasons I got into paleontology… It gives me plenty of excuses to leave home.

"And how's your neck of the woods?"

"Well, uh, we can't complain…" muttered Yumi.

Their Disks activated, and they each drew five cards.

The Puzzle glowed, and in a flash of light, the change overtook Yumi.

Her eyes narrowed.

"Game on!" they both said at once.

"Good show…" said Marlon.

**(Yumi: 8,000) -------------------- (Marlon: 8,000)**

"All right…" said Yumi, drawing a sixth card. "And opening moves don't get any better than this… I summon my Skilled Dark Magician."

In an aura of dark energy, the black cloaked mage appeared, holding his staff. (1,900/1,700)

"That will do for now…" she said.

"I see…" said Marlon, drawing a card.

He looked over the cards in his hand, and then chose one.

"I think I'll go on the defensive for now…" he said.

He placed a card on his Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared.

"That will be all for my move."

Yumi drew a card.

"Gemini Elf in Attack Mode," she said.

In a flash of light, two elf twins, one blonde and dressed in blue, and one brunette and dressed in purple, appeared, holding hands. (1,900/900)

"Two Monsters with 1,900 Attack Points?" said Ren. "Marlon better hope his facedown card is a good one…"

Yumi considered.

_It's rather obvious that he's using Dinosaurs…_ she thought, _and I don't know of any with Flip-Effects, and not many with strong Defense. Most of them are just heavy on offense. Could it be that he had a bad hand?_

Then she paused.

She had once heard of a duelist who had used special Fusion Monsters that were related to Dinosaurs… They were fused with a Spell called Fossil Fusion. Maybe he wasn't using standard Dinosaurs at all…

She had to be careful…

"Gemini Elf, attack!" she shouted. "Dual magic!"

The two elves raised their free hands and shot twin lightning bolts…

And then they screamed as a backlash knocked them over.

The two elves looked up as Yumi looked where the card had been…

Right now, there was a nest of sorts, and hovering over it was an ovoid sphere, that seemed to be made of crystal or even diamond, only a foot or so across. It glowed with silvery light. (0/2,000)

"What the…" said Ren.

"It's a Dinosaur, believe it or not," said Marlon. "It's called a Miracle Jurassic Egg, and it's more than just a defensive wall.

"I'd love to tell you what it does, but that's a secret that I can't reveal right now… But I will shortly."

Yumi looked at her hand.

_I'd better find a way to scramble that egg before he does…_ she thought. _All it will take is three Spell Cards played between the two of us, and I'll be able to swap Skilled Dark Magician for the real Dark Magician, and he'll take it out with no problem…_

"I'll place a card facedown, and end my turn…" she said.

A facedown card appeared.

**(Y: 7,900) -------------------- (M: 8,000)**

Marlon drew a card.

"I summon one of my favorites," he said. "Black Stego…"

A new Monster appeared on the field. It was… well, it was a stegosaurus. That was the best way to describe it. (1,200/2,000)

"Why'd he do that?" asked Chelsea. "That guy doesn't even come close to being able to beat Yumi's two Spellcasters."

"Next…" continued Marlon, "I Special Summon Gilasaurus."

He played the card, and a small Dinosaur the size of a horse with sharp teeth and claws appeared. It glared at Yumi's forces with reptilian eyes, and grinned a toothy smile. (1,400/400)

"Normally, that would let you Special Summon a Monster from your Graveyard," he said, "but I don't believe you have anything there.

"And I'm not done… Next, since that was a Special Summon, I'll summon two more of them from my deck, by playing Inferno Reckless Summon."

He played the Spell Card, and two more Gilasaurs appeared, one to each side of the first.

"You're kidding, right?" asked Yumi. "You do realize, that lets me summon all copies of a Monster I have on my side of the field?"

She placed two cards on her Disk, and two more Skilled Dark Magicians appeared. (1,900/1,700 x2)

"And another thing..." she added. "Since that was a Spell Card, the one that was already on the field gets a counter."

The first Disk on one of the Magicians' collar lit up.

"Jolly good…" said Marlon. "I'll place one card facedown, and that's enough for my turn…"

He fit a card into his Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"What in blazes?" asked Nicholas. "Yumi's Monsters are all stronger than his… You'd think he _wants_ his Monsters to be destroyed."

"That's because he _does_ Nicholas," said the shadowy form behind him and Olga. "Farnsworth's strategy may look odd on the surface, but there is a definite purpose behind it. Continue watching, and you will see…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Yumi drew one card.

"All right!" she shouted. "Gemini Elf, take out one Gilasaurus!"

The twin elves blasted lightning bolts, and one of the smaller Dinosaurs exploded. Marlon cringed.

"And now let's pause…" said Yumi, with a grin. "Since I just attacked with a Spellcaster, I can activate this…"

Her facedown card lifted.

"It's a Trap called Magician's Circle," she said. "Now, both duelists are allowed to Special Summon a Spellcaster from their decks that has an Attack Score of 2,000 or less."

"Well, uhm, er…" said Marlon, looking at his deck. "Afraid I don't have one…"

"Well I have a good one," said Yumi, taking a card from her deck. "Come on out, Dark Magician Girl!"

In a display of hearts and stars, Dark Magician Girl flew onto the field. She made a small pirouette and smiled sweetly. (2,000/1,700)

"Now let's continue…" said Yumi. "You two… Destroy his other two Gilasaurs!"

Two Skilled Dark Magicians fired blasts of dark magic, and the remaining two Gilasaurs exploded.

"Dark Magician Girl, attack his Black Stego!"

Dark Magician Girl laughed, and cast her spell at the larger Dinosaur… There was a burst of flame and smoke…

But when it cleared, Black Stego was still there, and crouching in Defense Mode.

"Forgot to mention…" said Marlon. "When Black Stego is attacked while in Attack Mode, where he's weak, he can quickly shift to Defense Mode, where he's strong. So that battle was a draw."

Yumi paused.

"Guess I'll place this facedown, and end my turn…" she said, placing a card in her Disk.

"Uh, Ren…" muttered Chelsea. "Is it my imagination, or is that Miracle Jurassic Egg glowing even brighter now?"

"Either you have a good imagination," he said, "or yes. I noticed it too."

**(Y: 7,900) -------------------- (M: 6,500)**

Marlon made a draw.

"I play Mystical Space Typhoon," he said, "to destroy your facedown card."

He played the card, and the cyclone tore across the field, shattering Yumi's Spell Shield Type-8.

The second disk on the first Skilled Dark Magician's collar glowed, and one on each of the other two did as well.

"Good grief!" groaned Ren. "If this guy _trying_ to get Yumi to summon her Dark Magician?"

"I'm worried…" muttered Chelsea. "Either he's very stupid, or very clever…"

Marlon placed a card in his Disk.

"I'll place another card facedown, and turn it over to you…" he said.

Yumi drew a card.

_That's it…_ she said.

"Okay, Marlon…" she said. "I play my Pot of Greed."

She played the card, and the sinister jar appeared. She made two draws.

"And now that my first Skilled Dark Magician has absorbed the energy from three Spell Cards, I can sacrifice him, to summon the main man from my deck!"

The Spellcaster vanished, and the Dark Magician appeared. He and Dark Magician Girl grinned at each other. (2,500/2,100)

"Well, Marlon…" said Yumi, "I guess we're not gonna see what that Miracle Jurassic Egg can do after all. Dark Magician, smash his Miracle Jurassic Egg! Dark magic attack!"

"Hold it right there, old girl!" shouted Marlon.

One of his facedown cards lifted, showing the image of Marauding Captain confronting Despair From The Dark.

"I activate Staunch Defender. Now, all your attacks this round must be directed to the Monster I choose, and I choose my Black Stego."

Dark Magician paused. He turned his staff away from the Egg, and pointed at Black Stego. He cast his spell, and the Dinosaur was blasted to pieces.

"Nice save…" said Yumi. "But what now?"

"Now…" said Marlon, "I finally reveal the secret of my Miracle Jurassic Egg…"

He drew a card.

"You see, Yumi," he said, adding it to his hand. "Every time one of my Dinosaurs went to the Graveyard, it gained power, in the form of two counters. And now… I can sacrifice it, to Special Summon from my deck any Dinosaur whose Level is equal to or less than the number of counters it has."

"Wait a second…" said Ren. "Four Dinosaurs, two counters from each… Great Caesar's ghost! That means he can summon a Level Eight Monster!"

"Indeed!" said Marlon, taking a card from his deck. "So, I bid farewell to the Miracle Jurassic Egg…"

The Egg glowed with blinding light, and then shattered into shards of light…

"And I summon… Ultimate Tyranno!"

With a roar, a huge, shadowy form rose up in front of Marlon. Standing twenty feet tall, it looked like it was part Dinosaur and part Fiend, with bony spurs covering its armored body, and incredibly sharp claws and teeth.

It bellowed a roar that shook the whole courtyard… (3,000/2,200)

"Three… thousand… Attack Points?" said Yumi, nervously.

"That thing could stand up to Kaiba's Dragon…" muttered Chelsea.

"Not only that," replied Marlon, "it also has the ability to attack every Monster on your side of the field at once."

Yumi gulped.

"Uhm, Yumi…" said Marlon, taking a card from his hand. "I know you think this can't get any worse, but… see… Summoning this thing with my Egg's effect was a Special Summon…

"And I still can Normal Summon a Monster. Like my Sabersaurus."

He played a card, and a new Dinosaur appeared. This one looked similar to a triceratops, but even fiercer, with sword-like blades all over its body, and razor sharp horns. (1,900/500)

"All right!" shouted Marlon. "Ultimate Tyranno, attack! Primal rage!"

The next minute was a massacre. The huge Dinosaur went for Dark Magician first, biting him in half. Then it snapped up both Skilled Dark Magicians and then Gemini Elf.

Finally, Dark Magician Girl was swallowed whole.

Yumi bowed her head.

"I'm sorry…" she whispered.

She glared at her opponent.

"Yumi…" said Marlon. "Remember when I said that triceratops didn't charge? Well this _isn't_ a triceratops. Same family, maybe, but different species entirely.

"Sabersaurus, attack her directly!"

Clearly it wasn't a triceratops, because it charged at Yumi like a rhino. Yumi hollered as it jammed its horns into her torso and she was thrown back ten feet.

**(Y: 1,500) -------------------- (M: 6,500)**

"Eh…" muttered Marlon. "I must have counted wrong… I should have left you with only 1,200 left."

"No, you didn't count wrong…" muttered Yumi, getting up.

She staggered to her feet.

"The instant it destroyed Dark Magician, Dark Magician Girl gained 300 more Attack Points, so I have more to work with…

"So, anything else?"

Marlon looked at the last card in his hand.

"No…" he said.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"HA, HA, HA, HA!" laughed the man standing behind Nicholas and Olga. "I have got to look this up on the internet tonight… I have GOT to see that again…"

"What?" asked Nicholas. "Yumi getting clobbered? I didn't think it was very funny…"

"Not that…" he replied. "I just love seeing that bimbo of hers die…"

There was a pause.

"Dark Magician Girl?" asked Olga.

The man clenched his fist.

"I _loathe_ that harlot…" he muttered. "With her low-cut dress and come-hither smile… I can't get enough of thinking of ways to kill that Monster in a duel…"

"What did she ever do to you?" asked Nicholas.

"Well, it's… complicated," he replied. "But keep this in mind… She's the key to beating Yumi. She has some sort of connection to that card."

"Why?" asked Olga. "Is it worth something?"

The man sighed. He took a card out of the folds of his clothing.

"See this?" he asked. "This is a Meteo the Matchless that was given to the semi-finalists in the 2040 Duel Monsters European Invitational. It is 'worth something', at least as far as money is concerned.

"But to Yumi, that card is something you cannot put a price on…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Yumi drew a card.

_This might help…_ she thought.

"I play my Graceful Charity!" she exclaimed.

Her deck glowed, and she drew three cards.

_All right,_ she thought, looking at them. _Now I might have a chance…_

She discarded two cards.

"I place a Monster in Defense Mode, and toss three cards facedown," she said.

A facedown Monster appeared, and three facedown cards followed.

"Your move…" she said.

Marlon drew a card.

_Hmm, Black Tyranno…_ he thought. _That would need two sacrifices, and sacrificing Ultimate Tyranno would be folly…_

"Ultimate Tyranno, attack!" he ordered.

The huge Dinosaur charged.

"Go!" shouted Yumi, as her Trap Card lifted. "Mirror Force!"

A blast of light covered the arena, and Marlon's two Monsters were blasted to atoms.

"Heh, heh, heh…" chuckled Marlon. "Jolly good, Yumi… But I also have a Trap Card…"

His facedown card lifted, showing the image of four workers digging up a dinosaur skeleton.

"Fossil Excavation," he said. "I simply need to discard one card, and one of my Dinosaurs comes back."

He discarded his Black Tyranno.

The ground burst open, and a swarm of bones burst out. They all pieced together, forming into a T-Rex skeleton…

Then, in a flash of energy, the skeleton transformed into Ultimate Tyranno.

"Of course…" said Marlon, "a Monster revived by this Trap loses its effect, but given that it can be as much a hindrance as a help in this case, that may be a good thing.

"Now, Ultimate Tyranno, continue your attack!"

The Dinosaur charged. Magician of Faith appeared on the card, and was swallowed whole.

"Thanks," said Yumi. "Now I get to retrieve one Spell Card from my Graveyard…"

A card slipped out of her discard slot. She added it to her hand.

"Now… It's my move…"

She drew a card.

She grinned.

"Well, Marlon…" she said. "I honestly don't know if Rex Raptor ever had a problem with this next guy, but he sure did a job on his pal Weevil Underwood."

Marlon paused.

"Wait…" he said. "I remember hearing something about that… A Spellcaster Monster whose name made Underwood tremble with fear after he had taken a beating from it in a duel with Yugi. What was it again?

"Wait, don't tell me… Oh, it's on the tip of my tongue!"

"I'll show you…" said Yumi. "I summon Breaker the Magical Warrior."

In a shadow aura, a mysterious figure appeared. It was a man in red and gold armor, with a cape and pointed helmet that covered all of his face except for glowing blue eyes. He held a longsword in his right hand, and a diamond-shaped shield with a blue gem in the center in his left. (1,600/1,000) –) (1,900/1,000)

"Ah, yes," said Marlon. "That's the rascal…"

"Yeah, well…" said Yumi, "Breaker is a guy with an identity crisis. He's a Spellcaster, and that can never change, but people call him a Warrior, and he tries to act like one, wearing armor and carrying a sword and shield. Frankly, there are times when he doesn't know what he is…

"But he does know what he's good at doing. See, when he's summoned, he gets a counter that boosts his Attack Score by 300. And by expending that counter, he can destroy one Spell or Trap Card.

"So, he's gonna do that to destroy your Fossil Excavation."

Breaker held up his shield, and the gem glowed. His Attack fell down to 1,600, and the Trap shattered.

Ultimate Tyranno roared, and then turned back into bones. They fell to the ground in a clatter and turned to dust.

"Ashes to ashes, dust to dust," said Yumi. "Breaker, attack directly with breaking blade!"

Breaker the Magical Warrior leapt at Marlon with his sword held high. Marlon cringed as the Spellcaster slashed at him with the weapon.

**(Y: 1,500) -------------------- (M: 4,900)**

"Ergh…" muttered Marlon. "Jolly good, old girl… This is turning into quite an unusual challenge…"

He drew a card.

"I'll place this in Defense Mode, and that will be all for my turn…"

A facedown Monster appeared.

"Your move…"

_Is that another Miracle Jurassic Egg?_ thought Yumi, as she drew a card._ I don't want to go though that whole process again…_

She looked at the card she had gotten back with Magician of Faith. It was sure to be a surprise, because she hadn't used it yet. She had discarded it with Graceful Charity.

She looked at the card she had just drawn.

She opened her Field Slot and placed a card in it.

"I play Mausoleum of the Emperor!" she shouted.

Darkness shrouded the field…

Two ominous temples rose behind each of them, their doors flanked by flaming braziers. The two duelists were on platforms at each end, separated by a bridge over a dark pit that held mysterious shapes.

"What in the name of…" asked Marlon.

"Creepy, isn't it?" asked Yumi. "And just to make it even scarier, down below us lurks the Terracotta Army, a collection of hundreds of ancient statues. Both duelists can use these artifacts as sacrifices to summon Monsters, if he or she merely pays 1,000 Life Points for each of them.

"So I'll pay 1,000 Life Points…"

A stone statue of a warrior in shogun armor holding a sword floated up to her side of the field. It vanished into pixels.

"And I'll summon Chaos Command Magician."

A new Spellcaster appeared. This one was dressed in a glossy black robe, with a wide-brimmed hat, and carried a fancy staff. (2,400/1,900)

"Attack his facedown Monster!" she shouted. "Chaos Magic!"

Chaos Command Magician shot a blast of multicolored, burning lights. A dinosaur appeared on the facedown card with a flat, rounded snout. It was blasted to pieces.

"Heh, heh…" chuckled Marlon. "Sorry old girl, that was my Hyper Hammerhead. So it looks like that 1,000 Life Points you spent was a big waste…"

"Oh?" asked Yumi. "How so?"

Marlon paused. He looked at the field.

"Wait a bloody minute…" he said. "It was supposed to return your Monster to your hand! Why didn't it?"

"Because, Chaos Command Magician is immune to Monster effects that target," interrupted Ren. "Didn't you know that?"

Marlon paused.

"Oh…" he said. "Yeah, it… kind of slipped my mind…"

"Breaker, attack directly!" shouted Yumi.

"Not again…" muttered Marlon.

He shielded himself as Breaker slashed with his sword.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Eh, lucky…" muttered Nicholas.

"Don't give me that," said Olga. "You were pretty lucky in your first duel from what I heard."

"Well, that jerk needed to be taken down a peg," said Nicholas. "Idiot was so certain his brilliant Warrior/RFG strategy could never be defeated, thought he was better than everybody… Guys like that drive me barmy."

"Well make sure you don't turn into one yourself," said the man behind them. "And speaking of which, those first duels were sufficient test runs for your actual decks, but until I say otherwise, use your more… believable ones from now on. We don't want to scare the Dickens out of everyone on this island, nor do we want to attract undue attention."

They nodded, and turned back to watch.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**(Y: 500) -------------------- (M: 3,300)**

Marlon considered the situation and the one card left in his hand.

_I still have a few heavy hitters in my deck,_ he thought, _and summoning them would be all the easier thanks to this Field Spell. And she has only 500 Life Points left…_

_But two facedown cards…_

He drew.

"I play… Pot of Greed…" he said.

He made two draws.

He grinned.

"Okay, Yumi…" he said. "I'll use the effect of this Field myself, and pay 1,000 Life Points…"

A statue floated up to his side. It disintegrated.

"And I summon… Dark Driceratops!"

A creature that appeared to be part triceratops and part bird appeared, covered with colorful feathers. (2,400/1,500)

"Next I play… Dinostomp! Now I can destroy one of your Spell or Trap Cards."

He played the Spell Card, and Dark Driceratops stomped its foot down, and a shockwave tore forth, heading towards the facedown card on the right…

"Chain!" shouted Yumi, as it lifted up. "Rush Recklessly! Now Breaker's Attack Score goes up by 700 points!"

The Spell Card shattered, and Breaker rose to an Attack of 2,300.

Marlon frowned…

"Dark Driceratops…" he said, "attack Breaker! Sonic screech!"

Dark Driceratops let out a wave of earsplitting sound from its beak, and Breaker shattered.

"Before you end your turn," said Yumi, "I'll activate my other Trap…"

Her other facedown card lifted.

"Life-Absorbing Machine. We'll get to that in a minute."

"Jolly good…" said Marlon. "My turn is over now."

**(Y: 400) -------------------- (M: 2,300)**

"Then I draw one card," said Yumi, drawing. "And thanks to Life-Absorbing Machine, I gain back half of what I paid last turn…"

The card glowed, and her Life Points went up slightly.

**(Y: 900) -------------------- (M: 2,300)**

"And that gives me just enough," she said, fitting a card into her Disk. "I play Premature Burial."

She glowed as her Life Points dipped, and Dark Magician crawled out of the ground. (2,500/2,100)

"Attack his Dark Driceratops! Dark magic attack!"

Dark Magician cast his dark spell, and Dark Driceratops exploded into a burst of pixels.

"By Jove…" said Marlon.

"Chaos Command Magician…" said Yumi, "attack directly!"

Marlon shielded himself as the chaos mage shot his blast, and he staggered back under it.

Marlon gasped for breath…

**(Y: 100) -------------------- (M: 0)**

"Wow…" said Ren. "I haven't seen a duel that close since… I _haven't_ seen a duel that close!"

As the holograms faded away, the Pharaoh appeared behind Yumi. She looked at her badge, which was now Green.

"Good work," he said. "The first day, and already you're two duels ahead."

"Just promise me you'll always be there… partner!" she said.

"Well…" said Marlon. "That was invigorating, I must say… I dare say I'd best try harder."

"You didn't do too bad," said Chelsea. "That was closer to beating Yumi than I ever came.

"Say, we didn't see much of the museum before you showed up. Why don't you show us around? We've got some time to kill…"

"I'd be delighted…" said Marlon with a chuckle.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Nicholas and Olga had gone their separate ways, and their strange benefactor was back in the penthouse suite of the hotel, sending text messages on a cell phone.

"There," he said, as the last one was sent. "Soon they'll all be out looking."

He looked at a special projector on the other side of the room and smirked.

"Guess I can kill time for an hour…" he said.

He activated a Duel Disk on his arm, and then hit a remote. The projector activated, and Dark Magician Girl appeared from out of it.

He played a card on his Disk, and Mobius the Frost Monarch appeared.

"Attack!" he shouted.

Mobius shot a blast of ice, and Dark Magician Girl screamed before she was frozen and then shattered into shards.

This was his hobby – having that projector summon Dark Magician Girl, and then using Monsters, Spells, or Traps to kill her.

After all, she had cost him a great treasure.

He fit a card into his Disk and a facedown card appeared.

He hit the remote again, and she appeared again.

He triggered the Trap, and she screamed again as she was bound to a Nightmare Wheel.

He watched as the Wheel turned, and tears appeared in her eyes.

Finally, he placed a card on his Disk, and a Luster Dragon appeared. He gave the command, and she was blown away again.

He never got tired of this.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Yumi felt a strange chill… Something unpleasant was happening…

"And this fellah," said Marlon, "was the herbivore known as the Pachycephalosaurus. Not many fossils exist. You might be interested in knowing that his name means 'thick-headed lizard'."

As Chelsea went to take a picture of the large skeleton, they all looked at it, especially the skull, which was abnormally large and rounded.

"Bet folks called him a bonehead a lot," said Ren.

"An interesting analogy," said Marlon. "His very thick skull could be used for both defensive and offensive purposes."

"Uhm, yeah…" muttered Yumi, nervously.

"Say, Marlon, some people say these days that dinosaurs were smarter than we think they were. Do you think there's any truth to that?"

"Well, from what we know," said Marlon, "they had very small brains… But even if they were smarter than what we originally assumed, I doubt we could have expected the type of smarts we have seen in popular media…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Meanwhile, Mick and two others were watching the outside of the museum.

"Aw, are they ever going to come out of there?" whined Mick.

"Why?" asked the older boy, who was rather mad at him. "What do you care?"

"Please?" asked Mick. "Just let me duel her again…"

"No," said the older boy. "For three reasons. One, you're an idiot. Two, she has a side deck, and she likely has plenty of ways to counter or destroy your Monsters in it. Think of what would have happened if that Trap Card had been Magic Cylinder instead of Dust Tornado.

"Third, you're an idiot."

"Hey, stop calling my brother an idiot!" shouted the third member of the group.

The speaker was a young girl wearing similar punk ensemble.

"Oh?" asked the punk. "I was planning on using that coupon, thank you very much!"

"Deal with it," said the girl. "When Chelsea comes out, I'm gonna duel her, and this time it will be personal… She messes with my family, she messes with me!"

Winning her second victory, Yumi advances to Green status. But a potential enemy might loom ahead, and it seems he isn't one to lurk hidden like most of her family's enemies. Danger may lie ahead… What will happen next?

**0**

**0**

**0**

**DINOSTOMP (Spell Card)**

**Quickplay Spell**

**Image:** A dinosaur's foot crashing down on the underbrush.

**Card Description:** You can activate this card when you have at least one Dinosaur Type Monster face-up on your side of the field. Destroy one Spell or Trap Card on the field.

_Note: "Dinostomp" was first used by Hasselberry in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Camaraderie Contest". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**Chelsea: Hey, guys… I hate to bring this up, but there's a stale smell in the air again…**

**Ren: Think Mick is back for revenge?**

**Chelsea: No… It's a similar smell, but different. And it's just as nasty…**

**Yumi: It figures… The three of us formed a team, so Mick likely had the same idea with another group…**

**Coming next, "Chelsea's Round Two! Electric Boogaloo!"**

**Ren: Think we'll see that "special" card you've been hinting at?**

**Chelsea: You never know…**


	7. Chelsea's Round Two! Electric Boogaloo!

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CHAPTER SIX**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Chelsea's Round Two!**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Electric Boogaloo!**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

It was four-fifteen in the afternoon – as clearly shown by the hands on Clock Tower Prison – when the group left the museum.

"Hey, Marlon," said Yumi, "we're going to head for the Restaurant District. Chelsea won us a free meal at some steakhouse. Care to join us?"

"Well, that does sound delightful," said Marlon, "but sadly, I must decline… I already made dinner plans that I really can't cancel. But the tournament is young… perhaps…"

"HEY! BITCH!" shouted a voice.

There was dead silence as everyone turned to where the shout had come from…

It came from a girl whose attire either suggested "punk" or "Goth"; it was hard to tell which. Her hair was short and raven-black, with a magenta streak. Her clothing was mostly leather, and included wristbands, a belt, and a collar studded with metal studs. Bandanas were wrapped around her wrists and thighs.

Her jacket held a badge that was at Green, and she wore a Duel Disk.

"And to think I had to convince my mom for two weeks that wearing a midriff wouldn't attract undue attention…" said Yumi. "Did you call me a bitch?"

"No," said the girl, "even though you likely are one. I called _her_ a bitch."

She pointed to Chelsea.

Chelsea stared at her.

"I never start a fight without due cause…" she said through her teeth. "What did I ever do to you?"

"You humiliated my brother!" shouted the girl. "No one has the right to do what you did to his best Monster. Whenever he summons Emes, people cower before it!"

Chelsea grinned.

"So, the guy had a sister…" she chuckled. "And it seems like I really was the first one ever to beat that ugly four-armed abomination…"

"You had no right!" shouted the girl.

"I did, and I enjoyed doing it," said Chelsea. "And if you're thinking of doing anything about it, look over there…"

She pointed, and the girl looked.

A Centurion had been watching the whole time, and he clearly didn't like what he was seeing. He crossed his arms and glared at the girl.

The girl calmed down a little…

"All right then…" she said. "I'll defend him and his best card the proper way…"

She raised her Disk.

"Chelsea, old girl…" muttered Marlon. "The local constabulary is right there. If you simply said no, she couldn't do anything about it. Trust me, anyone who has defied the Centurions has regretted doing so."

"Don't worry yourself Marlon…" said Chelsea with a slight smile. "This is another member of Edan's group, and so far, the only thing I've ever gotten out of them is a big laugh."

She turned to the girl.

"So, you are?" she asked.

"Michelle," was the reply.

"So, let me guess… Amazons?"

"No…" answered Michelle, bluntly.

Chelsea frowned.

"Uhm… Fiends?"

"Let's just say my theme is something that takes a lot of folks by surprise," said Michelle.

They stood apart and shuffled.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In the penthouse apartment, the strange man had long since grown bored of killing the same Duel Monster over and over and again (maybe he did get tired of it on occasion). Right now he was going over a set of decks.

He had only had one official duel today, using his most powerful deck. But as he had warned Nicholas and Olga, using it again wouldn't be wise until things really started to heat up. No need in attracting undue attention.

And he had more than one deck. In fact, he had several. Which one he used depended on what mood he was in.

He was making a few changes right now. Some of these decks had a few cards in common (none of them actually used that Meteo the Matchless card – that one he just kept as a souvenir) and they had a few similarities between them…

Finally, he placed all of them in a special belt with leather pouches and strapped it on.

He picked up his Duel Disk and got up. He needed some action while he was waiting for his employees to find out anything interesting…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Chelsea and Michelle looked each other in the face as the two Disks activated.

The Centurion still watched from a distance, clearly ready to intervene in case a real fight started.

They quickly drew five cards apiece.

"Game on!" they shouted.

**(Chelsea: 8,000) -------------------- (Michelle: 8,000)**

"By the way, Chelsea…" said Michelle, "in case you're wondering, Mick was exaggerating when he said that Emes had never been defeated. I defeated it several times when I dueled him. He may have had a better Monster… But I'm by far the better duelist!"

"I'm so scared…" said Chelsea, sarcastically, drawing a sixth card. "Bring it!"

_All right!_ she thought, looking at her cards. _I couldn't have asked for a better first hand._

"Enjoying yourself?" asked a familiar voice next to her.

Chelsea turned and frowned. It was Figlio.

"Figlio, please…" muttered Chelsea. "I'm in the middle of something here, and I'm not in the mood for the same old bad jokes."

"You wound me," said Figlio. "I wouldn't hassle you with them…"

"Good…" said Chelsea.

"I have _all new_ bad jokes," he said.

She closed her eyes in anger.

"If I lose because of you…" she snarled, "I putting your name in The Urn…"

Figlio bowed his head.

"I'll be good…" he whined.

"The Urn" was something Chelsea had gotten from an occult store after she had been bothered one time too many by spirits who were just too nasty. She supposedly had to write their names on slips of paper and place them in the clay pottery, and they'd be forbidden from ever coming near her. She was surprised when it actually worked. Usually, the threat of losing a human they could confide in was enough to stop a ghost from being obnoxious, although she had to make good on the threat several times when scolding didn't work.

"Now where was I?" she asked, looking at the cards. "Oh yes… I place two cards facedown, and summon Zombie Werewolf in Attack Mode."

Two facedown cards appeared, and the vicious werewolf materialized in front of her. He howled, as if at the moon. (1,200/1,200)

"That's all for now…"

"Not a bad start…" muttered Marlon. "Although her choice of Monsters is rather… odd…"

"Her dad used Archfiends…" said Ren. "She's just keeping with the sinister tradition of her family."

"Although…" said Yumi, "she did say that she had a Monster in her deck who's sort of a vampire _slayer_."

Marlon looked at her.

"A vampire slayer?" he asked. "Like Van Helsing? Never heard of anything like that…"

"She's never given its name…" answered Ren. "We think it's an incredibly rare card. Maybe even one that has yet to be distributed… Her dad is a card designer for Industrial Illusions."

Meanwhile, Michelle was choosing a card.

"I place one card facedown and a Monster in Defense Mode…" she said.

A facedown card and a facedown Monster appeared.

"Attack me," she said with a grin. "I dare you…"

"Oh, I dare all right…" said Chelsea, drawing a card.

"I summon Vampire Lady!"

She played the card, and the sultry female vampire appeared. (1,550/1,550)

Vampire Lady and Zombie Werewolf turned to each other and nodded.

"Vampire Lady, attack her facedown Monster!" shouted Chelsea.

Vampire Lady's eyes glowed. She flew forward. An odd creature appeared kneeling on the card. It looked like a tall, thin man colored orange whose body was… a battery?

Vampire Lady slashed with her claw, and it shattered.

"What was that?" asked Ren.

"Uhm, I believe it was one of those Batteryman chaps," said Marlon. "First time I've seen one, though…"

"A Batteryman AA, to be specific!" said Michelle with a grin.

"What are you smiling about?" asked Chelsea. "You just lost your Monster, and I have another one. Zombie Werewolf, attack Michelle directly! Terror claw!"

Zombie Werewolf sprang up and slashed at Michelle's chest with his claw. She grunted and staggered backwards.

**(C: 8,000) -------------------- (M: 6,800)**

"Guess she's more of a cat person," chuckled Figlio.

"Not bad…" said Michelle. "But now I'm going to show you just how much of a bitch _I'm_ capable of being!"

She drew a card.

"First I play Graceful Charity…" she said, holding up the card. "You know how it works, I'm sure…"

She drew three cards.

_And I know just who to toss…_ she thought, discarding two cards.

"Now I play the Spell Card, Battery Charger…" she said.

As she played the card, a bulky machine resembling an electric generator crackling with energy rose up behind her.

"Now, by paying only 500 Life Points, I can Special Summon a Batteryman from my Graveyard, and unlike Premature Burial, this card isn't an Equip, so there's no lifeline for you to destroy."

Batteryman AA appeared, now in full light. It was a cute-looking robot with oversized hands and legs, and the battery that made up its torso had the number 3 on it. Its eyes flashed, and electricity sparked from its hands. (0/0)

"Big deal…" said Chelsea. "It has zero Attack Points."

"Not quite…" replied Michelle. "For each Batteryman AA I have in the same Mode, they each gain 1,000 points for the corresponding score, so long as all of them stay in the same Mode."

(1,000/0)

"Still not…" started Chelsea.

"Enough?" asked Michelle. "How about this? I play Inferno Reckless Summon!"

She played the card, and two more Batterymen AA appeared on her side of the field. They all crackled with electricity…

(3,000/0 x3)

"She summoned three Monsters with 3,000 Attack Points each in one turn?" gasped Ren in disbelief.

"Don't forget…" said Chelsea, taking her deck. "Inferno Reckless Summon works for me too…"

She placed two cards on her Disk, and two more Vampire Ladies appeared. (1,550/1,550 x2)

"Good!" laughed Michelle. "I'll have all the more _fun_ killing them! But I'll get to them in a second. First, I'll reveal my facedown card…"

Her facedown card flipped up.

"It's a Trap called Solar Ray, and it zaps you for 600 points of damage for every Light Monster I've got."

A beam of light shot out of the card and struck Chelsea. She screamed in pain.

"Now I'll make one of my Batterymen even stronger," continued Michelle, by Equipping him with this… Chthonian Alliance."

She played the card, and the Batteryman in the center glowed with dark energy.

"It gives him 800 more Attack Points for every Monster on the field who has the same name as he does. Do the math."

(4,600/0)

"Now go! Attack her vamps!"

Electricity sparked from the three Batterymen…

"I activate Widespread Ruin!" shouted Chelsea, as her own Trap Card lifted. "Now your strongest Monster, meaning your Equipped Batteryman, is about to short-circuit!"

The Equipped Batteryman exploded in a blast of light.

Chelsea paused to catch her breath.

"And without him, the other two lose 1,000 Attack Points…"

Michelle sneered.

"I can still fricassee two of your Zombies!" she shouted. "You… kill her Vampire Lady!"

One of two remaining Batterymen shot bolts of lightning, and the Vampire Lady on the right screamed as she was electrocuted and then reduced to dust.

"Better than a wooden stake," chuckled Michelle. "You… Attack her Werewolf!"

The last Batteryman shot his bolts of lightning, and Zombie Werewolf howled before he exploded.

"Bad idea…" said Chelsea. "When Zombie Werewolf is destroyed in battle, I get to summon a new one, with 500 more Attack Points."

A new Zombie Werewolf appeared, and howled angrily. (1,700/1,200)

Michelle looked nervously…

"I haven't Normal Summoned yet," she said, "so I'll place a Monster in Defense Mode, and take a break."

A facedown Monster appeared.

**(C: 4,950) -------------------- (M: 6,300)**

"Uh, I'm not very familiar with this game…" muttered Figlio, "but it seems to me that you're losing…"

"Brilliant deduction, Holmes," muttered Chelsea.

"Holmes?" asked Figlio. "Who's that?"

Chelsea sighed.

"Look," she said, "when we get back to Domino, talk to Lady Akemi. You need to read more…"

She drew a card.

She played it, and the Pot of Greed appeared in front of her with a chuckle.

"I'll take two, for starters…" she said, drawing two cards.

She gave them a look.

"Then I'll sacrifice one Vampire Lady for Vampire Lord."

One of the female vampires vanished in an aura of shadow, and the stronger, male one appeared. (2,000/1,500)

"A fat lot of good he'll do you," said Michelle. "He and my Batterymen are equally matched."

"Not for long…" said Chelsea. "Zombie Werewolf, attack the Batteryman on the left!"

Zombie Werewolf howled…

"What in blazes?" asked Marlon. "That's suicide!"

"Watch…" said Yumi.

Zombie Werewolf charged the Batteryman, and it threw a punch, shocking the Werewolf and blowing him to bits.

"It cost me 300 Life Points," said Chelsea, "but I have three Werewolves in my deck, and now I can summon the third one, and he'll be even stronger."

A third Zombie Werewolf appeared, and howled. (2,200/1,200)

"And my Battle Phase continues…" said Chelsea. "Zombie Werewolf, take out that Batteryman!"

The Werewolf lunged at the Batteryman, and this time the Zombie was too strong for it. With a slash of a claw, the Thunder Monster shattered.

The last Batteryman fell to an Attack of 1,000.

"Vampire Lord, take out the last one! Children of the night!"

Vampire Lord grinned evilly, and a swarm of bats flew at the Batteryman. It exploded into pieces.

"Now I activate his effect," said Chelsea. "I'll declare Spell Card."

Michelle smirked and looked through her deck, as if she had been expecting that.

She took a certain Spell Card and discarded it.

"One Monster left…" said Chelsea. "Vampire Lady, attack!"

Vampire Lady flew towards the facedown Monster…

Magician of Faith appeared on the card, and shattered under a swipe of her claw.

"Uh… oh…" muttered Ren.

"Heh, heh…" chuckled Chelsea. "Now I can reclaim one Spell Card from my Graveyard, and I believe I'll choose the incredibly powerful one that I discarded due to your Lord's effect."

She took a card from her discard slot.

"Thanks for your help…" she said, adding it to her hand. "This was buried so deep in my deck, I don't know if I ever would have gotten to it otherwise."

She showed her the card. It was a frightening-looking card that showed the picture of a fat devil sitting at a table laden with foodstuffs. The card's name was Hunger For Power.

"I'd love to explain how it works, but hopefully, we'll get to it later…" said Michelle with a wicked grin.

Chelsea looked at her hand.

She fit a card into her Disk, and a facedown card appeared next to the other one.

"Your move…" she muttered.

**(C: 4,650) -------------------- (M: 5,100)**

"Looks like Michelle played the old girl like a grand piano," said Marlon.

"Yes," said Yumi. "Vampire Lord seems like a great Monster on the surface, but he does have a weakness. You can tell your opponent to discard a Spell, Trap, or Monster, but he gets to choose which one.

"And cards are much easier to recover from the Graveyard than from your deck. That makes it a problem.

"Only an idiot uses his ability to make his opponent discard a Monster. An opponent would discard a strong one, and any number of cards could Special Summon it to the field.

"Trap Cards are difficult to recover from the grave, but declaring Traps might only help an opponent thin his deck by getting rid of cards that would be worthless against Vampire Lord. What does Chelsea care if Michelle uses Mirror Force or Torrential Tribute? Vampire Lord will just come back on her next turn.

"Spells are the safest option, but as you saw, even that has perils."

Michelle drew a card.

"I play the Spell Card, Rechargeable Battery," she said, playing a card. "Now, I get to draw once for each Batteryman in my Graveyard, at the cost of skipping my Battle Phase for this turn. But, I can't draw more than the hand size limit would allow. So, since I have two other cards in my hand, now I get to draw four cards…"

"Whaddaya mean four cards?" shouted Chelsea. "You only have three Batterymen in there!"

"Wrong," said Michelle. "I played Graceful Charity. The cards I discarded were a Batteryman C and a Batteryman D. Three types of Batterymen, each one with a cool effect."

She made four draws, and looked at her hand.

"I'll place this facedown, and end my turn," she said.

A facedown card appeared.

"No Monsters at all?" asked Chelsea. "You're up to something…"

She drew a card.

"I activate… Thunder of Ruler!" shouted Michelle.

Her facedown card flipped up, and an imposing man in gold armor appeared. He shot a volley of lightning bolts from his fingertips, and Chelsea grit her teeth in shock and her hair almost stood on end.

"Afraid that this turn, your Battle Phase is skipped…" said Michelle with a grin.

"No kidding…" said Chelsea, with a frown, as she tucked the card she had drawn into her hand. "In that case, I'll pass for this turn. I do hope you aren't a one-shot wonder."

"Oh, I'm not…" said Michelle, drawing a sixth card.

She looked at it.

"Once again…" she said, "I play Battery Charger."

She played the card, and the strange machine rose up behind her again.

"But this time, I think I'll leave my Batterymen AA where they are, and summon my Batteryman C in Attack Mode."

A new cute robot appeared on the field. It was shorter and stouter than the Batterymen AA, colored blue, with a big D on its torso. Electricity danced around it. (0/0)

"Next…" continued Michelle, "I'll play a second Inferno Reckless Summon."

She played the Spell Card, and two more Batterymen C appeared on her side of the field. (0/0 x2)

"Now you're being foolish…" said Chelsea, taking her deck. "I'll use that effect to summon my other Vampire Lord."

She placed a card on her deck, and a second Vampire Lord appeared next to the first. (2,000/1,500)

"I'm hardly done…" said Michelle. "Next I'll summon this lady in Attack Mode… Meet Nanobreaker."

She played a card, and a tall figure appeared in a beam of light. It was a coldly beautiful female android, with long, dark hair, dressed in silvery armor, holding a broad, wavy sword that glowed with colored lights. (1,600/1,800)

Michelle grinned.

"Now, I doubt Machines like Nanobreaker run on batteries," she said, "at least ones you buy at the drug store. But Machine Monsters just love Batterymen C, because for each one on the field, they get 500 points added to the Score of whatever Mode the Batterymen are in."

The Batterymen sparked with electricity, and Nanobreaker grinned with glee as it flowed into her. She rose to an Attack of 3,100.

"And if you think my Batterymen will be easy pickings because they have zero Attack Points, think again…"

She fit a card into her Disk.

"I'm Equipping one of them with United We Stand."

"That card…" muttered Ren. "It…"

"It raises the Equipped Monster's Attack Score by 800 for every Monster she has on the field," said Yumi. "And she has four. Not a good situation for Chelsea…"

The central Batteryman sparked with energy, and rose to (3,200/0).

"All right!" shouted Michelle. "Nanobreaker, attack her Vampire Lord on the left! Nano-blade!"

Nanobreaker lifted her sword and leapt towards the vampire.

"Sorry, Michelle, I had a Trap ready!" shouted Chelsea. "I activate Red Ghost Moon!"

One of her two Traps lifted, and a sinister, red harvest moon appeared behind her, to the sound of haunting laughter. Nanobreaker's eyes appeared glazed over, and she stumbled back in confusion.

"Now, I simply need to discard one Zombie from my hand," said Chelsea, "like my Soul-Absorbing Bone Tower…"

She discarded the card.

"And not only is your attack negated, but this Battle Phase ends now, and Nanobreaker's Attack Score gets added to my Life Points."

Red dust fell from the Red Ghost Moon onto Chelsea, and she glowed with eerie light. Figlio shuddered in fear.

"Who'd have thought a ghost could get frightened?" asked Chelsea.

"I may be a ghost…" said Figlio, "but I don't associate with more horrific ones."

"Not bad," said Marlon. "Not bad at all. That was quite a turnaround."

"It sure surprised me," said Ren. "She's clearly been working on her deck."

Michelle looked at the rest of her hand.

"I'll place a card facedown, and end my turn…" she said.

She slipped it into her Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

**(C: 7,750) -------------------- (M: 4,600)**

Chelsea drew a card.

_Ryu Kokki…_ she thought.

She looked over the field.

_I got an idea…_ she thought. _First, I'll sacrifice Vampire Lady to summon this guy. Then, I'll attack one of her unequipped Batterymen with one of my Vampire Lords, which will bring the Equipped one down to 2,600 Attack Points. Then I'll attack that other unequipped one with another Vampire Lord, leaving her with 600 Life Points. Then I'll attack the Equipped one with Ryu Kokki, and this duel will be over…_

She paused.

_All unless that facedown card is a Trap that would wipe out my side. But if it is, I still have my last facedown card to buffer some of the damage._

She played a card.

"I sacrifice Vampire Lady for Ryu Kokki!" she shouted.

Vampire Lady vanished in a cloud of shadows, and a huge form rose out of the ground with a great rumbling. It was a hulking behemoth, as broad as it was tall, made entirely of bones and skulls, with an evil face. It let out a sinister chuckle. (2,400/2,000)

"Vampire Lord, attack the unequipped Batteryman!" she shouted.

Vampire Lord raised his cape, and the swarm of bats shot forward…

"I activate… Negate Attack!" shouted Michelle.

Her Trap Card flipped up, and the bats were absorbed into a vortex of energy.

"Your attack has been stopped before it could begin," laughed Michelle. "And now you can't attack again this round."

Chelsea grimaced.

"Okay…" she muttered. "I'll move my Zombie Werewolf and my other Vampire Lord to Defense Mode, and end my turn."

The second Vampire Lord knelt and covered himself with his cape, and the Werewolf knelt down and shielded himself.

Michelle drew a card.

_Hmm, my third Battery Charger…_ she thought. _Think I'll save it…_

"Nanobreaker, attack the Vampire Lord in Attack Mode!" she shouted.

Nanobreaker leapt, and with one swipe of her blade, cut the vampire down. He shattered into triangles.

"Batteryman, attack Ryu Kokki!" she shouted. "Battery blast!"

The Equipped Batteryman fired lightning bolts, and the Bone Dragon Ogre shattered into bone fragments.

**(C: 5,750) -------------------- (M: 4,600)**

"I'm still winning…" muttered Chelsea.

"Not for long…" laughed Michelle. "Your move…"

Chelsea drew.

"Ergh, I have to pass!" she shouted.

Michelle drew a card.

She smirked and added it to her hand.

"Go! Destroy her Zombies!"

Nanobreaker slashed with her sword, and cleaved Zombie Werewolf in two. Batteryman C shot bolts of lightning and incinerated the other Vampire Lord.

"Chelsea's really getting schooled…" muttered Ren.

"Let's just hope her next draw is something good," said Yumi. "She has nothing left except that facedown card, and if it were something that could have protected her, she'd have used it already."

Chelsea slowly drew a card.

She smirked.

"I activate my facedown card, Call of the Haunted!" she shouted.

The facedown card flipped up, and an elaborate, mahogany coffin rose onto the field. It opened with a creak, and Vampire Lord stepped out, his eyes glowing red.

"Now I remove him from play…" continued Chelsea, "to Special Summon Vampire Genesis!"

The vampire vanished, and the hulking, terrible vampire deity appeared with a great roar. (3,000/2,100)

"Three grand?" shouted Michelle.

"Soon to be more," said Chelsea, playing a card. "Next I play Rush Recklessly, upping his Attack to 3,700 for one round.

"Now… Attack the Equipped Batteryman C! Crimson shroud!"

Vampire Genesis burst into a cloud of red mist, and shot forward. The Batteryman exploded into a burst of light.

**(C: 5,750) -------------------- (M: 4,100)**

"Huh?" asked Ren. "Why didn't she attack one of the ones with zero Attack Points? Michelle would have lost 3,700 Life Points."

"Mmm, yes…" said Marlon, "but she still would have had 900 Life Points left. And if Michelle had summoned even one more Monster, the Equipped Batteryman would have grown back to 3,200 Attack Points. Chelsea would have lost Vampire Genesis, and would have taken a direct attack by Nanobreaker. So she made a smarter move."

Michelle just looked at Chelsea.

She drew a card.

"I'll move all three of my Monsters to Defense Mode…" she said.

The two Batterymen C and Nanobreaker knelt in Defense.

"And since my two Batterymen are now in Defense Mode, Nanobreaker gains 1,000 Defense Points.

(1,600/2,800)

"So I see…" said Chelsea, drawing a card.

"I summon Vampire Bat in Attack Mode," she exclaimed.

She played the card, and a swarm of bats flew overhead. They flew together, forming into one giant bat. (800/800)

"When Vampire Bat is on the field," said Chelsea, "all Zombies gain 200 Attack Points."

Vampire Genesis rose to 3,200 Attack, and Vampire Bat itself rose to 1,000.

"Vampire Bat, attack another Batteryman! Nightmare scourge!"

The bat split into a swarm of bats again, and flew at the Batteryman. It exploded like the first one did.

"Vampire Genesis, attack Nanobreaker!"

Vampire Genesis's crimson shroud flew forward. Nanobreaker tried to shield herself, but she fell over and exploded into bits.

"Your move, Michelle," said Chelsea. "Only one Batteryman left…"

Michelle grit her teeth and drew a card…

And then she smiled.

"This doesn't look good…" muttered Figlio.

"No…" said Chelsea. "You think?"

Michelle took two cards from her hand.

"I play my final Battery Charger," she said, "and bring back one Batteryman AA."

The strange machine rose again, and the orange Batteryman appeared once again. (0/0)

**(C: 5,750) -------------------- (M: 3,600)**

"Now then…" she continued, "it's time to show you what my Hunger For Power card can do. Listen up, because this gets kind of complicated…

"It's sort of like the opposite of Cost Down. I choose one Monster in my hand. The Level of that Monster is increased by two for one round. In exchange for that, if I summon it in the same round, it gains 500 Attack Points."

She played the card.

"Thus, the Level Five Monster I'm holding now becomes a Level Seven Monster."

"Why the heck would she…" started Yumi.

She paused.

"Oh… no…" she said.

"What…" asked Ren. "It seems like an uneven tradeoff to me…"

"No…" said Yumi. "Given the nature of Michelle's deck, that card is a _tremendous _benefit…"

"So now…" said Michelle. "I sacrifice Batteryman AA and Batteryman C…"

The two Batterymen vanished into orbs of light…

"To summon my _Super Electromagnetic Voltech Dragon_!"

A huge creature appeared over the field. It resembled a dragon or a dinosaur in outline, but it was made of sparkplugs, switches, circuits, and other electric paraphernalia. Its eyes were two glowing red blinking lights, and its claws were metal and razor sharp.

It roared a bellow that sounded metallic and feral at the same time. (2,400/1,000)

"Let me explain how this big guy works," said Michelle. "If you summon him by sacrificing a Batteryman, he gains one of three effects, based on which type of Batteryman you sacrifice.

"And since I increased his Level to Seven, I was able to sacrifice _two different _Batterymen, and get two effects!

"First, Batteryman C gives him a trampling effect.

"Second, Batteryman AA gives him 1,000 extra Attack Points.

"And due to the effect of Hunger For Power, he gains 500 additional Attack Points!"

(3,900/1,000)

"It's been swell…" said Michelle. "Super Electromagnetic Voltech Dragon, destroy Vampire Genesis with electric blast!"

The Dragon shot a blast of pure electricity from its jaws, and Vampire Genesis was blown to bits.

"NO!" screamed Ren. "That was her best Monster!"

**(C: 4,850) -------------------- (M: 3,600)**

"Make your move," ordered Michelle.

Chelsea drew.

_There it is…_ she thought, looking at the card. _MY card. The card dad made for me…_

She looked at her hand, then she looked at Vampire Bat.

_Oh, but I can't use it now…_

"I pass for this turn…" she muttered.

Michelle drew a card.

"I play Pot of Greed…" she said.

The jar appeared, and she drew twice.

"Next, I'll play Monster Reborn, to bring back Nanobreaker…" she said.

She played the card, and the golden ankh appeared in the air. Nanobreaker stepped out, and her eyes glowed. (1,600/1,800)

Then she opened her Field Slot.

"Next, I'll play the Field Spell, Luminous Spark, to make my Dragon even stronger."

She fit the card in the slot, and a bright light fell over the field. The Dragon grew to (4,400/600)

"You're through!" shouted Michelle. "Nanobreaker, destroy her Bat!"

Nanobreaker swung with her sword, and Vampire Bat scattered into its component bats…

But then they flew back together and reformed.

"Huh?" asked Michelle.

"Vampire Bat has another ability," said Chelsea, slipping a card into her discard slot. "At any time it would be destroyed, I can discard another one from my hand or deck to negate the destruction. And I have two in my deck."

Michelle frowned.

"So you survive one more round," she said. "Super Electromagnetic Voltech Dragon, attack!"

The Dragon breathed it electric blast, and the Bat was vaporized.

**(C: 850) -------------------- (M: 3,600)**

"No Monsters left, Chelsea," she said, "so make your last move."

_This will be the last move all right,_ said Chelsea, drawing a card, _and it will end in her defeat…_

She played a Spell Card.

"I play Call of the Mummy," she said. "Now, so long as I have no Monsters on my side of the field, I can Special Summon a Zombie to my side of the field, no matter how powerful it is."

The sky began to darken…

"And I choose to summon my most powerful card… A woman who's both a vampire and a vampire slayer… My father's latest creation… Come forward, Penelope, Lady of the Night!"

In an aura of mist, a beautiful woman stepped onto the field. She was clothed in a white gown, with a golden cross around her neck. Her skin was milky white, her eyes were sky blue, and her long hair was raven-black and billowy. She held a staff in her hand that was topped with a golden crescent moon with a red orb inside.

Her eyes narrowed as she looked at Michelle. (1,000/200)

"What the…" muttered Michelle, in shock. "She… she kinda looks like you! Only older… and scarier…"

Chelsea nodded.

"There's a legend behind her, which I'll only share with friends. But before you underestimate her for being weak, listen closely. She can't be Normal Summoned – I have to find a way to Special Summon her somehow. But when she is summoned, she has two potent abilities. First, when she's summoned, all Spells and Traps on the field are destroyed.

The Luminous Spark and Call of the Mummy cards shattered.

"Second, as a vampire slayer, she gains power from undead who have perished. So for every Zombie-Type Monster in my Graveyard, she gains 400 Attack Points."

"Each one?" gasped Yumi.

"I kinda lost count…" muttered Ren. "HOW many Zombies are in her Graveyard right now?"

"Let's see…" muttered Marlon. "Three Vampire Ladies, three Zombie Werewolves, two Vampire Lords… Oh wait, she removed one of those from play…"

"I'll make it easy for you," said Chelsea. "There are _twelve_ Zombies in my Graveyard right now, making Penelope's Attack Score… Well, you said you were good at math…"

(5,800/200)

"No… way…" muttered Michelle.

"Hey, it was your own fault…" said Chelsea. "Your own strategy did you in. Need I remind you, you played Inferno Reckless Summon _twice_?"

Michelle growled.

"Fine!" she shouted. "Attack my Dragon. I'll still have Life Points left, and I can still turn it around!"

Chelsea shook her head.

"Your Dragon isn't my target," she said. "There's another Monster on your side of the field that I can attack…"

Michelle looked…

"ARGH!" she shouted. "Nanobreaker is in Attack Mode!"

"With far fewer Attack Points, I might add…" said Chelsea. "Penelope, attack Nanobreaker! Light of vengeance!"

What could best be described as a personal lightning storm erupted around Penelope, and a blast of pure light shot at the android. Nanobreaker exploded, and Michelle was propelled backwards.

**(C: 850) -------------------- (M: 0)**

"Is it over?" asked Figlio, who was cowering.

Penelope and the Dragon vanished.

"Yeah…" said Chelsea, "why don't you watch Ren duel next time? His Monsters aren't as scary."

She looked at her badge, which was now at Green.

She walked up to Michelle.

"Go tell Edan that if you and your brother are the best he can throw at me, he's in big trouble. Until he decides to face me in person, I'm through dealing with his goons."

Michelle scrambled to her feet and ran away in fear.

The Centurion who had been watching nodded to Chelsea, and then he turned and walked off.

Ren and Yumi ran up to her with Marlon in tow.

"So, Chelsea…" said Ren. "You said there was a legend behind her that you would share with friends…"

Chelsea looked at the card.

"Yeah…" she said. "A very strange one…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The minute hand on Clock Tower Prison reached the top, and five loud chimes rang out.

The duelists were sitting on a park bench as Chelsea looked at the card.

"About three years after my folks got married," she said, "when I was only two, they went on vacation in France, my mom's home country, and she was browsing in the Library of the Port-Royal Society in Paris, a place where they keep a lot of old books. She was drawn to one old tome, which was written in Frankish, one of the old languages of the country. Mom had taken an elective in old languages, and she was able to read it with little difficulty.

"She found that it was a collection of tales of the supernatural, or so it seemed. Strangely, however, she couldn't tell whether this book was fiction… or history.

"In it, she found the story of Penelope. Now, according to this source, this young maiden who lived in the sixteenth century was connected to the church somehow… Perhaps she was an initiate at a convent, or maybe she was a priestess from some splinter group who allowed such things.

"Anyway, the story told of a terrible night when a savage vampire ambushed her, and fed on her blood, draining her dry. She didn't survive, sadly, and woke the next night, cursed with vampirism herself. And before long, she heard the monster calling to her, telling her to join him.

"Usually, that's how it goes… A vampire's victim becomes his slave. But Penelope was able to resist the callings. She covered her ears with her hands and ran to the nearest place of worship. Only there were the monster's calls deafened by the hallowed ground.

"How she resisted, no one is sure. Some say that her faith was so great, her soul was able to fight off the darkness that tried to infect it, unlike most vampires. But she didn't know what to do.

"She did the only thing she could do… She prayed…

"And eventually, someone answered. A beautiful form came out of the darkness and touched her. The form had bad news… It could not restore her to what she once was. The dead could not be restored to life. But it told her that the seed of evil that was planted inside her could be purged if she was willing to fight the unholy spawn with all her strength. Penelope said yes, and she had a very good reason for doing so... She had nothing left to lose.

"The being told her how to do it, and she left the church, and was immediately beset by the calling again. She fashioned a makeshift wooden stake and found a mallet, and followed its voice. She took the monster by surprise… and silenced the voice.

"It was only the beginning. By night, she hunted for vampires and similar creatures. At every dawn, she dug herself a makeshift grave in the earth and slept, safe from the sun which was now a danger. The common folk saw her now and again. Sometimes her quarry had valuables that had been stolen from victims. She had no use for them, so she gave them to the impoverished. The common folk regarded her as a savior, and called her by many names, among them, The Lady of the Night, seeing as that was the only time they saw her.

"It's unclear how long this went on… It might have been ten years, it might have been a century. But eventually, she fell asleep, and some say a hand from Heaven took her out of her grave and lifted her into the afterlife.

"Anyway, this story seemed captivating. Mom photocopied it, and she tried to find information on the author with research, but without success. Internet search engines came up with nothing. She started to believe that the book was written by some lower-class author who had actually spoken to Penelope. Sort of like a forerunner to _Interview With the Vampire_, to make a comparison.

"When she told my dad, he got the idea to immortalize Penelope in card form… Slowly at first, but it eventually took shape. This version I have was approved after about thirty versions were turned down.

"And since that book had no illustrations and no physical description of Penelope… Well, it was my dad's gift to me…"

"Heh, heh, heh," said Marlon. "A smashing good story indeed. Although I dare say the book your mum found may well have been a book of children's bedtime stories…"

"You never know…" said Chelsea, as she shuffled the card back into her deck.

"Ah, well," said Marlon. "It's been swell hanging out with you three, but I must be going… Perhaps we'll meet again."

"Bye!" they all said, as he got up and left.

"So…" said Yumi, looking at her watch. "It's five-fifteen… Should we find the Sizzling Sirloin?"

_With two victories under her belt, Chelsea moves up to Green, and the group may have worked up an appetite. But Day One is far from over – in fact, it may be just starting!_

**0**

**0**

**0**

**VAMPIRE BAT (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Zombie/Effect  
**Attribute:** Dark  
**Level:** 3  
**ATK:** 800  
**DEF:** 800

**Card Description:** When this card is face-up on your side of the field, increase the ATK of all Zombie-Type Monsters on the field by 200. If this card would be destroyed, you may discard one "Vampire Bat" from your hand or deck to negate the destruction. (Damage calculation still applies, if applicable.)

**0**

**0**

**0**

**RED GHOST MOON (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image:** A stone bridge leading up to an ominous red harvest moon.

**Card Description:** You can activate this card when your opponent declares an attack. Discard one Zombie-Type Monster from your hand. Negate the attack and end the current Battle Phase. The Attack Points of the attacking Monster are then added to your Life Points.

_Note: "Vampire Bat" and "Red Ghost Moon" were first used by Camula in the multi-part "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Field of Screams". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**PENELOPE, THE LADY OF THE NIGHT (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Zombie/Effect  
**Attribute:** Light  
**Level:** 7  
**ATK:** 1,000  
**DEF:** 200

**Card Description:** This card cannot be Normal Summoned or set. When this card is Special Summoned successfully, destroy all Spell and Trap Cards on the field. Increase the ATK of this card by 400 for every Zombie-Type Monster in your Graveyard.

_Note: "Penelope, the Lady of the Night" first appeared in "Yu-Gi-Oh! Dark Messiah"._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**RECHARGEABLE BATTERY (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** A Batteryman AA hooking itself up to a generator with cables.

**Card Description:** Draw one card for every "Batteryman" Monster in your Graveyard. You must stop drawing cards when your hand size reaches the current hand size limit. You cannot conduct your Battle Phase on the turn you use this card.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**HUNGER FOR POWER (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** A fat devil sitting at a table laden with foodstuffs.

**Card Description:** Choose one Monster Card in your hand. The Level of the chosen card is increased by two for the remainder of the turn. If you summon the chosen card during this turn, increase its ATK by 500.

_Note: "Hunger For Power" was created by author Angel of Blades. Used with permission._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**Ren: You know, Hunger For Power was an interesting card, but now I'm just plain hungry.**

**Chelsea: Don't worry, we'll be at the restaurant before you know it.**

**Yumi: But I doubt the food will truly be free. Mick had an evil look in his eye…**

**Coming up next, "Steakhouse Scuffle! Royal Shadow Warrior".**

**Chelsea: And maybe we'll get to see _your_ trump card Ren.**

**Yumi: And Sam and Erik might show up too.**

**Ren: Think we'll get to see them duel?**

**Yumi: You never know…**


	8. Steakhouse Scuffle! Royal Shadow Warrior

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**CHAPTER SEVEN**

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**Steakhouse Scuffle!**

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**Royal Shadow Warrior**

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The Restaurant District was conveniently located only a stone's throw from the Hotel Strip, and consisted of a strip loaded with eateries of all shapes and sizes. Not every restaurant in Duelatopia was here – a few classy places were in parts of the city that fit their themes, and fast food places and street vendors were present everywhere – but here was the place to go when you needed a variety.

A few well-known chains had opened in Duelatopia over the years. The Olive Garden had a spot, as did TJI Fridays. Pizza Hut was here, and it would even deliver to guests. But there were enough unique establishments to please any palates. Here a Chinese place, there a Thai place.

And eventually the small group saw their goal – a large place called The Sizzling Sirloin. It was a big sit-down place, as they could see from the outside, and even from a distance they could smell the delicious aromas of charbroiled beef and grilled onions. It was clear that dinner was about to be served.

Yumi, Chelsea, and Ren walked in, and were met by a surprise. Sitting on a couch in the entrance hall were Sam and Erik.

"Sam!" said Yumi, in surprise.

The two rivals looked at each other in silence for a few seconds. Yumi noticed that both Sam and Erik were at the same spot she was, Green, as indicated by their badges. Sam slowly looked at the three of them, smirking a little when she saw that Ren was behind.

"Don't tell me they won't let you in?" asked Yumi.

"Coming here was Erik's idea," said Sam. "The waitress said that there's a ten-minute wait for a table. This is a popular spot."

She smirked.

"As long as you're all here, want to make it a party of five? Separate checks, of course."

"We'll pay for all of us," said Chelsea. "I beat a guy, and he gave me this."

She showed her the coupon and Sam looked closely at it.

"Really?" she asked. "I do hope one of you is ready to work up an appetite…"

"What do you mean?" asked Chelsea.

"Show that to the waitress when she gets here, and she'll tell you," said Sam. "But in the future, be wary of any so-called coupons that have gold stars in the upper left corners. My mom told me about them."

Chelsea looked at the coupon. There were three gold stars there.

"Uh…" said Chelsea. "Do all of these… coupons have three?"

"No," said Sam. "Three means second-hardest. Four is hardest."

"Hardest what?" demanded Yumi.

"Hey, y'all!" said a voice.

The voice came from a young woman in a short skirt and a halter top with the restaurant's logo – clearly she was a waitress. She had blonde hair tied in a ponytail and deep green eyes.

"I'm Mary Jane, and I'll be your waitress," she said. "Party of three?"

"Depends…" said Chelsea. "Can you tell us what the deal is with this?"

Mary Jane looked at the coupon and then grinned.

"Well," she said with a chuckle, "I was wondering when one'a those would show up. This should be fun…"

"What?" asked Ren.

"The coupon doesn't guarantee a free meal, per say," said Mary Jane. "That's an invitation… to one of the Bonuses."

There was a pause. They remembered what Sheena had said about the Bonuses of Duelatopia:

_These folks could be any employee you see in Duelatopia. A store owner, bellhop, ice cream man… They might approach _you_ with a challenge, and the reward is the same as a standard duel – one upgrade for winning, but no downgrade for losing. You might also be able to make some small wager in the process._

"So if one of y'all want, we can whet your appetites with a duel," she continued. "If you lose, no harm, no foul, but you aren't eating here without paying. Win, and you get upgraded, and your order is on the house."

"Don't look at the two of us," said Sam. "It's your coupon."

Chelsea sighed.

"I've dueled enough for one day…" she said.

"I might be able to…" said Ren, glancing at the menu on the wall. "The thought of a free porterhouse is hard to turn down."

He turned to Mary Jane.

"Who would I be dueling?"

"You're looking at her!" laughed Mary Jane.

Ren looked at her. Then he chuckled.

"A sweet thing like you? Yeah, I think I could handle it…"

Mary Jane turned around.

"Hey, Luke!" she shouted. "Clear off the podium! We're gonna have a dinner show!"

_Lovely,_ thought Ren. _I get to duel in front of a packed house… Ah well… It was bound to happen sooner or later…_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The podium, as she called it, was a circular, upraised, wooden stage with the proper dimensions for a dueling ring. As Ren shuffled his deck, his group was seated at a large table nearby.

"I don't think this will take long…" said Ren, "but… uh… don't order the best stuff on the menu until it looks like I'm winning."

"We wouldn't think of it, Ren," said Chelsea. "Now knock 'em dead."

Ren stepped up to face Mary Jane, who had her own Duel Disk set.

"Ready, hon?" she asked. "I should warn you, the cards in my deck are rather… Unorthodox…"

"So you have a unique strategy," said Ren. "That's actually good. If there's one thing a serious duelist hates it's jerks who show no creativity and build decks that are cookie cutter."

"That's for sure," said Sam. "Mom won't invite anyone who uses cookie cutter decks. Those people give dueling a bad name. No one will ever win glory on this island with such a deck."

"Well then…" said Mary Jane, as her Disk activated, "as they say in my business…"

She drew five cards.

"Dinner is served!"

**(Ren: 8,000) -------------------- (Mary Jane: 8,000)**

Ren drew his sixth card.

"I'll start out by playing Graceful Charity…" he said, holding the card aloft.

In a sparkle of light, the lovely angel appeared, and her feathers fell on his deck. He drew three cards.

He looked over his hand, and then made two discards.

"Next I'll summon one of my favorites," he said. "Come on out, Getsu Fuhma!"

He threw the card on his Disk, and in a shower of petals, the lovely, red-headed, female ronin appeared, holding aloft her katana. (1,700/1,200)

Several whistles and catcalls came from the audience. Getsu Fuhma looked rather annoyed…

"Ignore them…" muttered Ren.

Then he spoke up.

"That's enough to start…"

"All right!" said Mary Jane energetically.

She drew her first card.

"First I'll set a Monster in Defense Mode, and a card facedown…"

A facedown card, and a facedown Monster appeared.

"And then I play a Continuous Spell Card. Soup's on, hon!"

She placed the card in her Disk, and with a rumbling, a huge device rose up behind her. It was basically a giant iron cauldron with a fire burning under it, with a huge ladle inside. Steam was coming out of whatever was cooking inside the immense crockery. The smells of cooked meats and spices wafted from it.

"What is _that_?" asked Sam.

"Well, uhm…" muttered Erik. "I think it's supposed to be a very big pot of soup…"

"Brilliant deduction," said Mary Jane. "It's called a Curry Pot, and for as long as it's on the field, any Monster that would normally go to the Graveyards is removed from play.

"It does something else, but we'll get into that later. For now, my turn is over, so I'll leave it to you to bring out the next course."

"You got it!" said Ren, drawing.

_What's she playing?_ thought Yumi. _If this is some sort of RFG Deck, it's a weird one…_

Ren looked at the card.

_Wow,_ he thought,_ I haven't gotten a chance to use this guy yet!_

"Chew on this!" he shouted. "I summon Double Pinaska!"

A new Warrior leapt onto the podium with a somersault. He had Spanish features, slick hair, and a slim moustache. He was dressed in leather pantaloons and a vest, and he had two sharp rapiers which he twirled dramatically. (1,500/1,500)

"All right!" he said, "Getsu Fuhma, attack her facedown Monster! Blade of Vengeance!"

Getsu Fuhma charged, and an odd Monster appeared on Mary Jane's card. It looked like… Some sort of orange tuber with arms and legs, and a green, leafy plume on top, with arms and legs. It was crouching in defense.

Getsu Fuhma slashed with her sword, and it was blown into pieces.

"Uh, were my eyes deceiving me, or was that a _carrot_?" asked Ren.

"It was a Carrotman," said Mary Jane, nodding. "Low in calories, high in vitamin A."

She turned her head as the pieces of her Monster flew up and landed in the Curry Pot.

_And all's going according to plan,_ she thought. _All I need to do now… Is brace myself…_

"I don't know what's up…" said Ren, "but now you're wide open! Double Pinaska, attack Mary Jane directly! Double slash!"

The Spaniard leapt up and did a somersault again, and when he came down, he made two slashes across Mary Jane's torso. She gasped and fell on her behind. Everyone in the audience cheered.

"Getting nailed is the hardest part of dueling…" muttered Sam.

"Lucky for Mary Jane, she fell on her softest part," chuckled Erik.

**(R: 8,000) -------------------- (M J: 6,500)**

"I'll place this facedown and end my turn…" said Ren, fitting a card into his Disk.

A facedown card appeared behind his two Warriors.

"All right," said Mary Jane, drawing a new card.

She looked at it, and then chose another.

"I summon another Monster, this time in Attack Mode. Don't cry, it's only Onionman!"

She played the card, and another strange Monster appeared. This one was definitely an onion, standing five feet tall, again with arms and legs. (1,200/1,200)

"Good grief, are all your Monsters edible?" asked Ren. "I wouldn't mind if a few weren't vegetables, but…"

"I admit that this onion looks rather bland…" said Mary Jane. "That's why no good chef is ever far from his spice rack.

"I play the Spell Card, Mixed Spice – Garam Masala."

She played the card.

"Say WHAT?" asked Ren.

"If you want to know what Garam Masala is, let's just say that it's a seasoning that only serious cooks use. And this Spell lets me search my deck for three similar Spells, and add them to my hand…"

She took her deck and looked through it, quickly taking three cards.

"Now I play one of them," she said. "It's called Spell Spice – Red Pepper."

As she played the card, a cloud of red dust covered the field, and Getsu Fuhma started to cough…

"What's wrong?" asked Ren, getting nervous.

"She must not be a fan of spicy food," said Mary Jane. "This Spell Card deducts 300 Attack Points from one of your Monsters for one round."

Getsu Fuhma fell to an Attack of 1,400.

Then they noticed that Onionman was burning with flames.

"And what do you know?" continued Mary Jane. "Those 300 points go right to MY Monster!"

Onionman rose to an Attack of 1,500.

"Want more?" asked Mary Jane. "I always say, there's no such thing as too much seasoning. I'll play a _second_ Spell Spice – Red Pepper!"

She played the card, and Getsu Fuhma fell to 1,100, while Onionman rose to 1,800.

"That should do…" said Mary Jane. "Onionman, attack Getsu Fuhma with bulb basher!"

Onionman flew at the ronin, fist-first…

"Double Pinaska, defend!" shouted Ren.

There was a loud WHACK! and Onionman fell backwards, landing on its back.

When everyone looked, Double Pinaska was holding Getsu Fuhma in a gentle embrace and glaring at Onionman with a look of anger…

"How…" asked Mary Jane.

"Didn't tell you about Double Pinaska's ability," said Ren. "It's a powerful ability that I can use once per duel. When I choose to use it, I can negate one attack, no matter what the target, no matter how powerful it is."

Mary Jane looked at her other cards.

"In that case…" she said, "I'll play this. It's called Spell Spice – Cinnamon."

She played the card, and sparkling brown dust fell on Onionman.

"It moves my Monster to Defense Mode."

Onionman knelt in Defense.

"Oh no you don't!" laughed Ren, as his facedown card lifted. "I activate Final Attack Orders. Now any Monster in face-up Defense Mode is moved to Attack Mode and kept there."

Onionman stood back up.

Mary Jane looked at her hand again.

"Very well…" she said. "I'll place another card facedown, and my turn is over…"

A facedown card appeared.

Onionman's Attack fell back down to 1,200, and Getsu Fuhma's rose back to 1,700.

"About time," said Ren, drawing a card.

"Sam, I thought you said three stars was second-hardest," said Chelsea. "She's hardly giving Ren a challenge, and her cards are barely better than stuff you'd find in a starter pack."

"Are you calling me a liar?" asked Sam. "I was told that three stars is second-highest."

"I dunno…" said Yumi. "I'm getting some pretty ominous vibes from that Curry Pot up there… Something tells me it's hiding a secret, and Mary Jane is waiting for the right time to let it loose."

Mary Jane looked at her and smirked.

Ren added his card to his hand.

"I'll sacrifice Double Pinaska…"

Double Pinaska faded away into mist.

"…and summon Penumbral Soldier Lady!"

In an aura of darkness, the gorgeous, armored Warrior of Darkness appeared, holding her sword and shield. (2,100/1,400)

"Getsu Fuhma, chop up that onion!" he shouted.

Getsu swung with her sword, slicing the vegetable into slices. The pieces flew up and fell into the Curry Pot.

"I activate a Trap Card!" shouted Mary Jane, as one of her facedown cards lifted. "It's called Counter Spice – Cumin. Since one of my Monsters was destroyed, I can Special Summon another from my hand. So meet Potatoman!"

A new vegetable Monster leapt out. This one… well, it was a potato, again with arms and legs. (900/800)

"I say potato, you say po-tat-o…"

"Now you're talking…" said Ren with a smile. "I _love_ potatoes. And I especially love them when they're turned into French fries! Penumbral Soldier Lady, cut up that tater!"

Penumbral Soldier Lady charged forward and brought her sword down on Potatoman, smashing it to pieces. Once again, the pieces flew up and fell into the Curry Pot.

**(R: 8,000) -------------------- (M J: 4,800)**

"So what's next?" said Ren with a grin. "You gonna bring out Hungry Burger?"

"No way," said Mary Jane, with a wicked smile. "Hamburgers are only on the lunch menu. And I have something far more tantalizing. And you've helped me bring it out.

"You see, now that carrots, onions, and potatoes have been added to the mix, I can activate Curry Pot's true effect…

"The time for soup, salad, and appetizers is past. The main course is about to begin. Start hoping you'll last until dessert…"

"I knew it…" muttered Yumi.

"First…" said Mary Jane, "all Monsters remaining on the field are now removed from play…"

Ren stepped back in shock as Getsu Fuhma and Penumbral Soldier Lady exploded into gibbets of light.

"HEY!" he shouted.

"And then…" continued Mary Jane, taking a card from her deck, "I get to summon this…"

As she put the card on her Disk, the Curry Pot began to boil and then overflow…

And then, a huge creature leapt out of it, and landed on the podium with a crash. It was ten feet tall, with white armor decorated by garlands of roots and tubers, and a helmet that resembled a gravy boat. Its feet were clawed, and it held a huge spoon in its right hand and carried some sort of beverage cooler in its left. Its eyes glowed with evil light. (0/0)

"Meet my Curry Fiend Roux," said Mary Jane. "Don't try serving him with ketchup… He prefers the taste of blood!"

"Okay…" muttered Ren. "Zero attack points… I'm guessing this is one of those Monsters that gains Attack Points based on some sort of condition…"

"Indeed…" said Mary Jane. "For every Monster that has been removed from play, he gains 300 Attack Points. And for every card with the word 'Spice' in its name in my Graveyard, he gains 200 more.

"Do the math…"

"Math was never my strong point…" muttered Sam.

Erik counted on his fingers.

"Six Monsters…" he muttered. "Five spices… It all adds up to 2,800!"

"That's as strong as my Dark Magician of Chaos!" shouted Yumi.

Ren sneered. He fit a card into his Disk.

"All right!" he said. "I'll place this facedown, and that will be my turn…"

A facedown card appeared.

He started to sweat. He remembered one time he had dueled Yumi and had taken a direct attack from Dark Magician of Chaos. Yumi had apologized to him for a straight three hours afterwards before he spoke again, it had been so painful…

Mary Jane drew a card.

_I'll save this for when I need it…_ she thought, looking at it.

"Curry Fiend Roux…" she ordered, "attack Ren directly! Montezuma's revenge!"

As the huge Fiend lumbered forward, Ren looked at his facedown card.

_Okay, decision time…_ he thought._ If I spring my Trap, I'll lose less Life Points… But then, my chances of beating this thing go from slim to almost nonexistent. _

_Well, like my dad said… Sometimes you gotta fall down before you can get back up._

Curry Fiend Roux swung its spoon, and hurled a mass of soup, and the soup turned into fire. Ren screamed as it struck him, and fell down on one knee.

**(R: 5,200) -------------------- (M J: 4,800)**

He gasped for breath.

"Ow…" he muttered.

He glared at his foe.

"I'm not beaten yet, MJ," he said, "You know what the strangest thing about food is?"

"What's that?" asked Mary Jane.

"One minute it may be haute cuisine…" said Ren, standing up, "but the instant you put it in the sink, it becomes garbage.

"And that's what I'm going to do your big lug over there!"

"Yumi," asked Sam. "Out of curiosity, does Ren have another Getsu Fuhma in his deck?"

"I'm not sure," replied Yumi. "We all agreed not to ask each other about the exact compositions of our decks in case we ever had to duel each other. Why do you ask?"

"Well, seeing as that big thing is a Fiend," she said, "she's someone who might be kinda useful to have right now…"

_She's right,_ thought Ren. _Any Fiend that Getsu Fuhma battles is automatically destroyed. She'd be killed too, but at least I'd solve the immediate problem…_

_I do have a second one… But she could be at the bottom of my deck for all I know…_

He drew a card.

"I play… Pot of Greed," he said, playing it.

The laughing jar appeared in the air, and he drew two cards.

_My father's best card…_ he thought, looking at one of them.

He looked at his other cards and did a quick calculation.

_But even if I used everything here…_

He looked at Mary Jane.

"Question…" he said.

"Yes?" she answered.

"What Attribute is your Curry Fiend Roux?"

"Heh, heh…" chuckled Mary Jane. "He's an Earth Monster, unlike most Fiends. Uhm… Why do you ask?"

Ren grinned.

"That's all I wanted to know!" he said with a laugh.

His Trap Card lifted up.

"I activate my facedown Call of the Haunted!"

"What good will that do you?" asked Mary Jane. "All your Monsters were removed from play."

"Not all of them," replied Ren. "I played Graceful Charity on my first turn, before you even played Curry Pot, remember? One card I discarded was a Monster."

The floor cracked, and Chthonian Soldier burst out of the ground. (1,200/1,400)

"Now I play… Frontline Base," he said, playing a Spell Card. "Now I can Special Summon a Monster from my hand, so long as it's a Union Monster… As long as it's Level Four or less, of course. And I choose to summon Pitch-Dark Dragon."

He played a card from his hand, and the small, Dark Dragon appeared. (900/600)

"And now… I sacrifice both of them…"

Chthonian Soldier and Pitch-Dark Dragon vanished…

"A double sacrifice?" exclaimed Yumi. "Can it be…"

The arena darkened, and a sliver of a crescent moon appeared above. Stepping out of the darkness was a powerful-looking woman with ebony-black skin, silvery hair, and glowing, silver eyes. She wore silvery armor, a cape that looked like the night sky, and a silvery crown set with a single white diamond. In each hand was a scimitar shaped like a crescent moon.

"Good lord…" said Yumi. "The Crescent Moon Queen!"

The Queen raised her scimitars menacingly at Curry Fiend Roux… (2,600/1,700)

"Heh, heh," chuckled Mary Jane. "Impressive, but I see two things wrong with that. First, my Curry Fiend was stronger to start out with, and second, now you've removed two more Monsters from play, making him even stronger."

Curry Fiend Roux glowed… (3,400/0)

"Oh really?" asked Ren. "Well I'm not done. I Equip her with Fusion Sword Murasame Blade."

He played the card, and the Queen's scimitars vanished, and were replaced by a much more impressive katana. (3,400/1,700)

Mary Jane stepped back in shock.

"They'll destroy each other!" she gasped.

"No they won't," said Ren, taking his last card.

His Field Slot opened, and he placed it inside.

"I play Mystic Plasma Zone!"

An aura of darkness covered the field, and Crescent Moon Queen grinned. She rose to (3,900/1,300)

"And by the way…" said Ren. "My Queen has the ability to attack… twice! Crescent Moon Queen, attack Curry Fiend Roux!"

Crescent Moon Queen leapt up, and brought her blade down on the huge Fiend. Its eyes bugged out, and then it exploded in a fiery blast.

"And now…" continued Ren. "Attack directly!"

Mary Jane screamed bloody murder as the Warrior's sword slammed into her like a hammer and she fell on her back.

"How does that taste?" asked Ren.

**(R: 5,200) -------------------- (M J: 400)**

"Of course," said Ren, "my Queen has one weakness. She has to move into Defense Mode after attacking twice."

Sweat beaded on the Queen's face, and she knelt in Defense Mode…

"But thanks to my Final Attack Orders, she can gain her second wind right away, and move right back to Attack Mode."

The Queen stood back up.

"It's your move…" said Ren.

Mary Jane slowly got up. She took some deep breaths, and then drew a card.

"I play… Pot of Greed…" she said, playing it.

She drew two cards.

"All right…" she muttered, "plan B. First I'll play Emergency Provisions to sacrifice my facedown card, which has been sitting here useless the whole time…"

She played the card, and the Trap Card – revealed to be Judgment of Anubis – lifted up and vanished.

"Now I'll play this…" she said, playing a Spell Card. "It's called Spell Spice –Garlic!"

"Garlic?" said Ren. "Don't like the sound of that…"

"To play this card, I have to pay half my Life Points, and destroy the Curry Pot…" continued Mary Jane.

The Curry Pot shattered into shards.

"But in return," she continued, "I get to bring Carrotman, Onionman, and Potatoman back."

In three bursts of light, the anthropomorphic carrot (800/900), onion (1,200/1,200), and potato (900/800) reappeared.

"Go ahead!" laughed Ren. "I'm not afraid of them!"

"Did I mention that my Spell Card also gives them the ability to attack directly this round?" asked Mary Jane.

Ren stepped back…

"No, you didn't…" he said, nervously.

"Carrotman, tuber thrash!" she shouted.

Carrotman leapt up, ignoring the Queen, and socked Ren in the face.

"Onionman, bulb basher!"

Onionman charged, and hit him in the stomach.

"Potatoman, spud spinner!"

Potatoman spun like a top, and slammed into Ren, knocking him over.

"I'm not gonna take this sitting down…" growled Ren.

He tried to get up, but stumbled.

"Okay, I'll take it sitting down, but I won't like it…"

Crescent Moon Queen gave him a look of concern. He slowly got to his feet…

Mary Jane placed her last card in her Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

**(R: 2,300) -------------------- (M J: 700)**

"And mom always told me that veggies were good for me," said Chelsea.

"Those three are mostly starch," replied Sam. "Not many vitamins, except for the carrot…"

"This isn't funny, people," said Yumi. "Ren has nothing except his Queen. No other cards in his hand, and no other ones on the field except Frontline Base and Final Attack Orders. If that facedown card is something that can destroy the Queen, those oversized salad ingredients might finish him off…"

_She's right…_ thought Ren. _My next draw had best be a good one…_

He drew a card.

"Hey, Mary Jane," he said, "know what I like about this game? The duel isn't over until the last card is played!

"I play Bait Doll! This forces you to trigger that Trap now!"

Mary Jane gasped as her Trap, revealed to be a Mirror Force, lifted up.

"I thought so," said Ren. "And since I didn't declare an attack yet, it's wasted."

The Trap shattered.

"Crescent Moon Queen, attack the Carrotman! Chowtime!"

The Queen leapt up, and sliced the veggie down the middle.

Everyone cheered as Mary Jane fell to her knees…

**(R: 2,300) -------------------- (M J: 0)**

"I believe that means dinner is on the house for our group…" said Ren.

"Yes…" moaned Mary Jane. "And it will… be my pleasure to serve you…"

Ren smiled as he looked at his badge, which had just been upgraded to Green…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

While they were waiting for the food, the two groups swapped stories of the duelists they had encountered on the first day.

"You're kidding," said Sam. "A Batteryman Deck?"

"More formidable than it seems," replied Chelsea.

Mary Jane came up to the table with a huge tray of food.

"Here we are," she said. "Sirloin and mashed potatoes…"

She handed it to Yumi.

"Prime rib and fries…"

She handed it to Chelsea.

"Surf 'n turf…"

She gave it to Sam.

"Roast beef and corn on the cob…"

She gave it to Erik.

"And for the breadwinner, our best porterhouse with a fully loaded potato and onion rings."

She smiled as she gave it to Ren.

"You earned it hon," she said. "I hope you're hungry. Call me if you need anything else."

"So, Sam," said Yumi, "how did you do on day one?"

"Well, the first guy was easy," answered Sam. "He played a Magnet Warrior Deck. I beat him senseless before he knew what hit him.

"The next guy was harder. He claimed he was a West Point cadet on furlough. He played an Army Deck."

"Army Deck?" asked Chelsea.

"Let me put it this way," she replied. "His kill-card was Air Fortress Ziggurat."

"Grandpa told me about that one…" muttered Yumi. "He didn't face it, but Seto Kaiba told him about it. It's a giant, flying nightmare…"

"Whatever did you do?" asked Ren.

"Well…" said Sam. "I'd rather not reveal the secrets of my deck…"

"Oh come on…" said Yumi. "I heard that threat you made at Kaibaland. You called yourself the Consort of Ha Des. Admit it – you play a Fiend Deck."

"Maybe," muttered Sam.

"So how did you do, Erik?" asked Ren.

Erik took a bite and grinned.

"My first duel was easy too," he answered. "I went up against someone who used a Human Wave Deck. Nothing I couldn't handle.

"The big trouble came next… The guy used two Manticores."

"Manticores of Darkness?" asked Chelsea. "Ho boy… Those things give Beast-Warriors a bad name. They just refuse to die."

"I was able to beat them," said Erik. "They're easy to beat once you have a strong Monster or two of your own on the field. The guy kept sacrificing Monsters to regenerate them, but I kept killing them again and again, until he had no Monsters left to sacrifice, and he couldn't bring them back again. Then he was in trouble, with no Monsters to summon, and me able to plow into him."

"Good for you," said Chelsea.

"So…" said Yumi, between bites, "I have to wonder, where do we go from here?"

"It's just starting," said Sam. "And you and I are going to duel eventually, I guarantee it!"

Sam didn't know that a young man with fiery red hair was eyeing her from a table across the room…

As soon as her party ordered dessert, he was going to make a challenge, and he was intending to leave her on the floor writhing in pain…

_Winning his second victory and a free meal to boot, Ren advances to Green. The day isn't over yet, and more duels may be in the works before our heroes decide to turn in to sleep!_

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**CARROTMAN (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Plant  
**Attribute:** Earth  
**Level:** 3  
**ATK:** 800  
**DEF:** 900

**Flavor Text:** _An odd species of creature believed to be created from common tubers tainted by fiendish magic._

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**POTATOMAN (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Plant  
**Attribute:** Earth  
**Level:** 3  
**ATK:** 900  
**DEF:** 900

**Flavor Text:** _This weird plant is believed to be related to the Mystic Tomato. It refuses to believe it is only a potato._

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**ONIONMAN (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Plant  
**Attribute:** Earth  
**Level:** 3  
**ATK:** 1,200  
**DEF:** 1,200

**Flavor Text:** _Though not the most formidable monster, this plant has been known to bring tears to folks' eyes._

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**CURRY FIEND ROUX (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fiend/Effect  
**Attribute:** Earth  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 0  
**DEF:** 0

**Card Description:** This card cannot be Normal Summoned or set. This card cannot be Special Summoned except via the effect of "Curry Pot." For each card in your Graveyard with the word "Spice" in its name, increase the ATK of this card by 200. For each Monster that has been removed from play by each player, increase the ATK of this card by 300.

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**COUNTER SPICE – CUMIN (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image:** A spice shaker full of yellow spice, glowing with energy.

**Card Description:** You can activate this card when one of your Monsters is destroyed. Special Summon a Level Four or lower Monster from your hand in Attack Position.

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**CURRY POT (Spell Card)**

**Continuous Spell**

**Image:** A large pot of bubbling soup.

**Card Description:** When this card is face-up on the field, whenever a Monster would be sent to either Graveyard, remove it from play. When one "Carrotman", one "Potatoman", and one "Onionman" are removed from play by this effect, remove all Monsters on the field from play, and Special Summon one "Curry Fiend Roux" from your hand or deck.

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**SPELL SPICE – RED PEPPER (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** A red pepper, glowing with energy in front of a spice shaker.

**Card Description:** Increase the ATK of one Monster on your side of the field by 300 for one round. You may then decrease the ATK of a Monster on your opponent's side of the field by 300 for one round.

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**SPELL SPICE – CINNAMON (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** A cinnamon stick, glowing with energy.

**Card Description:** Shift one Monster on your side of the field to Defense Position. You may then shift one of your opponent's Monsters to Attack Position.

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**MIXED SPICE – GARAM MASALA (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** A spice shaker with a green top full of brown spice.

**Card Description:** Search your deck for three cards with the words "Spell Spice" in them and add them to your hand. Then, shuffle your deck.

_Note: The proceeding nine cards were first used by Don Simon in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Curry Worries". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**SPELL SPICE – GARLIC (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** A clove of garlic glowing with green energy.

**Card Description:** You can activate this card if a "Curry Fiend Roux" on your side of the field has been destroyed. Pay half your Life Points and destroy one "Curry Pot" on your side of the field. Special Summon one "Carrotman", one "Potatoman", and one "Onionman" that has been removed from play in Attack Position. Monsters Special Summoned by this card may attack your opponent directly on the round they are Special Summoned.

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**DOUBLE PINASKA (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute:** Dark  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,500  
**DEF:** 1,500

**Card Description:** When this card is face-up on your side of the field, you can negate one attack made by your opponent. This effect can only be used once per duel.

_Note: "Double Pinaska" first appeared in "Legacy of the Duelist"._

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**CRESCENT MOON QUEEN (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute:** Dark  
**Level:** 7  
**ATK:** 2,600  
**DEF:** 1,700

**Card Description:** This card can attack twice in the same Battle Phase. If this card attacks twice in the same Battle Phase, move it to face-up Defense Position at the end of the Battle Phase.

_Note: "Crescent Moon Queen" first appeared in "City of Souls"._

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**Chelsea: Sam, don't look now, but that guy is looking at you really strange.**

**Sam: Aw, maybe he just wants an autograph.**

**Yumi: I don't think he's a fan, Sam. I think he's more intent on handing you your head.**

**Coming up next, "Heir of Kaiba! Evil versus Medieval!"**

**As Samantha's destiny begins to unfold.**

**Ren: So, we're finally gonna get to see Sam duel? With her actual deck?**

**Chelsea: Sure looks like it… So be here!**

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_One final note:_

_To all those who have read Man Called True's fic, "Shadow Realm: Fifteen", tomorrow I will be debuting on fanfic a Central Shadow Realm story of my own. This fic has already been completed on another website, so you don't have to worry about it slowing me down._

_Fans of True's work, don't miss "Shadow Realm: PI". _


	9. Heir of Kaiba! Evil Versus Medieval!

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**CHAPTER EIGHT**

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**Heir of Kaiba!**

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**Evil Versus Medieval!**

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"You know, you two…" muttered Yumi. "Just because the restaurant is footing the bill doesn't mean you both had to order the biggest dessert they had."

"Yeah, Chelsea…" said Ren. "You aren't gonna be able to fit into that midriff if you keep packing away ice cream."

"Ignore him, Chelsea," said Sam. "This may be a tournament, but we're also on vacation, and everyone knows that diets start _after_ the vacation. Besides, since Ren was willing to duel to get us a meal for free, we might as well make the most of it.

"Speaking of which…"

She looked at Ren.

"This goes against my better judgment, but I was impressed. You have some good cards. Where did you ever get that Queen?"

Ren paused.

"Just before my dad and your dad were caught up in that crisis that sealed New York in Shadow energy all those years ago, he bought it at the convention that was supposed to start the New York City Regional."

He took the card out and looked at it.

"It's a very rare card… I think about fifteen confirmed copies exist."

Mary Jane came up to the table with a tray.

"Here we are people…" she said. "Peach pie with vanilla ice cream…"

She handed it to Yumi.

"Chocolate mousse cake…"

She gave it to Ren.

"Napoleon pastry…"

She handed it to Erik.

"And for the two who seemingly don't care about calories, Mobius's Delight! A brownie topped with four kinds of ice cream, nuts, hot fudge, caramel, shaved coconut, a cherry, and a mint leaf."

She placed the huge sundaes in front of Sam and Chelsea.

"Here's some advice…" she added. "Get your boyfriends to help with them."

Chelsea looked at Ren.

"He's not my…" she started.

"She's not my…" said Ren at same time.

They stopped.

Chelsea sighed, and went to the sundae.

As Sam started to spoon the ice cream into her mouth, someone leaned his hand on the table next to her.

"Excuse me…" she said, annoyed, "this is a private gathering…"

"Samantha Arachne," said the interloper. "Remember me?"

Sam looked up.

It was a young man about her age, with fiery red hair that looked unkempt. His eyes were hidden behind sunglasses with black rims. He wore a hooded sweatshirt, jeans, and sneakers, all of which had seen better days. From the look of things, the wear and rips were there for effect.

Sam looked at him for a second before answering.

"No," she said, offhand.

Chelsea chuckled.

"No?" he replied. "You humiliated me last month at Kaibaland!"

"Do you realize how little that narrows it down?" asked Sam, not looking up from her ice cream.

The boy growled.

"Tucker Trevane," he said.

Sam paused.

"Oh yeah…" she said. "I'd never forget a name that dumb… You were that guy on vacation from California with the Hand Control Deck and an ego the size of Taiwan."

"I remember too…" said Erik with a chuckle. "Sam's Royal Decree made you powerless. Your three precious Don Zaloogs didn't stand a chance."

"Yeah, well, I have a better deck now…" said Tucker. "And I'm gonna pound you into the floor with it!"

Sam took a big spoonful of ice cream.

"You _request_ a duel here, fellah, not _demand_ one," she said. "But I'll duel you anyway… Once we're finished with dessert. Until then, you'll wait _far_ away from this table."

She paused.

"Get lost until I say we're done!"

Tucker was startled by that last part. He backed away.

Once he had gone to another part of the restaurant, Sam raised her hand and said, "Waitress?"

Mary Jane came up.

"I gotta duel someone in a few minutes," she said. "Can we use the podium?"

"Sure thing," said Mary Jane. "That's what it's there for."

_So…_ thought Yumi. _Now I get to see what her true deck can do…_

_It's about time…_

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When nothing remained but the melted remains of ice cream and fudge, Sam stepped onto the platform and faced Tucker.

"I warn you," she said with a sly grin. "You may have changed your deck, but I have as well. And in case you think I'm anti-Trap this time, think again!"

"I'm not surprised…" said Tucker. "I'm going to make you wash down that ice cream by eating the floor!"

"Words, words," muttered Sam. "I'll believe it when I see it…"

The two Disks activated.

"Game on!" they both said.

**(Sam: 8,000) -------------------- (Tucker: 8,000)**

"Ladies first…" said Tucker, drawing five cards.

"I'll go first anyway," said Sam with a grin, drawing six.

She looked over her hand.

"I summon the Malice Doll of Demise to the field," she said.

She played the card, and a sinister-looking wooden puppet holding a large axe appeared and cackled. (1,600/1,700)

"Who'd have thought Pinocchio had an evil twin?" asked Ren.

"Quiet," said Yumi, who was watching.

"Then I'll follow up with a Spell Card," continued Sam. "The fiendish Ectoplasmer."

She fit a card into her Disk, and a Continuous Spell Card appeared.

"This card requires each player to sacrifice one of their Monsters at the end of their turns," she explained. "Then, the very soul of that Monster is transformed into something called _ectoplasm_, which blasts away their opponent's Life Points equal to half the sacrificed Monster's Attack Score.

"All right, pal… I'm ending my turn now…"

She stabbed her thumb down. Malice Doll of Demise slumped over, and a ghostly form flew out of it, flying towards Tucker and striking him in the chest. He grunted and staggered back.

**(S: 8,000) -------------------- (T: 7,200)**

_Ergh…_ thought Tucker. _That felt like the cold chill I had the last time I had the flu!_

"Okay Sam…" he said, drawing a card. "You want to play dirty? I notice that last move left you defenseless."

He fit two cards into his Disk.

"I toss two cards facedown…"

Two facedown cards materialized.

"Next, I toss this guy out in Attack Mode. Ancient Gear Soldier!"

In a cloud of dust, a rickety metal robot made of gears and pistons with a machine gun for a right hand rose up. It stared at Sam with cold, emotionless eyes. (1,300/1,300)

"You're playing an Ancient Gear Deck?" asked Sam in surprise.

"I prefer to call it a Medieval Shadow Deck," said Tucker. "And now I'll call you the target. Attack her directly!"

Cartridges flew from Ancient Gear Soldier's gun as it fired a burst of hot lead, and Sam cried out in pain as the bullets stabbed into her torso.

The audience cheered.

_Lovely…_ thought Sam, holding her chest. _He's already the crowd favorite… But not for long…_

"Now I'll end my turn…" said Tucker. "And I'll use your own Ectoplasmer against you!"

Most people would say that Machines didn't have souls to take. Nonetheless, Ancient Gear Soldier collapsed into a pile of metal, and a shadowy form flew into Sam, sending her staggering backward.

**(S: 6,050) -------------------- (T: 7,200)**

"Man, she just got hurt bad!" shouted Chelsea.

"No, she's all right…" said Yumi. "I've heard of this combo…"

"Your move, Sam…" said Tucker, with a grin, crossing his arms.

_Attack me…_ he thought. _They say that what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger… If you attack me, I won't be dead yet, and I'll certainly be stronger…_

He looked at his facedown cards.

"I draw one card," said Sam, drawing. "And just like magic…"

A dark flame appeared on her side of the field, and Malice Doll of Demise appeared again with a cackling laugh. (1,600/1,700)

"WHAT?" gasped Tucker. "But how?"

"When this Monster is sent to the Graveyard by the effect of a Continuous Spell Card," explained Sam, "he's resurrected on the next turn. That means I can keep sacrificing him to Ectoplasmer, again and again. He doesn't mind! In fact, he rather enjoys it.

"But you… If you want to go on the offensive at all, you'll keep wasting your Monsters and leaving yourself wide open.

"Now let's summon someone new…" she said, placing a card on her Disk. "Since we're in a restaurant, I'll summon the gourmet of the Underworld. I summon The Bistro Butcher."

She played a card, and a tall Fiend appeared. He was a diabolical-looking creature with blue skin and pointed ears, dressed in a chef's outfit, with a hook in place of his right hand, and holding a cleaver in his left. He let out a laugh that suggested madness. (1,800/1,000)

Tucker gulped.

"Butcher, attack him directly!" shouted Sam. "Ginsu cut!"

The Bistro Butcher leapt up, and made a slash at Tucker that started at his forehead and followed through all the way down to his mid-section. Tucker gasped and fell on one knee.

The crowd cheered again, even louder than before.

"Oh yeah?" he said, sweating. "Well, since you attacked me with that guy, I get to draw two cards…"

He made two draws.

"You could have two-hundred," said Sam. "I don't care. Malice Doll of Demise, you attack too. Cleaver heaver!"

The Doll laughed and hurled its axe at Tucker. He screamed and fell over.

His sunglasses fell off his face. He snarled as he picked them up.

**(S: 6,050) -------------------- (T: 3,800)**

"Aw, does that hurt?" asked Sam. "Why don't you let one of my Monsters kiss it and make it worse?"

"I'll pass…" muttered Tucker, getting up, "But I will use it to my advantage… I'm full of surprises, Samantha…"

One of his facedown cards lifted up.

"Like _this_ one!" he shouted. "The Trap Card, Damage Condenser."

A sparking, glowing, electric generator rose up behind him.

"Now, I just need to trash one of my cards…" he said.

He made a discard.

"…and I can Special Summon from my deck any Monster, so long as its Attack Score isn't more than the amount of damage I just took from your Doll's attack.

"And it doesn't have to be low-Level. It could even be a Level Five Monster… Like my Ancient Gear Engineer."

A new Monster appeared on the field in another burst of dust. It looked similar to Ancient Gear Soldier, only a little bigger, with a drill for a right hand and a clamp for the left. Its drill spun wildly. (1,500/1,500)

"A Level Five Monster with only 1,500 Attack Points?" said Chelsea. "Its effect must be pretty spectacular…"

Sam looked at the new Machine, which she had honestly never seen before. And that was saying a lot.

"Uh, yeah…" she said.

She looked at her cards.

_If that guy is anything like other Ancient Gear Monsters, _she thought, _Traps are worthless against it during the Battle Phase…_

She took the card she had just drawn from her hand.

_But here's a Trap I can use before he even reaches the Battle Phase._

She fit it into her Disk.

"I place a card facedown," she said, as it appeared. "And I end my turn, activating Ectoplasmer again."

A facedown card appeared. Then, Malice Doll of Demise slumped down again, and the ghostly spirit flew forward, striking Tucker again.

**(S: 6,050) -------------------- (T: 3,000)**

"Yes!" yelled Erik. "Keep going, baby, you're doing great!"

"I hate to admit it," said Chelsea, "but Sam _is_ doing great. She's making this guy look like a rank amateur."

_Soon to change…_ thought Tucker, as he drew.

He looked at the card.

"I activate… Shadow Spell!" shouted Sam.

Her Trap Card lifted, and a mass of chains burst up and bound Ancient Gear Engineer.

"Now your Engineer is trapped, and he'll…"

The Machine threw up its arms, and the chains broke into pieces.

"…snap… them… like… dental… floss..." muttered Sam.

"Sorry, Samantha," said Tucker, "but Trap Cards that target are worthless against this guy. How do you like that… baby?"

"Anyone except Erik who calls me that gets a knuckle massage…" growled Sam.

Tucker gulped.

"Now where was I…" he said. "Oh, yes…

"I activate Call of the Haunted…"

His other facedown card lifted, and Ancient Gear Soldier climbed out of the ground in a burst of dirt and dust. (1,300/1,300)

"Now I'll sacrifice him…" continued Tucker, "for someone better…"

Ancient Gear Soldier vanished.

"My Ancient Gear Beast!"

In a flash, a robotic wolf, again made of pistons and gears, with razor-sharp claws and teeth, appeared on the field. It howled. (2,000/2,000)

"And I'll just keep going…" he said, playing a card. "I'll Equip my Engineer with Ancient Gear Tank."

A large form materialized on the field. It looked like a cross between a motorcycle and a metal go-cart, with a cannon in front.

Ancient Gear Engineer climbed on board. A metal blast-shield with a small slit for a window covered it.

"The new wheels give him 600 more Attack Points."

(2,100/1,500)

"That… isn't good…" said Ren.

"All right!" shouted Tucker. "Ancient Gear Engineer, attack The Bistro Butcher! Diesel-powered overdrive!"

The Tank sped forward, and blasted its cannon, blowing the Fiend into an explosion of pixels.

"And Ancient Gear Engineer has another great effect," said Tucker with a grin. "When he destroys a Monster, he can destroy one of your Spells or Traps. So say goodbye to your Ectoplasmer!"

The Tank shot another blast, blowing the Ectoplasmer card to bits.

"That isn't good either…" said Ren.

"And Sam's in big trouble," added Chelsea. "She's has nothing to protect herself from Ancient Gear Beast…"

"You got that right," said Tucker with a grin. "Attack her directly, my Beast! Piston pounce!"

Ancient Gear Beast snarled. It ran towards Sam.

"Nothing to protect myself?" she shouted, throwing a card into her discard slot. "I think not!"

All of a sudden, a swarm of small, furry creatures appeared between Sam and the Beast, blocking its attack. It waved its paws and tried to swat them away, but they exploded, sending it skidding back.

There was a pause…

"HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA!" laughed Yumi.

"What's so funny?" asked Sam, annoyed.

"Oh, it's rich…" said Yumi with a chuckle. "I just find it hilarious that Ianyone/I who fancies herself the heir to the Kaiba name would have a Kuriboh in her deck!"

Sam stared at her.

"One…" she said, "I'm not my great uncle. Two, in case you haven't noticed yet, I play a Fiend Deck, and Kuriboh is a very useful Fiend. Don't deny it, Yumi. Your family certainly wouldn't."

Yumi sighed. She wouldn't, even though a Kuriboh had never made its way into her own deck…

"All right, I'm ending my turn," said Tucker. "Let's see what you've got."

**(S: 5,750) -------------------- (T: 3,000)**

"I draw…" said Sam.

She looked at the card and grinned.

"And I just drew the star of my deck!

"You may have destroyed Ectoplasmer, but my Doll's effect is still valid, so he comes back one last time…"

Again, Malice Doll of Demise appeared in a dark aura. (1,600/1,700)

"And now I sacrifice him…" continued Sam.

The Doll vanished and Sam held up a card.

"Come forth, mighty Lord of the Underworld…" she said.

Lightning flashed, which was strange, since they were indoors.

"I summon… _Dark Ruler Ha Des_!"

A black bonfire appeared on the field, and a monstrous, hulking form appeared. It was an eight-foot-tall Fiend with scaly green skin, dressed in royal clothing, with a vest with a skull-like design, wearing a cross between a helmet and a golden crown. He clutched in his left claw a goblet holding some sort of liquid that emitted a smoky mist.

A dead pause fell over the patrons of the restaurant.

It was indeed the dreaded ruler of Fiends, Dark Ruler Ha Des. (2,450/1,600)

"Wow…" said Ren. "What a Monster…"

"What's wrong?" asked Sam, as Tucker stepped back. "Does my consort scare you? I don't blame you… He tends to have that effect on some people…

"Ha Des… Take care of that Ancient Gear Engineer, would you? Stygian blast!"

The Dark Ruler closed his fist around his wine goblet, and it shattered. Then he pointed, and a blast of dark flames shot from his fingertips, blowing the Engineer and his Tank to scrap.

"Not bad…" growled Tucker. "But when Ancient Gear Tank gets junked, you lose 600 Life Points."

"Huh?" said Sam, as the ground started to smoke beneath her.

She screamed as an explosion erupted around her.

**(S: 5,150) -------------------- (T: 2,650)**

She glared at him.

"Your move…" she said.

Tucker made a draw.

"I move Ancient Gear Beast to Defense Mode," he said. "Sit!"

The Machine sat on its hind legs.

"And I'll place another Monster in Defense Mode too."

A facedown Monster appeared.

"That's it for me…"

Sam drew.

She looked at the Trap Card.

"I'll place this facedown…" she said, fitting it in her Disk.

As it appeared on the field, she chose another card from her hand.

"And so long as Ha Des is here, I'll summon one of his most loyal servants. I summon Opticlops."

She played the card, and another Fiend appeared. It was a large, muscular ogre, with one eye and a horn on its head. (1,800/1,700)

"Not bad…" said Ren. "But Archfiend Soldier would have been a little better."

"I never said I didn't have one, Ren," said Sam, annoyed. "Opticlops, attack his facedown Monster. Horn ram."

Opticlops charged at the facedown Monster. Another Ancient Gear Soldier appeared on the card. The Fiend struck it with its horn, and it was smashed to pieces.

"Ha Des, reduce his Beast to slag. Attack!"

The Dark Ruler fired his Stygian Blast, and Ancient Gear Beast exploded into hot metal and shrapnel.

"Your move…" said Sam.

_Darn,_ thought Tucker. _If I don't get a good draw, that abomination will attack _me_ next turn!_

He drew a card.

He grinned.

"Well Sam…" he said with a smirk. "It's time for me to bring out the star of _my_ deck."

He showed her the card.

"Ancient Gear Golem?" asked Sam.

"Yeah…" said Tucker. "Only problem is, he needs two sacrifices, and I'm a little short on them right now. Oh well…"

He played a Spell Card.

"…guess I'll have to use my Ancient Gear Factory!"

He played the card, and with a rumble, an enormous contraption started to rise behind him…

When they saw it in full light, it appeared to be a giant chamber, with a conveyor belt in the front, and a carousel of some sort on top covered with blue stars.

"Here's how it works…" said Tucker.

The contraption hummed, and steam poured out of it. Mechanical shovels started to load scrap metal onto the conveyor belt, which delivered it to the inside of the chamber.

"If I want to summon a high-level Ancient Gear Monster, I can do so without sacrificing Monsters on the field, so long as I sacrifice Ancient Gear Monsters in my Graveyard, and their combined Levels equal at least twice that of the Monster I want to summon."

"Hold on…" said Erik. "The two Soldiers were both Level Four… The Engineer was Level Five… The Beast was Level Six…"

"AND, I tossed a Level Two Ancient Gear to play Damage Condenser," added Tucker. "So I have the prerequisite sixteen levels, and can save one Soldier for later if I need it."

The stars on the carousel turned from blue to gold, until all of them were lit up.

"And now…" said Tucker. "Let's all have a hand for the master of disaster… the Ancient Gear Golem!"

The chamber opened, and a giant, metal titan walked out. Like the previous Ancient Gears, it was made of cogs, pistons, and camshafts, but its rickety look was only there at first glance. Looking at it for more than a second, you saw its true aura of strength. (3,000/3,000)

"How do you like that, Samantha?" asked Tucker. "He's just as strong as your dad's dumb Dragons."

Sam growled…

"All right!" he shouted. "Ancient Gear Golem… Attack the Dark Ruler Ha Des, with mechanized melee!"

"Hold it right…" started Sam, as the Golem lunged forward.

Then she stopped.

_Oh, great…_ she thought_. I forgot… Since he's attacking with that thing, I can't use my Trap Card!_

Ancient Gear Golem slugged Ha Des with his fist, and he groaned before he burst into dark particles.

"Heh, heh…" chuckled Tucker. "So much for him… Your move…"

**(S: 4,600) -------------------- (T: 2,650)**

"You'll pay for that…" growled Sam, drawing.

She looked at the card.

"I'll place one card facedown, and end my turn," she said.

Another facedown card appeared.

"Why didn't she move Opticlops to Defense Mode?" asked Ren, nervously.

"Because she knows that would have made it worse," answered Yumi. "Ancient Gear Golem has a trampling effect."

Tucker drew a card.

_Hmmm…_ he thought.

He added it to his hand.

"Ancient Gear Golem, attack!"

The Golem threw its fist, smashing Opticlops flat.

**(S: 3,400) -------------------- (T: 2,650)**

_We're in a restaurant full of people…_ thought Sam. _I'm the owner's daughter… I can't lose here… I'd be humiliated!_

She drew a card.

"All right, Tucker," she said. "I play Pot of Greed…"

She played the card, and the wicked looking jar appeared in front of her. She drew two cards, and it burst into pixels.

She looked at them and grinned.

"And now, my friends, it's time for Dark Ruler Ha Des to make his return… Like I always say, you can't keep a good Monster down for long."

"You're bluffing…" said Tucker. "I happen to know that he can't be Special Summoned from the Graveyard. I'm no idiot."

"I didn't intend to," said Sam.

She played a card.

"I play Monster Reincarnation," she said.

The strange-looking ankh, looking somewhat like the one for Monster Reborn, appeared on the field.

"Now, by tossing one card," she said, discarding a card, "I can bring the Dark Ruler back to my hand."

The card slipped out of her discard slot, and she took it.

"Next, I activate Call of the Haunted."

One of her two Trap Cards lifted, and a stone coffin appeared on the field. It opened, and The Bistro Butcher stepped out. (1,800/1,000)

"Now I'll sacrifice him…" she continued, "to summon Dark Ruler Ha Des again."

The Bucher vanished, and Ha Des reappeared, looking slightly irked. (2,450/1,600)

"Big deal!" said Tucker. "He's still weaker than my Golem."

"We'll see about that," said Sam. "Ha Des, attack his Golem!"

Ha Des prepared to fire his blast…

"Has Sam gone nuts?" shouted Ren.

"Naw," said Yumi, "I think she knows what she's doing."

"Now I activate…" said Sam, "the powerful Bark of Dark Ruler!"

Her other Trap Card lifted. Ha Des howled and an aura of black flames surrounded Ancient Gear Golem.

"This fiendish spell requires the caster to sacrifice some of his life force," said Sam, "but no-one ever said using the magic of Fiends would be easy. So I pay as much of my Life Points as I want, and for this battle only, the Monster my Fiend is battling loses the same amount of Attack and Defense Points.

Sam glowed with a dark aura…

"So I'll give up 600 Life Points, which weakens your scrap heap just enough for Ha Des to trash it."

Ancient Gear Golem fell to an Attack of 2,400, and Ha Des fired his blast. Explosions rocked over the Ancient Gear Golem's armor, and it collapsed into a pile of junk.

**(S: 2,800) -------------------- (T: 2,600)**

"Your move…" said Sam.

Tucker growled… He drew.

He threw a card on his Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared. He waved his hand.

Sam drew a card.

_Hmm,_ she thought.

"I'll set a Monster in Defense Mode…" she said.

She put the card on her Disk, and a facedown Monster materialized.

"Ha Des, attack…"

Ha Des fired his blast. An Ancient Gear appeared on the card, and was vaporized.

"This is starting to get pathetic, Tucker," she said. "Why don't you just give up? Ancient Gear Golem is gone, and you can't bring it back. It can't be Special Summoned at all."

Tucker drew a card.

He grinned.

"Maybe not…" he said. "But I can still bring it back…"

He played the card he had just drawn.

"…with a little thing called Ancient Gear Workshop. This works just like Monster Reincarnation for Ancient Gear Monsters, but I don't have to discard a thing."

The Ancient Gear Golem slipped out of his discard slot, and he took it.

"Well what about sacrifices?" said Sam. "You still need them, and now you don't have enough Monsters left in your Graveyard to use another Factory."

"Heh, heh…" chuckled Tucker. "Samantha, when you play a deck that uses a Monster like Ancient Gear Golem, you have to find ways to get around the little problem of needing two sacrifices. There are so many ways to summon it quicker, even I can't use them all.

"For example… I play the Spell Card, Magnet Circle LV 2. This card allows me to Special Summon a Machine from my hand, so long as its Level is no more than… well, two. So I Special Summon Ancient Gear Cannon."

He played the card, and a large cannon, again made of gears and pistons, appeared on the field. (500/500)

"Next…" he said, playing another Spell Card, "since my Cannon only has 500 Attack Points, I can play Machine Duplication. This lets me Special Summon two more Cannons from my deck."

Two other Machines, identical to the first, appeared.

"Now I sacrifice two of them… Ancient Gear Golem, return!"

Two of the Cannons vanished, and the huge Golem reappeared. (3,000/3,000)

"Go!" he shouted. "Attack her Dark Ruler again!"

Ancient Gear Golem lunged forward, and slugged Ha Des again. He shattered into shards.

"And I'm not done with you…" continued Tucker. "I activate the effect of the Cannon I didn't sacrifice. I can sacrifice it now, to blow away 500 more of your Life Points.

"Fire! And aim for her gut."

With a blast, a cannonball shot from the Cannon, striking Sam in the belly and sending her falling to her knees.

The Cannon shattered. Sam winced in pain, holding her stomach.

**(S: 1,750) -------------------- (T: 2,600)**

"So…" said Tucker with a grin. "What are you gonna do now? Feel like throwing up? Please do… It will make victory all the sweeter."

Sam slowly got up.

"I _really_ remember you now…" she muttered. "The reason you played a Hand Control Deck was because you were so sadistic and liked seeing your opponents helpless. You haven't changed. The method may be different, but it's the same flavor…

"Like chocolate ice cream and chocolate cookies. Two desserts, both of them chocolate. Your deck is different, but you haven't changed at all."

She drew a card. She smirked when she saw what it was.

"What am I gonna do? Easy. I'm gonna send your Golem to the junkyard again."

She played a card.

"I play Silent Doom!" she shouted. "Now I can raise a Normal Monster from my Graveyard in Defense Mode."

Opticlops appeared, crouching in defense. (1,800/1,700)

"Now then…" she continued. "Let's bring back the big guy again…"

"And how do you intend to do that?" asked Tucker. "You have only one card left in your hand. Even if it's another Monster Reincarnation, you have nothing to discard to use it."

"I didn't say it was," said Sam. "I can't recover Ha Des from the Graveyard this time…

…but…"

She showed him the card.

"…my deck has _two_ copies of his card! After all, I'm his consort.

"So I sacrifice Opticlops, to summon him… Third time's the charm…"

Opticlops vanished. Dark Ruler Ha Des appeared again, and this time, he was mad. (2,450/1,600)

"Need I remind you that my Golem is still stronger?" asked Tucker. "And I don't see any facedown cards that could be a second Bark of Dark Ruler…"

"I don't need one," said Sam. "I have… this!"

She pointed to her facedown Monster.

"I flip it into Attack Mode. Reveal… Winged Minion!"

The card flipped, and a small form flew out. It was a nasty imp the size of an infant, with bat-like wings and a lamprey-like mouth, dressed only in a ragged pair of shorts. (700/700)

"See, it's called that because it has wings, and… uh, it's a minion…" said Sam. "And this guy is a Fiend's best friend, because by sacrificing it, I can increase the Attack and Defense of any Fiend by 700 points."

Winged Minion perched on Ha Des's shoulder, and then vanished into mist. Dark Ruler Ha Des grew to (3,150/2,300)

"This is exactly how I beat a guy who was using Air Fortress Ziggurat," she said. "Now, Ha Des… destroy his Golem!"

Dark Ruler Ha Des fired an even more intense blast of dark flames, and the huge Golem exploded. Debris rained down on the podium.

**(S: 1,750) -------------------- (T: 2,450)**

Everyone cheered again.

"And with that…" said Sam. "I end my turn."

Tucker nervously drew a card.

"I place a Monster in Defense Mode…" he said, placing it on his Disk. "That's all I can do…"

A facedown Monster appeared.

"Well…" said Sam. "Seems all I need now is the right Monster, and this duel will be a wrap…"

She drew a card.

"That's the one," she said. "I summon Gil Garth."

She played the card, and a creature that looked like a mechanical warrior covered with barbs and spikes, hunched over and holding a huge scimitar, appeared. (1,800/1,000)

"Don't let his appearance fool you," said Sam. "He may look like as much a Machine as your guys, but he's all Fiend.

"Gil Garth, attack his facedown Monster."

Gil Garth flew forward, and a Heavy Mech Support Platform appeared on the card. With one swipe of his sword, Gil Garth smashed it to bits.

"Ha Des…" said Sam. "Attack directly and end this!"

Ha Des fired the most intense blast yet, and Tucker screamed. He fell backwards and stumbled off the podium.

**(S: 1,750) -------------------- (T: 0)**

Everyone in the restaurant applauded.

"Thank you…" said Sam.

She looked at her badge, which was now at Blue.

_Not bad for the first day…_ she thought.

"You didn't do too bad…" she said to Tucker. "But maybe you should try a less challenging game… Like Tiddly Winks."

She chuckled, and stepped off the podium.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The strange fortuneteller looked at the three cards on her table.

In the middle was The High Priestess. To the right of her was The Fool. And to her left was The Strength.

"The circle is almost complete," she said. "Only a few more variables remain to be revealed."

She took the card off the top of the deck, and placed it underneath the first three cards, under the border between The Strength and The High Priestess.

The card showed a man in a flowing, purple robe, holding a wand up high in his left hand, and holding a sword in his right. In front of him was a table, on which was a golden goblet and a sphere with a pentagram drawn on it.

"The Magician," she said. "Certainly, this represents young Samantha, a young woman with confidence who seeks new opportunities and new beginnings… Such as starting a new legacy for the Kaiba name by becoming the Queen of Games.

"One variable still remains for now, but I feel it will be revealed shortly."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Fifteen minutes later, the group was outside the restaurant, as the sun was starting to set.

"I can't believe what a big crybaby that guy was," said Chelsea.

"Who can blame him?" asked Erik. "His best Monster was trashed twice in the same duel."

"So Sam…" asked Ren, "why the sudden respect for Ha Des?"

"Well…" said Sam, "Ha Des is a guy with a lot of power, a lot of influence… he's rich…"

"In Greek myth, Hades was the god of wealth, as well as the god of the dead," added Chelsea.

"True," said Sam, nodding. "He rules an empire, he likely owns shares of stock in every major company in the place where Duel Monsters live… Maybe he just reminded me of my dad and my great uncle.

"They weren't evil, of course, but Ha Des was the closest thing I could find to a billionaire CEO."

"So, uhm, Sam…" said Ren, nervously. "You wouldn't happen to have a Crush Card in your deck, would you?"

Sam glared at him.

Then she smirked.

"Oh, please," she said. "My great uncle's dumb viruses hurt him more often than they helped him."

"Ain't it the truth…" muttered Erik.

"Besides," continued Sam, "that card and the related Traps aren't nearly as powerful as they used to be."

"So…" said Chelsea, "speaking of wealth, I guess we're all thinking the same thing… What we'd do if we won the tournament. Five million is a lot of money.

"I looked it up by the way, Ren. It's roughly six-hundred million Yen, give or take."

Ren let out a low whistle.

"Hey…" said Yumi. "I'm gonna have college tuition to pay for in a few years, and my folks' money isn't gonna last forever."

"I know what you mean, in a way," said Sam. "Just once I'd like to have some money that didn't come out of the trust fund that I was given. I know it sounds crazy, but I want money that I got myself."

There was a pause.

"What about the big prize?" asked Ren. "The request? The wish?"

They all looked at each other.

"Know what I'd wish for?" asked Erik, holding Sam close.

He looked into her eyes.

"I'd wish for them to build us a romantic villa on the French Riviera, just for the two of us, our own little castle where I could…"

Before he could finish, Sam kissed him on the lips.

Yumi, Ren, and Chelsea watched. Ren looked at his watch and counted the seconds.

"We might have a new record here, people," he said.

Sam let go, and blushed.

"Our hotel is right next to yours," said Sam. "We'll walk there."

They couldn't have known that Nicholas was watching.

In fact, he had been at a table nearby all during Ren's duel and Sam's duel. He had already reported what he had seen about Ren's strategy…

He turned on a cell phone and spoke into it.

"Yes?" said the voice. "Did any of them duel again?"

"No…" he replied, "but get this… They're paling around with Arachne's daughter."

"Arachne's daughter…" said the voice. "An interesting concept. I don't know whether it will benefit us or trouble us.

"Keep watching them until they get to their hotels. We need all the information we can garner."

"Gotcha," he replied.

_Defeating a lout who was out for revenge, Sam manages three victories in the first day alone, bringing her up to Blue. Is there more to come in this first day of the tournament? We will see…_

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**GIL GARTH (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fiend  
**Attribute:** Dark  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,800  
**DEF:** 1,000

**Flavor Text:** _An extermination machine protected by iron armor. Without mercy, he'll attack with his giant katana._

_Note: "Gil Garth" is a Japanese card that has not yet been released in the United States._

**0**

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**Chelsea: It seems Sam is a pretty good duelist. She may be a worthy opponent.**

**Ren: Yeah, but I still don't see what Erik sees in her. What attracted him to someone like that?**

**Yumi: I don't know folks. Likely no-one knows, least of all Sam.**

**But we'll soon see just how dedicated a boyfriend he is, because a challenge is one thing, an insult is another.**

**Coming up next, "Battle of Honor! Big Things in Small Packages".**

**Chelsea: Erik's gonna duel now?**

**Ren: Big things in small packages? I don't get it…**


	10. Battle of Honor! Big Things in Small Pac

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**CHAPTER NINE**

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**Battle of Honor!**

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**Big Things in Small Packages**

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"I think everyone's had enough dueling for one day…" said Yumi.

"You're telling me…" said Chelsea. "I'm exhausted. I just want to go back to my hotel and order a movie. I think _The DaVinci Code_ is available tonight."

"Don't forget folks," said Sam, with a sinister grin, "I'm one ahead of all of you."

They looked around. Some people had _not_ gotten tired of dueling…

Yumi and Sam saw a few of their families' Monsters being played in the duels around them. Yumi and Sam watched as a Summoned Skull struck down a Vorse Raider…

They turned to each other and shrugged.

"Hey, beautiful!" said a voice behind Sam.

Before Sam could question this, she felt a hand slap her across the behind.

Sam was shocked for a minute.

She turned around in rage. Only Erik was allowed to touch her there…

The stray hand belonged to a teenager who looked about eighteen, wearing a leather jacket that was likely custom made, and designer jeans. His blonde hair had a great deal of spray in it, and he wore so much cologne that she felt like retching.

Sam was about to say something, when Erik stepped between them, a look of fury on his face.

"Did you just do what I think you did, pal?" he asked.

"And what if I did?" asked the teenager, taking an item out of his pocket that looked like a switchblade.

"Erik…" said Sam, nervously.

"I dare you…" started Erik.

The punk flicked the button on the device…

It wasn't a real switchblade… It was one of those novelty combs made to look like one.

He started to comb his hair with it. Erik frowned. Obviously, this was one of those guys who cared more for his hair than any other part of himself.

"You need to lay off the caffeine, bro," he said, casually palming the comb. "What do you care if I slap some bitch?"

Erik snatched the comb, and then quickly, broke it in half.

The punk looked dumbfounded as he dropped the pieces to the ground.

"Slapping her made me angry," said Erik. "Calling her a bitch makes me want to inflict bodily harm."

"So what are you gonna do?" asked the punk. "Slug me? I dare ya! I double dare ya!"

"I'm not a thug, buddy, ah…" started Erik. "Do you have a name?"

"Leroy," said the thug. "Leroy Brown. Duel King of Chicago!"

Erik gave him a weird look.

"Leroy Brown…" he said. "And I suppose you think you're the baddest man in the whole damn town?"

"That's right," said the thug, with a grin. "And I'm going to the top in this tournament."

"Please…" said Erik. "That can't be your real name. That's likely just some egotistical…"

The thug took out his wallet and took something out of it – an Illinois driver's license. He stuck it in front of Erik's face.

Erik just looked at it for a minute.

"Okay, so it is your real name…" he said with a shrug. "Your folks must have either been big fans of Jim Croce or people with issues."

"That's nothing," replied the thug. "I have a friend whose folks named him Lee Harvey, when his last name was Oswald. They were anarchists – hated the government.

"They're both in jail now… Long story… And as for my name, I kinda like it."

"A name's splendor or lack thereof has nothing to do with your attitude," said Erik, angrily. "Getting back to what we were saying, I'm not letting you get away with insulting my girlfriend, nor am I gonna slug you…

"Me and Sam have a little arrangement. She'll duel anyone who challenges her, but anyone who _insults_ her has to deal with _me_!

"So we're dueling, and if I win, you apologize to Sam.

"Unless you're scared…"

"Scared?" laughed Leroy. "Of you? Ha! To prove I'm not scared, I'll up the ante… Loser forks over his rarest card, ala Battle City."

"Erik, no!" shouted Sam.

Her voice fell to a whisper.

"You saved for two months to get… that card…"

"Don't worry, Sam…" said Erik. "I'm gonna teach this guy a lesson…

"And remind him what happened to Leroy Brown at the end of that song… I'm sure he remembers…

"_Well, the two men took to fightin',_

_And when then pulled them from the floor,_

_Leroy looked like a jigsaw puzzle_

_With a couple of pieces gone."_

"Loser…" muttered Leroy

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Erik and Leroy stood apart, shuffling their decks.

"You sure know how to pick 'em, Sam," said Yumi. "Does he have a brother?"

Sam shook her head.

"I don't know what I ever did to deserve such loyalty…" she replied. "I met him when he was just a bad duelist with a deck full of trash cards, trying to get into the hobby. He needed advice, I helped him… And… well, something clicked…"

"So what sort of deck does Erik have anyway?" asked Ren.

"Just wait…" said Sam. "You'll see…"

**(Erik: 8,000) -------------------- (Leroy: 8,000)**

"Game on!" said Leroy, drawing five cards. "To show you I'm not all bad, I'll let you move first. Prepare to lose!"

"As if…" said Erik, making his first draw. "Only thing I'm gonna lose is my lunch… I can smell that cheap aftershave from here…"

Leroy gave him a dirty look.

Erik chose a card from his hand.

"Well, to start off…" he said, "I'll have this defend me."

He placed a card on his Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared.

"That'll do for now…"

"Ooh, sneaky!" said Leroy, making a draw. "Well, you don't scare me…

"I summon my Marauding Captain…"

He played the card, and an aged veteran in armor and a cape, with a scar on his face, holding two swords, appeared on the field. (1,200/400)

"And just by summoning him…" he continued. "I can summon another Monster from my hand. So long as it's Level Four or less, of course. Like my Warrior Dai Grepher."

Marauding Captain gave a whistle. Leroy played another card, and another Warrior, this one in black leather armor and a headband, carrying a broadsword, marched out. (1,700/1,600)

"Seems like a basic Warrior Deck…" said Yumi. "Not the most creative, but quite effective…"

"Want more?" asked Leroy. "I'll make Marauding Captain stronger, by Equipping him with Lightning Blade."

He played a card, and one of the Captain's swords vanished, to be replaced by a shorter one, sparking with electricity. (2,000/400)

"AND," he continued, "I'll Equip Grepher with Divine Sword Phoenix Blade!"

Grepher's Sword vanished, and was replaced by a slimmer sword with a golden hilt shaped like a bird. (2,000/1,600)

"Two Monsters with 2,000 Attack Points on his first turn?" said Chelsea with a gasp. "This guy doesn't fool around…"

"Not bad…" said Erik, crossing his arms. "But keep one thing in mind… The power of a warrior is not defined by a weapon, but by the one holding the weapon."

"Where'd you hear weird stuff like that?" asked Leroy, with a strange look.

"Oh, I've studied many classic philosophers and wise men from all ages of civilization…" replied Erik. "However, _that_ one I found in a fortune cookie."

"Whatever…" said Leroy. "All right, guys, let's show him how it's done! Marauding Captain, attack that facedown Monster!"

The Warrior flew forward. A huge rodent appeared on the card, and with one swipe of a sword, it was smashed to bits.

"A Giant Rat?" asked Leroy.

"Uh huh," said Erik, taking his deck. "And you likely know that when it's destroyed, I get to summon an Earth Monster from my deck that has 1,500 Attack Points or less.

"Now let's see… Since Giant Rat itself fits the bill, I think I'll summon another one."

He played the card, and another huge rodent appeared in Attack Mode. (1,400/1,450)

"I'm not scared of rats," said Leroy. "My dad's an exterminator… he kills them for a living. Let me demonstrate. Grepher, stomp that Rat!"

Warrior Dai Grepher swung his sword, and the Rat was blown to pieces.

"Thank you…" said Erik. "Now I can start my true strategy… I use the same effect, to Special Summon… my Toy Soldier!"

Music that sounded like the first few bars from "The William Tell Overture" sounded over the arena…

In a burst of energy, a small humanoid figure appeared. It was… a toy soldier, one seemingly made of wood, dressed in a Revolution-era uniform with a tall hat and a fancy coat. He carried a musket that was apparently a pop-gun. His face consisted solely of two dots for eyes and a slit for a mouth. He pointed the musket forward, as if he was preparing to fire. (800/300)

"Heh, heh, heh…" said Chelsea. "That's adorable!"

"Don't underestimate Erik's Monsters," warned Sam. "He may be cute, but he can be lethal if used right."

Leroy looked at the last two cards in his hand.

"Eh, make your move…" he said. "As if that pipsqueak worried me…"

**(E: 7,400) -------------------- (L: 8,000)**

"Then I draw…" said Erik, drawing a card.

"And then, Toy Soldier's effect activates. Namely, if he's on my side of the field during my Standby Phase, two of his little friends come out to join him."

The Toy Soldier produced a small bugle and played a rousing tune on it. In two bursts of energy, two more Toy Soldiers appeared next to him. (800/300 x2)

"Give me a break!" shouted Leroy. "This ain't no Nutcracker Suite, and I'm not the Rat King! Those Lilliputians don't scare me."

"Next," said Erik, "I'll place three of my cards facedown, and turn it over to you."

He fit three cards into his Disk, and they appeared, one behind each Toy Soldier.

Leroy looked at the field for a minute, and then drew a card.

"I activate Gravity Bind!" exclaimed Erik, as one of his Traps lifted. "Now all Monsters that are Level Four or higher can't attack."

"Oh, is that so?" asked Leroy with a laugh. "Well I got news for you… Marauding Captain is Level Three…"

There was a pause.

"Uhm… I knew that…" muttered Erik.

"Yeah, yeah…" said Leroy. "But since I don't intend on keeping him around any longer, I'll get rid of your Gravity Bind anyway…"

He held up a Spell Card.

"Go, Mystical Space Typhoon!"

He played the card, and the cyclone shot forth, shattering the Gravity Bind.

"Great…" muttered Ren. "His Soldiers are sitting ducks."

"Now then…" said Leroy, "I'll sacrifice both of my Monsters…"

Marauding Captain and Warrior Dai Grepher vanished…

"A double-sacrifice!" gasped Ren. "He's getting serious!"

"To summon my best card…" continued Leroy. "The incredible Gilford the Legend!"

With a roar, a huge Warrior in black armor and a cape arose. He had flowing red hair, wore a mask over his eyes, and carried a giant sword. He raised it menacingly. (2,600/2,000)

"Whoa!" shouted Erik. "He's a big one, isn't he?"

"Yes, and just by summoning him…" continued Leroy, "I can Equip him with every Equip Card in my Graveyard, meaning that Lightning Blade and Divine Sword Phoenix Blade both go to him."

The two swords appeared, and were absorbed into Gilford's blade. (3,700/2,000)

"Not bad," said Erik. "Your Monster is awfully good with swords… can he handle cannons?"

"Wha? Cannons?" asked Leroy in surprise.

One of Erik's facedown cards lifted.

"Toy Cannon, to be precise…" he said. "You see, I knew you might have had Mystical Space Typhoon. The Gravity Bind was a decoy, to draw your attention away from the more important Traps."

A cannon appeared beside the Toy Soldiers, manned by two other Toy Soldiers. One of them quickly loaded a cannonball into it, and then the other rammed it down with a pole.

"What's happening?" asked Leroy, nervously.

"I'll show you," said Erik with a grin. "Ready… Aim…"

One of the Soldiers lit the fuse…

"FIRE!"

The Toy Soldiers all covered their ears with their hands, and the cannon blasted in a burst of flame and smoke, hitting Gilford in the chest with the projectile. He groaned and tumbled over, flooring Leroy on the way down.

"Ugh…" he muttered. "I know one toy I'm _not_ getting for my little sister this Christmas."

"Well you just lost 400 Life Points from that impact," said Erik, "and it moved your Monster to Defense Mode. And I'm not done… Funny that you called my Soldiers Lilliputians…"

His last Trap Card lifted.

"I activate Gulliver Chain!"

A mass of chains erupted from the ground around Gilford, and he roared as they grabbed hold of him. He struggled, but to no avail; they tied him up and secured him to the ground.

"What did you do?" shouted Leroy.

"Rendered your best Monster helpless," said Erik. "If you move him back into Attack Mode, those chains will tear him to pieces."

Leroy snarled.

"Well…" said Yumi with a grin. "Handsome, loyal, _and_ a pretty good duelist to boot. You sure know how to pick em, Sam."

"Yeah…" said Chelsea. "But how will Erik get at his Life Points now? Gilford has 2,000 Defense Points, and those Soldiers only have 800 Attack Points apiece."

"I'll show you…" said Erik. "I believe… It's my move!"

**(E: 7,400) -------------------- (L: 7,600)**

He drew a card.

"You ever hear the old saying, Leroy," said Erik, "that 'Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the Earth'?"

"Maybe so…" replied Leroy, "but until they do, the strong will be here to push them around!"

"We'll see…" said Erik.

"Next I play this…" he said, holding up a Spell Card, "it's called Forced March. It lets my Soldiers go right past that big lug and get to you.

"Ever see old Laurel and Hardy movies? Well we're about reenact one… _Babes in Toyland,_ otherwise known as…

"_March of the Wooden Soldiers_!"

The Toy Soldiers started to march forward.

"Go! Go! Go! Go! Go!" shouted Erik, as they advanced on Leroy.

Leroy took a step back…

And then the three Soldiers fell to their knees, panting for breath. Their Attack Scores dropped to 400 apiece.

"HA!" laughed Leroy. "They look too pooped to attack a Barbie doll!"

"Yeah?" asked Erik. "That's what this other Spell Card is for…"

He played another card.

"It's called Fife and Drum Corp."

Music started to play, and a parade of Toy Soldiers playing drums and flutes appeared, playing a rousing tune. Everyone recognized the familiar tune: "When Johnny Comes Marching Home".

"Oh, this is priceless!" said Chelsea with a laugh.

"There's nothing like a rousing tune to inspire someone," said Erik. "And I'll prove it… This Spell will give my Soldiers on the field their second wind, doubling their Attack Scores…"

The Toy Soldiers got up, and their Attack Scores went back up to 800 apiece. They aimed their muskets…

"Uh oh…" said Leroy.

With three blasts, three corklike projectiles struck the punk, hitting him in the chest, stomach, and left shin.

He fell to his knees and winced in pain.

"Ouch…" muttered Ren. "I felt that from here."

**(E: 7,400) -------------------- (L: 5,200)**

"All right Erik…" grumbled Leroy, as he slowly got up. "I'm not about to be beaten, and if I ever _am_ beaten, it sure as Hell ain't gonna be by a bunch of third-rate wimps!"

"If my Monsters are third-rate wimps, Leroy," replied Erik, crossing his arms, "it certainly doesn't say much for your skills as a duelist, seeing as I'm beating you."

Leroy glared at him.

He drew a card.

"See this?" he said, showing him the card, which was Pot of Greed. "It's called a real man's card, and I'm playing it now."

The Pot appeared on his side of the field, and he drew two cards.

"Perfect…" he said, looking at them. "I don't need Gilford right now, not when I have this guy… I summon the Armed Samurai Ben Kei!"

He played the card, and a battle-worn Warrior with a quiver of weapons on his back and a cowl over his head, dressed in ragged armor appeared on the field. He held a large naginata by his side. (500/800)

"And you called my Soldiers wimps?" asked Erik. "That guy is even weaker."

"Forget what kinds of cards I've been using?" asked Leroy. "Now I play two more Equips… Big Bang Shot and Fusion Sword Murasame Blade."

He fit them into his Disk. The first Equip didn't seem to do much, but the second replaced Ben Kei's spear with a long, sharp katana. (1,700/800)

"And guess what?" he continued. "Ben Kei gets an extra attack for every Equip he has!"

"Great…" said Ren. "That means he can wipe out all three of Erik's Soldiers…"

"Not only that…" added Chelsea, "with Big Bang Shot Equipped to him, Erik can't protect himself by defending."

"You got it," said Leroy. "Ben Kei, go! One!"

Ben Kei swung his sword, smashing one of the Soldiers to pieces.

"Two!"

He swung again, smashing the second one.

"Third time's the charm…"

With a third mighty blow, Ben Kei destroyed the last Soldier. Erik cringed.

**(E: 4,700) -------------------- (L: 5,200)**

"So…" said Leroy, with a smirk. "What do you say now?"

"I say…" said Erik, "it's my move…"

He drew a card.

"I play the Equip Spell, Symbol of Heritage," he said. "Since I have three of the same Monster in my Graveyard, this card lets me summon one of them back."

He fit the card into his Disk, and an odd variation on the more common ankh symbol appeared on his side of the field. A Toy Soldier appeared in a flash of light. (800/300)

"Now, I play a Spell Card called Crowning of the Emperor! I sacrifice my Toy Soldier…"

He played the card, and the Soldier held his gun to his side and saluted before he vanished in a burst of energy.

"And I summon a guy whom toys revere as their king. I'm not talking about Santa Claus, I'm talking about the Toy Emperor!"

In a flash, an imposing form appeared on the field. It was another toy soldier, but this one was dressed in an officer's uniform, again suggesting Revolution-era, his coat covered with medals, and wearing a flamboyant hat. He carried a long saber, and was mounted on a wooden horse. His eyes were narrow, and his mouth was carved into a frown – clearly, he didn't look too friendly. (2,300/800)

"Ho boy…" muttered Leroy.

"Eh…" said Chelsea. "On the other hand, who needs to defend?"

"Now Leroy…" said Erik. "Let me tell you a few things about Emperors… Throughout history, most of them have been fat, lazy slobs who liked being waited on, and never did an honest day's work in their lives. And when their nations were at war, they hid like cowards in their palaces where it was safe.

"The Toy Emperor isn't like that. In battle, he's on the front line, leading his troops, and charging at the enemy with his sword drawn.

"And the lesson you can learn from that is…"

He paused.

"Well, there's one in there somewhere, but I kinda forget what it is.

"Anyway, Toy Emperor, attack the Armed Samurai Ben Kei with imperial charge!"

Toy Emperor galloped forward on his mount, and clashed swords with Ben Kai. Then the Samurai's sword flew from his hand, and the Emperor's stabbed him in the chest. Armed Samurai Ben Kei burst into triangles.

"Toy Emperor has a special effect, by the way…" said Erik, taking his deck. "When he slays a Monster in battle, I get to take any Trap Card from my deck and add it to my hand."

He leafed through his deck and took a card.

_Mirror Force should do…_ he thought.

He smirked as he remembered his duel with that guy who used the Manticores. Toy Emperor had played an essential part of winning. He had both Curse of Anubis and Zero Gravity in his deck. So the first thing he did was take down one Manticore with Toy Emperor and Rush Recklessly, and use his effect to search for Zero Gravity. On his opponent's next turn he triggered it, and on his turn, he destroyed both Manticores, and searched for Curse of Anubis. He triggered THAT on his opponent's NEXT turn, and on his turn, he was able to destroy the annoying Beast-Warriors for the last time.

"And my turn isn't over…" he said. "First, I think I'll set it facedown…"

He fit the card into his Disk, and it appeared.

"Next," he continued, "I have just enough Monsters in my Graveyard to play… Pot of Avarice. It's an even better card than your so-called 'real man's' card if I use it at the right time, because before I draw twice, I get to return five Monsters to my deck from my Graveyard."

He played his last card. A goofy, pink satire of the Pot of Greed appeared in front of him. All three Toy Soldiers and his two Giant Rats slipped out of his discard slot. He combined them with his deck, reshuffled, and then drew two cards.

He looked at them.

"And since I haven't Normal Summoned for this turn yet," he finally said, "I'll set a Monster in Defense Mode."

He played the card, and a facedown Monster appeared.

**(E: 4,700) -------------------- (L: 4,600)**

"Erik is doing good, isn't he?" asked Sam.

"Yes, but he may have made an error," added Yumi. "He had Toy Emperor attack Ben Kei, when what he should have done was attack Gilford. I mean, what if Gilford gets free? He's far more dangerous."

Leroy drew a card and smirked.

"What indeed…" he said evilly. "What if Gilford gets free? Maybe we should find out! I play Heavy Storm!"

He held up the card, and a fierce wind erupted over the field. The Mirror Force lifted up and shattered, and then Erik's Gulliver Chain shattered as well. Gilford threw up his hands in rage, and snapped the chains like spaghetti.

"Now, I'll move him back to Attack Mode…" said Leroy.

Gilford stood up, and lifted his sword…

"Of course…" said Leroy, "since I played Heavy Storm, I had to destroy those two Equips he had. But no matter… I can get one of them back. I'll simply remove Marauding Captain and Ben Kei from play…"

He took the two cards from his discard slot and placed them in his jacket.

"And that activates the effect of my Divine Sword Phoenix Blade, returning it to my hand."

He took the Spell Card from the slot.

"Now I'll just Equip it to Gilford again…"

The sword was absorbed into Gilford's Sword, and he rose to an Attack of 2,900.

"And Gilford, pay that toy back for the humiliation! Attack!"

Gilford the Legend roared, and slammed his blade down on Toy Emperor. Erik shielded himself as an explosion rocked his field.

**(E: 4,100) -------------------- (L: 4,600)**

Erik growled.

He drew a card.

"I'll place this in Defense Mode, and end my turn…" he said.

A facedown Monster appeared.

"Aw, what's wrong?" said Leroy, drawing a card. "Mad because your sorry excuses for Monsters are gone? You know, if you keep breaking your toys, your mommy isn't gonna buy you any new ones!"

Erik glared at him.

Leroy played a Spell Card.

"I play Fairy of the Spring," he said. "A sissy name, I know, but very useful. Now I can take an Equip Card from my Graveyard and add it to my hand. Only catch is, I have to wait until next turn to use it."

He took a card from his discard slot.

He looked at the Fusion Sword card.

"Now, Gilford… Destroy the Monster on the left!"

Gilford swung his sword down…

Leroy was shocked to see that it was another Giant Rat. It was blown to pieces.

"No way!" he shouted. "You had three of them?"

"Yes," said Erik. "I have a LOT of Monsters in my deck that they could summon. But it could be one of the first two that I put back in my deck with Pot of Avarice… who knows?

"And since I also put back all three Toy Soldiers… Guess who's back…"

A Toy Soldier appeared again. (800/300)

"Fine…" said Leroy. "Even if you use that two-card trick again, you won't beat me. Do you even _have_ a Monster this powerful?"

Erik drew.

"Yes I do…" he said with a smile. "And I just drew him!

"First, I'll activate Toy Soldier's effect, to summon the other two."

In two bursts of energy, the other two Toy Soldiers appeared.

"Next, I'll play Premature Burial, to bring back my Toy Emperor."

He played the card, and Toy Emperor reappeared, rising out of the ground. (2,300/800)

"Hold on!" shouted Leroy. "I thought that guy was a NOMI!"

"No he isn't," replied Erik. "Did I ever say he was? There's just a Spell Card that can summon him with a shortcut.

"Now where was I?

"Oh yeah… I'll flip-summon my facedown Monster… My Magician of Faith."

His card flipped, and the petite, ponytailed Spellcaster in her tunic carrying her staff topped with a crescent moon appeared. (300/400)

"I'll use her effect, getting back my Fife and Drum Corp…"

The Spell Card slipped out of his discard slot.

"Sorry, Erik, but I saw the text on that card," said Leroy. "It only works on Monsters whose Attack Score is 1,000 or less. You can't defeat Gilford with it."

"Want to see my rarest card?" asked Erik, waving his last card. "This guy is a Level Seven Monster, but due to one of his effects, I can summon him with one sacrifice if the Monster I'm sacrificing has the word 'Toy' in its name.

"This toy isn't recommended for children younger than seven.

"I sacrifice one Toy Soldier…"

A Toy Soldier vanished.

"To summon… my best card… Possessing twenty-four points of articulation, made in the USA, batteries not included… the _Toy Dragon_!"

In an explosion of energy, a huge creature appeared on Erik's side of the field. It was shaped like a dragon, and seemingly built out of colored, plastic blocks. It's eyes glowed red, and it stood on its hind legs, bearing its claws. (2,300/2,000)

"It still can't beat Gilford!" shouted Leroy.

"Oh no?" asked Erik. "It has another special effect. It gains 400 more Attack Points for every Monster I have on the field with the word 'Toy' in its name, other than itself. And I have three more."

Toy Dragon glowed, and rose to an Attack of 3,500.

"No…" gulped Leroy.

"Now…" said Erik, "I play Fife and Drum Corp again!"

He played the card, and the marching band appeared again. The two remaining Toy Soldiers rose to 1,600 Attack, and Magician of Faith rose to 600 Attack.

"Toy Dragon…" commanded Erik, "attack Gilford the Legend! Shooting star shower!"

Toy Dragon breathed out a blast of sparkling, glowing motes in a concentrated steam. Gilford groaned, and then burst in an explosion of pixels.

"My best Monster…" moaned Leroy. "Beaten by something… made of Legos…"

"Toy Soldiers, Toy Emperor…" said Erik, "attack directly!"

The three toys charged forward. The Soldiers fired their muskets, and the Emperor slashed with his blade. Leroy fell flat on his face.

**(E: 3,300) -------------------- (L: 0)**

Yumi's group started to cheer.

"On your feet, Duel King of Chicago," said Erik, walking up to him. "You owe me that card, and you owe Sam an apology."

"And what if I don't?" said Leroy with a scowl.

Erik looked at him.

"Then I'll tell everyone I meet on this island that I beat you, and then I'll show them the cards I used to do so. Then I'll tell them where to look on the internet to see it. Your reputation as a duelist will plummet, Mr. Leroy Brown…"

Leroy gave a look of horror…

He slowly walked up to Sam.

"Works every time…" said Erik with a smug smile.

"I… sincerely… apologize for slapping you…" muttered Leroy.

"Now the card…" said Erik.

Leroy's hand shook as he gave him the Gilford the Legend card.

"Remember this the next time you want to treat a woman with disrespect," said Erik. "Now leave…"

Leroy started walking away.

"Faster!" shouted Erik.

Leroy ran, and was out of sight the next minute.

Erik looked at his badge, which was now at Blue.

Sam ran up and hugged him.

"My hero!" she shouted.

"Yeah…" he said. "Now what the heck am I gonna do with a Gilford the Legend?"

"Don't worry, sweetie," she replied. "I know a place on Duelatopia where you can trade cards. You can find something that better suits your deck."

Yumi came up to them.

"Uhm, Erik…" she said, "congratulations, but…

"Uhm, why toys?"

Erik looked at her and smirked.

"Why not?" he answered.

Behind a nearby building, Leroy Brown seethed in anger.

He placed a cigarette in his mouth and took a lighter from his pocket.

Then he opened his side deck, and took out a second Gilford the Legend card.

_That was humiliating…_ he thought.

He flicked the lighter and lit the cigarette. Then he looked at the Fusion Sword card.

_One round… All I needed was one round, damn it, and he would have been stronger than that Dragon… _

_No-one humiliates Bad Leroy Brown and gets away with it…_

_But I'll stay away from him for now… Once I get high in the rankings, I'm sending his toys to the discount bin…_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The fortuneteller looked at the four cards on the table.

She slowly revealed the top card on her deck, and placed it next to The Magician.

She smiled when she saw what it was. The image bore a nude man and a woman, embracing in a lush Garden of Eden.

"The Lovers," she said. "The meaning could not be clearer. Erik's purpose in this tournament is both to woo and protect his beloved. Regardless of what drew him to her in the first place, his loyalty to her is great.

"Still, that does not mean Erik will follow blindly. I feel he has a major role to play in what is about to happen…"

She picked up The High Priestess.

"My ally is about to meet with the one who is at the center of this group. I must prepare…"

She took her deck of Tarot cards and shuffled them into a full deck. She placed it on the center of the table.

Her eyes glowed with violet light, and the Tarot deck glowed. The cards reduced in size, and the design on the backs changed.

Her eyes turned back to normal, and the glowing stopped. Where the Tarot deck had been was now a deck of forty Duel Monsters cards.

She picked it up, and looked through it.

She nodded.

She reached under the table, and placed a second Tarot deck on the table. This one wasn't as powerful as the other one, but then, she didn't intend to do a serious reading with it.

She got up, and walked towards the back room.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

It was nine o'clock.

Yumi was sitting on her bed in her nightgown, quite tired from the events of the first day. She was speaking on the phone, having just received a call from home.

"Yeah, dad," she said, twirling the cord with her finger. "It's been eventful. Lots of dueling, lots of sights. No problems yet, I'm glad to say…"

"Just be careful," said the voice of her father. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

Yumi giggled.

"You wagered your soul in a duel against a demon from Hell," she said with a grin.

"I stand corrected," he replied. "Just be careful. Try not to play the hero. It may be tempting, but Arachne has a practical army ready to handle problems.

"Sleep tight. Your mother and I will e-mail you. And we'll watch your duels on the website."

Yumi hung up and yawned. She took the Puzzle off from around her neck.

She wondered what she would wish for if she won the tournament. She wasn't greedy… When her father had won, he had made a selfless wish – for KaibaCorp to pay for the weddings of Ren and Chelsea's parents, enabling them to have the weddings of their dreams…

There was a knock on the door.

Yumi raised an eyebrow.

Who could that be? She hadn't ordered room service or asked for fresh linens…

If a Mouto received a surprise guest, it was usually bad news.

She picked up her Duel Disk and slipped it on. If the visitor meant her harm, it would make an effective club.

She held the knob for a second, and then threw the door open.

"Take it easy, child," said the visitor. "You are quite tense."

Yumi looked at the strange old woman. She looked about seventy or so, with a worn face and grey hair. She wore an old shawl over an old, red dress, and her left eye was covered by an eyepatch.

The lack of an eye seemed to be the only debilitating thing that age had done to her. No trace of arthritis was in her hands, and she stood up straight, although she was only about as tall as Yumi. Her teeth were still white and intact.

"Who are you?" asked Yumi.

"My name is Maria, child," said the old woman. "I'm someone with an… interest in this resort…"

"You can't be a duelist…" said Yumi. "You look about as old as my grandparents."

"Heh, heh…" laughed Maria. "I was once _quite_ a duelist, Yumi. As you say, I am as old as your grandparents, and like them, I was a contestant in Battle City. I won six locator cards too… But sadly, when I won the sixth, it was too late… Eight finalists had already been chosen.

"To think, if the Evil Spirit who had possessed Bakura was not so underhanded in getting there, I might have been on that blimp…"

"You should be glad you missed it," said Yumi. "Terrible things happened during the finals. You might have met the same fate as Mai…"

Maria chuckled.

"I knew all about the God Cards, Yumi…" she replied. "And I had a card… an incredibly rare card… I could have used it to destroy Slifer, Obelisk, OR Ra! It didn't matter which…"

Yumi gave her a strange look.

"Spells and Traps couldn't destroy them…" she muttered.

"Aha…" said Maria. "I knew that. This card, this anti-God card, would attack the target indirectly. It was an Equip Spell, that would make any Warrior-Type Monster, even one as weak as Joey Wheeler's Swordsman of Landstar, powerful enough to defeat an Egyptian God Monster… If it was used right."

Yumi stared at her.

"This card…" she muttered. "Do you have it with you?"

Maria paused.

She looked down the corridor to her right, and then to her left.

"You bet I have it with me…" she replied, taking a card out of her dress.

Yumi's eyes flashed with excitement. The thought of seeing such a card…

"One condition…" said Maria, lifting a finger. "I'll show it to you, but keep quiet about this. This card is incredibly rare, and if folks knew I had it…"

"My lips are sealed," said Yumi.

Maria handed her the card, and Yumi looked at it. The name of the card was Divine Mallet Mjölnir. She understood the name. Mjölnir was the name of Thor's hammer, which could destroy anything.

She read the description on the card.

She was amazed. It had a hefty price, but it could theoretically work… The Warrior Equipped with this card could indeed destroy any of the Egyptian God Monsters…

It wasn't foolproof, though. The duelist using it would have to find some way to protect said Monster from Slifer's second set of jaws, or Obelisk's mighty Fist of Fate, or Ra's Phoenix Mode. But other than that…

She handed the card back.

"What do you want, Maria?" asked Yumi.

"I needed to tell you Yumi, that evil is indeed afoot on this island," said Maria. "Just what the nature of this evil is, I can't say for certain yet. But it will come for you and your friends eventually.

"And you cannot avoid it, for defeating it is the key to winning freedom for your spiritual guide."

Yumi was puzzled. Then Maria took a business card from her dress.

"This belongs to an ally of mine," she said. "Why not pay her a visit? She can open your eyes much wider, let you see things that you were once blind to."

Yumi looked at the card:

**Madame Cassandra**

**Fortunes told! Futures revealed!**

**Open 9PM to 3AM**

Underneath that was an address.

"Strange hours for a business," said Yumi.

"Her most powerful abilities only work at night," said Maria. "I must leave you now… I'm certain we will meet again."

She turned and walked away.

Yumi looked at the card.

And she did notice four stars in the upper left corner.

She tossed it on her bedside table and crawled into bed.

"Fortunetellers," she muttered. "That's a laugh…"

She turned off the light, but she found it very hard to sleep…

_After watching what appeared to be the final duel of the day, a mysterious woman comes out of the shadows. What does she want? What does this mean? And who is this strange ally she is speaking of? Day One may not quite be over just yet…_

**0**

**0**

**0**

**TOY SOLDIER (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute:** Earth  
**Level:** 3  
**ATK:** 800  
**DEF:** 300

**Card Description:** If this card is on your side of the field during your Standby Phase, you may Special Summon up to two "Toy Soldiers" from your hand or deck.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**TOY EMPEROR (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute:** Earth  
**Level:** 6  
**ATK:** 2,300  
**DEF:** 800

**Card Description:** When this card destroys an opposing Monster as a result of battle and sends it to the Graveyard, search your deck for one Trap Card and add it to your hand.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**TOY CANNON (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image:** A toy, Revolution-era cannon manned by Toy Soldiers.

**Card Description:** Shift one opposing Monster into Defense Position. Inflict 400 points of damage to your opponent's Life Points.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**GULLIVER CHAIN (Trap Card)**

**Continuous Trap**

**Image:** A group of Toy Soldiers amid a tangle of chains.

**Card Description:** You can activate this card when the battle position of an opposing Monster switches. Place that Monster in face-up Defense Position. If that Monster switches to Attack Position while this card is in play, destroy the Monster and this card.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**FORCED MARCH (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** A squad of exhausted Toy Soldiers marching up a staircase.

**Card Description:** During the turn you activate this card, the ATK of the Monsters on your side of the field is halved, and they may attack your opponent directly.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**FIFE AND DRUM CORP (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** A parade of Toy Soldiers with drums and fifes.

**Card Description:** During the turn you activate this card, the ATK of all Monsters on your side of the field whose ATK is 1,000 or less is doubled.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**CROWNING OF THE EMPEROR (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** An elaborate crown, with a spotlight on it.

**Card Description:** Offer one "Toy Soldier" on your side of the field as a Tribute. Special Summon one "Toy Emperor" from your deck.

_Note: The proceeding seven cards were first used by Bonaparte in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Dormitory Demolition". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode. (Also, this version of "Toy Soldier" is a different version than the one used by Little Yugi in "Yu-Gi-Oh R".)_

**0**

**0**

**0**

**TOY DRAGON (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Dragon/Effect  
**Attribute:** Light  
**Level:** 7  
**ATK:** 2,300  
**DEF:** 2,000

**Card Description:** This card can be Normal Summoned with one Tribute if the Monster you use as a Tribute has the word "Toy" in its name. This card gains 400 points to its ATK for every Monster on your side of the field with the word "Toy" in its name, excluding this one.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**Yumi: Wish I could sleep… Something odd is in the air…**

**Ren: I won two duels today and a free dinner to boot… I should be happy, so why can't I sleep?**

**Chelsea: The spirits seem restless tonight… What is going on?**

**Cassandra: Not sleeping well, children? Worry not… I will make it better…**

**Coming up next, "Vision of Things to Come; Yumi versus the Deck of Fate". **

**As the wheels of destiny start to turn on Duelatopia… **


	11. Vision of Things to Come

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CHAPTER TEN**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Vision of Things to Come**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Yumi versus the Deck of Fate**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

Yumi was tossing and turning in her sleep.

She envisioned herself in the grand Coliseum, after being declared the winner of the tournament…

"I wish…" she muttered. "I wish… I wish…"

Her eyes snapped open.

She hit the pillow with her fist.

"I wish I could get some sleep!" she shouted.

She looked at the clock. It was ten-thirty PM.

"Blasted jet lag…" she muttered. "Or maybe I just ate too much at that restaurant…"

She lay on her back for a few minutes…

She turned on the bedside light.

Her hand fell on that strange business card. She looked at it again.

**Madame Cassandra**

**Fortunes told! Futures revealed!**

**Open 9PM to 3AM**

"So…" she said. "It's some crazy fortuneteller… Dad warned me about fortunetellers…"

He had indeed. The one time her grandfather had trusted a fortuneteller, it turned out to be Bandit Keith in disguise, who had been turned into a puppet by Marik. The enslaved Keith swiped the Puzzle and forced him to duel, without the Pharaoh to help him. Yugi likely would have won anyway, but before he could, Keith broke free, went nuts from having his mind controlled, and started a fire in the building. Yugi had been lucky to get out alive.

That was the elder Yugi Mouto's first encounter with Marik, actually. Fortunately, it was also the last anyone ever saw of Keith. If Yumi's grandparents had to guess, he likely died after an overdose of some sort…

Still, Marik was an old man now, his Rod in Shadi's possession. Likely this fortuneteller was nothing more than some charlatan psychic who read palms for people's amusement…

There was no sleep in her tonight… So it was a choice of either checking this out or renting a movie on the hotel's pay channel.

She looked at the movie list.

She had seen all of them at least twice each.

Quickly, she got up and got dressed. An inner voice told her to take her Disk – maybe another night owl was out, and he'd want to duel. You never knew.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Clock Tower Prison was visible in the distance from where she was. It slowly inched towards eleven o'clock.

The building was a strange one. It looked like it would be hard to miss. But Yumi had passed this spot twice the previous day, and had not noticed it.

Above the door was a sign that looked similar to the Shadow of Eyes card – two sinister-looking female eyes. Under them were the words "Madame Cassandra, Fortuneteller Extraordinaire".

Yumi sighed and went in. As she closed the door, she heard the ominous tolling of the clock tower.

She was immediately met by the smell of incense and saffron. The dim room was illuminated by dozens of candles. Old and strange artifacts were around, reminiscent of the New Age – dream catchers hung from the walls, strange statuettes made of wood or wax hung on shelves, and weird items that she couldn't even identify hung as ornaments.

A table with a green tablecloth was at the center of the room. A deck of cards was placed in the center.

Yumi looked at them. They weren't Duel Monsters cards. Duel Monsters cards were smaller, and had a different design on the backs…

She looked towards a doorway where a curtain of beaded strings served as the door.

_Someone was coming!_

A young woman, who seemed to be about age twenty-five or so, pushed the beads aside. She was a raven-haired beauty, dressed in the attire of the classic European gypsies. Her eyes were deep green, and almost hypnotic.

"May I help you?" she asked.

"No! I was just leaving!" cried Yumi, turning towards the door.

"Stay!" shouted the woman.

Yumi froze…

"Don't be afraid, Yumi…" said the woman, "I don't bite…"

"How did you… know my name?" asked Yumi.

"Madame Cassandra knows many things," said the woman, sitting at the table. "Things that are not revealed to just anyone…

"In my visions, I have seen a myriad of realms and realities, where bizarre and unpleasant things happen that you could not imagine. If you saw some of these things, you'd be appalled…

"Have a seat…"

Yumi slowly sat down, shivering at the sight of those eyes.

Cassandra took the odd deck of cards, and spread it on the table in a jumbled mess.

"I know your concern, Yumi," she said. "You fear that evil is coming, and like your parents and grandparents before you, you must stop it. Perhaps I can help."

She arranged the cards back into a deck, and shuffled them.

"Cut," she said.

Yumi cut the cards, noticing that it was a small deck – about half the size of a dueling deck.

"Yes, Yumi," said Cassandra. "Only twenty-two cards. A deck for a more serious reading would use a deck that had seventy-eight, but I have something better in mind after this is done."

She combined the cards. Then she took four cards off the deck, one by one, and placed them on the table facedown.

"Let's see what the cards of the Tarot reveal to us," she said.

She turned the first card over.

"It is the card that represents you, Yumi," she said. "The High Priestess. The divine feminine, and a guardian of secrets. You are the holder of divine power, and possess great potential."

Yumi didn't know what to say. Cassandra reached for the second card.

It bore the image of a man in a red robe and a golden helmet, seated on a throne holding an orb and a staff.

"The Hierophant," she said. "It represents a partner, a counsel, a spiritual guide. Someone who stands by you with advice…"

Yumi looked to her right, and saw the Pharaoh standing there. He was listening intently, with his arms crossed.

"Continue…" said Yumi.

Cassandra reached for the third card.

"Oh my…" she said.

The card was a frightening picture of a castle being struck by lightning.

"The Tower…" mumbled Cassandra. "The symbol of destruction and failure… I fear that this means something bad lurks in your future…"

"What?" gasped Yumi.

"Perhaps the last card will give some insight," replied Cassandra.

She flipped it around.

It was an odd picture. It showed the image of a group of people kneeling before a fiery, angelic figure on a wasteland.

"Yes, this is a positive card," said Cassandra. "Judgment. It symbolizes rebirth, and rewards for past efforts…

"But it has another meaning… The need to make a final choice, and accept a new life…"

She returned the cards to the deck.

"Of course, Yumi, like I said, that wasn't a serious reading. I have something for you that will let me see more.

"I practice a special form of fortunetelling that few others do – I call it Duelomancy…"

"What is…" started Yumi.

Cassandra's eyes started to glow with purple light. Yumi froze in fear. She felt like running away screaming, but she was rooted to the spot.

Before she could do anything, Cassandra snapped her fingers, and the walls of the room melted away…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Yumi looked around.

She was standing in a dark place, with fog covering the ground. She looked up, and to her sides and above, all she could see was darkness.

Uncanny darkness…

"Yumi," said the voice of the Pharaoh. "We're somewhere else. This Cassandra is either a master of FX, or has strange powers. She may be dangerous. We must be on guard."

Cassandra appeared in front of Yumi, twenty paces away.

Her eyes shimmered…

"Here is how Duelomancy works, Yumi," she said. "A battle of Duel Monsters must take place. Consider me a Bonus of Duelatopia.

"Say no, and I'll simply return you safely to your bed. Accept, and we will duel. If you win, you will be upgraded to Blue, and my eyes will open to your future better than ever.

"Lose, and nothing…"

Yumi paused.

"Okay…" she said. "I accept. But… You don't even have a Disk."

"I don't use a Disk," answered Cassandra. "I duel using far more primeval methods…"

She lifted her arms, and a table with a white cloth on it appeared out of the mist. A deck was on the right-hand side.

"Please…" said Yumi. "There's likely a holographic generator under that table, right?"

"You are awfully skeptical for someone who has the spirit of a five-thousand year old pharaoh living inside her," replied Cassandra.

Yumi stared at her. She gulped.

"So…" she said, nervously. "Is this some sort of Shadow Game?"

"No," replied Cassandra. "A Shadow Game creates Monsters from a dimension of darkness and evil. Sorcerers call it Tenebreos, although some know it as the Shadow Realm. It is a void of madness and entropy that connects both to our dimension and to Hell itself.

"This game will be more benign. It will conjure our beasts from a realm of pure thought. The Astral Plane is what most call it. It is, simply put, a Game of the Mind.

"But don't worry, Yumi… I'm not trying to take your soul. That is what I'm hoping to prevent in the future."

"Okay…" said Yumi. "I can live with that…"

The Puzzle glowed, and in a flash of light, the change overtook her.

"Game on!" she said, as her Disk activated.

"Let the Game of the Mind commence," said Cassandra.

**(Yumi: 8,000) -------------------- (Cassandra: 8,000)**

Yumi drew five cards from her deck and looked at them. Cassandra, however, took five cards off the top of her deck, one by one, and placed them in front of her, facedown.

"Uh…" said Yumi, "you know, it helps if you look at them…"

"Not always…" replied Cassandra. "You may make the first move…"

"All right!" said Yumi, drawing a card.

_Perfect!_ she thought. _I got Mirror Force on my first draw!_

"I place one card facedown," she said, placing it in her Disk, "and then summon Magician's Valkyria."

The facedown card appeared, and then Valkyria appeared, brandishing her staff. (1,600/1,800)

"That will do for my first move…" said Yumi.

Cassandra took a sixth card from her deck, and placed it next to the others.

"Let's see," she said, choosing a card. "I'll start with a Spell Card… It's called Vision."

She set the card down, and the air rippled behind her with colors of pink and purple. A pair of evil-looking hypnotic eyes appeared in the colors, glaring menacingly at Yumi.

Both Yumi and Valkyria drew back in fear.

"Don't be afraid…" said Cassandra. "It can't hurt you… yet!

"This card lets me reveal the top card of my deck, and show it to you…"

She took the card.

"Mmm-hmm," she said. "It is a Monster that represents something your spiritual guide has longed for, for many years."

She showed her the card.

"It is called Arcana Force XI: Justice."

"So now what?" asked Yumi.

"Now," said Cassandra, placing it in her deck, "I shuffle this card into my deck, and if it is played during the course of the duel, you lose 1,000 Life Points."

"In that case," said Yumi, walking up to her, "just to make sure, I'm going to cut it."

"Go right ahead," said Cassandra, pushing the deck towards her. "As a prophet, I have been called a liar and a twister of truths several times, but I assure you, that is only the case with con artists who seek to make money from the gullible. You notice I didn't ask you for a dime."

Yumi looked at her. Then she started to vigorously shuffle.

"Still think I would resort to cheating?" asked Cassandra. "You need to have more trust in people, Yumi."

Yumi placed the deck back on the table, and went back to her position.

"Continuing my turn…" said Cassandra, "I will summon…"

She placed a card before her.

"Arcana Force 0: The Fool!"

In a flash of light, a tall figure appeared in front of her. It looked like a collection of golden spheres, arranged in the shape of a humanoid body. Where the head would be was a dramatic mask of comedy, and over that was a cavalier hat with a feathered plume. It let out a loud cackle. (1,000/1,000)

"And what's he gonna do?" asked Yumi.

"Watch," said Cassandra.

A card appeared over The Fool's head. It was the card Cassandra had played to summon it. Then it started to rotate clockwise.

"That card is going to spin until you tell it to stop," said Cassandra. "If it lands upright, I can destroy one of your Spell or Trap Cards. But if it lands inverted, you can destroy one of my Spell or Trap Cards."

"Fifty-fifty chance, huh?" asked Yumi. "Okay… Stop!"

The card slowly came to a halt…

It was right-side-up.

"Darn…" said Yumi.

The Fool's "eyes" glowed, and Yumi's Trap Card was blown to pieces.

"Don't worry, Yumi," said the Pharaoh. "Valkyria is still stronger than that thing."

Yumi nodded.

"My move comes to a close," said Cassandra, "so it's time for you to see what fate has dealt you."

Yumi drew a card.

"I'll place another card facedown…" she said.

She fit it into her Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

"Valkyria… Attack The Fool!"

Valkyria blasted a beam of magical energy, striking the creature. It didn't shatter into triangles, but burst into globules of light, which dissipated.

"Weird…" muttered Yumi. "Uh… I'll end my turn."

**(Y: 8,000) -------------------- (C: 7,400)**

Cassandra drew a card.

"I play Pot of Charity," she said, placing a card on the table. "Now, I will remove one Light Monster in my grave from play, in order to draw three times. Naturally, I will remove The Fool."

She moved the card out of her discard pile, and then took three cards from her deck, placing them with the others.

"Next, I'll place a facedown card of my own…"

She placed a card on the table, and a facedown card appeared.

"Then I will summon Arcana Force VII: The Chariot."

She played the card, and a creature appeared that was even stranger than The Fool. It looked like a saucer-shaped mechanism with eyes all around its center; underneath it were two weapons that looked like hoses, and on top was a group of hands pointing up. (1,700/1,700)

"Okay…" muttered Yumi. "You know, this would make a good movie… You could call it _War of the Weirds_."

"And once again…" said Cassandra, disregarding the remark.

The Chariot's card appeared above it and started to spin.

"Are all your Monsters like this?" asked Yumi.

"Of course," said Cassandra. "And this one is more powerful. If it lands upright, I gain control of any Monster it destroys in battle. But if it lands inverted, you gain control of it if it is destroyed in battle."

"Ergh…" muttered Yumi. "Stop!"

The card slowed…

It stopped… and was upside down.

"HA!" laughed Yumi. "Looks like you lost that toss!"

"Perhaps…" said Cassandra. "But it still has more Attack Points than your Spellcaster.

"Attack her Magician's Valkyria. Master blast."

The Chariot flew forward and shot a blast of pure light from its hoses…

"I activate Rush Recklessly!" shouted Yumi.

Her facedown card lifted, and Valkyria shot up to an Attack of 2,300. She cast her spell, and The Chariot's blast backfired. It exploded.

Then, with a ripple of light, The Chariot appeared next to Magician's Valkyria.

Then the card appeared above it, and started to spin again.

"Now I get to tell it when to stop…" said Cassandra.

She paused.

"Stop right there!" she exclaimed.

The card stopped, and was upside-down again.

Then Cassandra actually laughed.

"Yumi…" she said with a chuckle. "If I had a dollar for the number of times this crazy Monster has done this… in my last duel, it changed owners four times before it stayed dead!"

"Yeah, I guess it is kinda funny…" said Yumi, drawing a card.

**(Y: 8,000) -------------------- (C: 6,800)**

"And thanks for the Monster, by the way…

"I sacrifice Magician's Valkyria and The Chariot, to summon Dark Magician of Chaos!"

The two Monsters shattered, and the mighty chaos mage arose, twirling his staff. (2,800/2,600)

"Now I get one Spell Card back from my Graveyard back…"

Rush Recklessly slipped out of her discard slot, and she took it.

"Next… I play Monster Reborn to bring back Valkyria."

She played the card, and the ankh appeared. Valkyria stepped forward. (1,600/1,800)

"Now, Valkyria…" ordered Yumi, "attack Cassandra directly!"

Valkyria fired her blast, and Cassandra cringed as it hit her.

"Dark Magician of Chaos, you too. Scepter strike."

The sorcerer twirled his staff, and fired a lethal beam of black magic. Cassandra cried out in pain and fell backwards.

"So…" said Yumi. "Did you predict that _that_ would happen? I'll place a card facedown, and end my turn."

A facedown card appeared behind the two Spellcasters.

**(Y: 8,000) -------------------- (C: 2,400)**

_And to think I was scared of her… _thought Yumi._ This is just another duel… And not a very hard one at that._

Cassandra slowly got up and returned to her table. Her eyes glowed again. Yumi fidgeted…

She drew a card, and placed it with the others.

She played a card.

"I summon Arcana Force I: The Magician," she said.

She played the card, and a thin, almost gaunt figure with two glowing eyes and nothing else on its featureless face, spindly limbs, and dressed in a colorful – if gaudy – outfit appeared in front of her. (1,100/1,100)

"That's weak…" said Yumi.

"We'll see…" said Cassandra. "This might seem familiar to you…"

The card appeared above The Magician, and started to spin.

"If it lands upright," said Cassandra, "then during a round that a Spell Card is played, its Attack Score doubles. But if it lands inverted, then any round that a Spell Card is played, it gives you 500 Life Points."

_Okay, calm down… _thought Yumi._ All she's doing is playing a very exotic Gamble Deck…_

"Stop!" she shouted.

The card stopped.

It landed upright.

_Oh well… _thought Yumi._ When it tries to attack Valkyria, I'll trigger my Rush Recklessly, and even double Attack Points won't be enough._

"Continuing my turn…" said Cassandra. "I play this Spell Card…"

A Spell Card appeared above her. It was an ominous card bearing the image of several swords embedded in the ground under a sky with a crescent moon.

"Suit of Swords X," she said, as the card began to spin. "If this card lands upright, all of your Monsters are destroyed. If it lands inverted, all of mine are destroyed."

Yumi drew back nervously...

She tried to keep calm. If she won this toss, she'd win the duel…

"Stop!" she shouted.

The Suit of Swords X card slowly came to a stop…

Yumi groaned when it stopped in an upright position.

A shower of swords fell on her side of the field, piercing Magician's Valkyria and Dark Magician of Chaos and blasting them to shards.

"Next, I activate my Trap Card," continued Cassandra, as her facedown card lifted. "Ace of Wand."

The card bore the image of a wand with a glowing green tip, and once again, it began to spin.

"Now what?" shouted Yumi.

"Now," replied Cassandra, "if it lands upright, you gain Life Points equal to the combined Attack Scores of the Monsters that were just destroyed. Inverted, and you lose that much."

"Wait…" said Yumi. "You mean inverted is bad for me this time?"

Cassandra didn't answer…

Yumi started to sweat… That was 4,400 Life Points!

"You hesitate?" asked Cassandra. "The wheels of fate lie in your hands…"

Yumi grit her teeth.

"Stop!" she shouted.

The Trap Card stopped. Yumi groaned again when she saw that it was upside-down.

A beam of energy shot from the card and struck Yumi. She screamed in pain.

"Don't forget…" said Cassandra, "since I played a Spell Card, the Attack Score of The Magician is doubled, to 2,200.

"Attack Yumi directly. Spheroid stream."

The Magician formed a ball of pure energy, and hurled it, striking Yumi in the chest. She fell over and winced in pain.

"My turn ends, so its Attack Score returns to 1,100," said Cassandra. "It is your move…"

**(Y: 1,400) -------------------- (C: 2,400)**

_Good grief… _thought Yumi, getting up_. I was winning this duel a minute ago, and now…_

"That's right, Yumi…" said Cassandra, as if she had said it out loud. "You ever hear the saying that there are no absolutes in life? The only absolute there is, is the one that says there are no absolutes.

"You thought victory was in your grasp, but I turned it around quickly. Fortunes can change, and one's advantage can fluctuate with but a single incident. A small change can cause a domino effect that can result in big changes, which result in even bigger ones…

"And I believe it was you who told your companions…

"The duel is not over… until the last card is played!"

Yumi looked at her… She shivered…

She drew a card.

"I play…" she started.

Then she stopped. She looked at The Magician.

_Oh, right… _she thought._ If I play a Spell Card, its Attack Score doubles. Better wait…_

She returned it to her hand, and placed a card on her Disk.

"I summon Skilled Dark Magician," she said.

She played the card, and the robed mage appeared. (1,900/1,700)

"Attack her sorry excuse for a magician!" she shouted angrily.

Skilled Dark Magician fired his black magic, and The Magician burst in globules of light.

**(Y: 1,400) -------------------- (C: 1,600)**

"I'll end my turn there, Cassandra," she said. "So what next?"

Cassandra drew a card.

"I play… Pot of Greed…" she said.

She placed a card on her table, and a much more familiar card appeared. She took two cards.

"My Skilled Dark Magician thanks you," said Yumi with a grin, as one of the Spellcaster's three collar-disks lit up.

"We'll see…" said Cassandra, taking another Spell Card. "I'll play a new Spell Card…"

She played the card, and an odd Spell Card appeared. It bore the image of a hand reaching for two Tarot cards.

"Selection of Fate," said Cassandra. "It's quite simple… You choose a card from my hand, and if it's a Monster, I get to Special Summon it."

Yumi's eyes narrowed.

"So, it's like a Spell version of A Hero Emerges?" she asked.

Cassandra just looked at her. Yumi walked up to the table.

"Yumi!" said the Pharaoh's voice. "Be very careful. She likely played that card because one of those cards is something powerful."

"You don't think I know that?" asked Yumi.

She nervously stood in front of Cassandra and looked at the four cards on the table that consisted of her hand. How she was able to play without looking at them, she had no idea.

Her hand moved to one…

Then she reconsidered and moved to another.

"That one…" she said.

Cassandra sighed, and flipped over the card.

Yumi drew back in fear…

It was Arcana Force XI: Justice.

The evil eyes of the Vision card appeared behind Cassandra again, and Yumi screamed as they bored into her…

**(Y: 400) -------------------- (C: 1,600)**

Then she drew back in horror, as a huge form appeared in front of her. It was the female figure of Justice, ten feet tall, apparently made of metal, holding a sword in its right hand and a set of scales in its left. It pointed its sword menacingly at Yumi. (2,100/2,100)

"Calm down, Yumi," said Cassandra. "As always, this may work to your benefit…"

The card appeared above Justice's head, and started to spin.

"If this card lands upright, then when Justice is destroyed, you lose 2,000 Life Points. But if it lands inverted, when it's destroyed, I'll lose 2,000 Life Points."

Yumi started to sweat…

"STOP!" she shouted.

The card stopped.

To her horror, it landed right side up.

"Very well," said Cassandra. "Justice, destroy her Skilled Dark Magician."

Justice raised its sword…

Yumi backed up… She was about to trigger her facedown card.

_No! _she thought._ My facedown card is Rush Recklessly… But if Justice is destroyed, I lose!_

Justice slammed its sword down, smashing Skilled Dark Magician to bits.

**(Y: 200) -------------------- (C: 1,600)**

Yumi fell to her knees…

She just realized something…

She had lost.

_I can't win… _she thought_. I have no cards in my deck that can reduce her Life Points without attacking – my deck wasn't designed for such things. And if I destroy that Monster… I lose…_

_I've lost…_

"The turn is still mine, Yumi…" said Cassandra, taking another card, "and all is not as hopeless as you may think.

"I Equip Justice with this… It's a special Equip Spell called Spirit Self."

She played the card. Justice glowed with golden light.

"Now let me explain. I now name any Monster I can think of. If that Monster is not in your hand or deck right now, I lose 2,000 Life Points.

"If it is, you have three of your turns to summon it. If you can't, all copies of it are removed from play.

"But if you can, then for as long as it's on the field, the effect of the Equipped Monster – that would be Justice – is negated."

"So…" muttered Yumi. "You're going to name a Monster, and if I summon it in three rounds, it's safe to destroy that thing?"

"Exactly," said Cassandra. "The Monster I name is Dark Magician Girl."

Yumi paused.

"Well, she's in my deck," said Yumi. "But why help me?"

"As a test, Yumi," said Cassandra. "The name of the card is Spirit Self. Each duelist has a card in his or her deck that lies closer to the duelist than any other. It is the true Spirit Self.

"I believe that Dark Magician Girl is yours. If she is, she will come to your aid. If not, your future is one that I simply cannot tell.

"With that Yumi, my turn comes to its conclusion. Your three turns start now."

Yumi drew a card.

It wasn't Dark Magician Girl. It was only someone who might help her stall.

"I place a card facedown…" she said, "and a Monster in Defense Mode."

She played two cards, and the facedown cards appeared.

"That's all I can do…" she muttered.

Cassandra made a draw.

Then she played a card.

"I play the Spell Card, Cup of Ace," she said.

A Spell Card appeared above her, showing the image of a golden goblet against a cloudy sky. It started to spin.

"Again?" shouted Yumi.

"Calm yourself, Yumi," said Cassandra. "In the Minor Arcana, Cups are almost always positive. But who will it be positive for? If this lands upright, I get to draw two cards. If it lands inverted, you get to draw two cards."

Yumi grit her teeth.

_I'm having awful luck with this…_ she thought.

"Stop that card!" she shouted.

The card stopped.

She almost cheered when she saw it had landed upside-down.

She quickly drew two cards, and looked at them.

_Still no Dark Magician Girl! _she thought._ Darn, where are you hiding?_

"Continuing my turn," stated Cassandra, playing a Spell Card, "I play Reverse Reborn. This lets me Special Summon one of my Arcana Force Monsters from my Graveyard so long as I Equip it with this card. The drawback is, it automatically gets its inverted effect."

She played the card. The Chariot appeared in a burst of light. (1,700/1,700)

"Chariot…" said Cassandra, "attack her facedown Monster…"

The Chariot flew forward, blasting its lethal beam…

Blast Magician appeared crouching on the card. (1,400/1,700) The blasts were deflected.

"Clever…" said Cassandra. "Justice, destroy him."

Justice flew forward, and slashed with her sword, smashing Blast Magician to pieces.

"It's your move…" she said. "Two rounds left."

Yumi nervously drew.

_Well, maybe this will work…_ she thought.

"I play Double Spell," she said, playing a card. "Now, I'll discard my Dedication Through Light and Darkness…"

She discarded the card.

"…to duplicate the Pot of Charity in your Graveyard, and remove my Magician's Valkyria from play to do so."

Valkyria's card slipped out of her discard slot, and she tucked it into her shirt.

She drew three cards.

She made a face as she looked at them.

_Still not there… _she thought._ I've failed again…_

She placed a card on her Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared.

"Your move…" she said nervously.

Cassandra drew a card, and immediately played it.

"I summon Arcana Force IV," she said, "The Emperor."

As she played the card, and an explosion of energy erupted on Cassandra's side of the field. A frightening figure materialized. It was a semi-humanoid creature, made out of black metal (apparently), with a skull-like face, long, mechanical claws, and metallic, batlike wings on the back. It had no legs, instead hovering over the ground on some type of mechanism. Its eyes glowed red. (1,400/1,400)

"I'm sure you know how this works…" said Cassandra, as the card appeared and started to turn.

Yumi started to sweat.

"Okay, stop!" she shouted.

She growled as the card stopped on the upright position.

"That means that it grants all Monsters on my side of the field with the words 'Arcana Force' in their names 500 more Attack Points," explained Cassandra.

At that point, Justice grew to an Attack of 2,600, The Chariot grew to 2,200, and The Emperor itself grew to 1,900.

"Emperor…" said Cassandra. "Attack her facedown Monster."

The Emperor reached forward with four clawed tentacles towards the facedown card. A female mage in blue clothing and blonde hair holding a staff appeared on the card. With four swipes of claws, she shattered.

"I'm not dead yet," said Yumi. "That was an Apprentice Magician, and when she's destroyed, I get to take a Spellcaster who's Level Two or less from my deck and set it in Defense Mode."

She looked through her deck.

"So let's see… I think I'll set my other Apprentice Magician."

A new facedown Monster appeared.

"Clever," said Cassandra. "But do you have a third one? Chariot, attack."

The Chariot blasted its guns, and the second Apprentice Magician was blown away.

"No I don't," said Yumi, taking her deck, "but I do have a Magician of Faith."

A third facedown Monster appeared.

"Justice, attack," said Cassandra.

Justice slammed down with her sword. Magician of Faith appeared on the card, and was smashed to bits.

"I'll use her effect to get back my Monster Reborn," said Yumi, taking a card from her discard slot.

"So be it," said Cassandra. "I end my turn, and this is your last chance. If you fail this time, the only card that can save you will be gone, and on my next turn, I will finish you off with this…"

She picked up the last card on her table, and showed it to Yumi…

Yumi gulped. It was a Level Eight Monster with 3,100 Attack Points called Arcana Force XXI: The World.

"I have just enough Monsters to sacrifice to summon it and still keep Justice," said Cassandra, "and In case you're wondering, it won't matter whether its card lands upright or inverted. You'll be smashed flat either way."

Yumi looked at her deck.

She paused… She closed her eyes…

She quickly drew a card.

She grinned when she saw it.

"Do you know how scared you made me for a second?" she said to it with a nervous whisper.

Her facedown card lifted.

"I activate Call of the Haunted!" she shouted.

A figure burst out of the ground. It was Blast Magician. (1,400/1,700)

"Now…" she continued, "I sacrifice him… Blast Magician, step aside and make room for… You guessed it… Dark Magician Girl!"

He vanished, and in a flurry of colors and hearts, Dark Magician Girl flew onto the field. (2,000/1,700)

"How fortunate…" said Cassandra. "So Justice's effect is now rendered invalid, and the duel continues… But there is one variable you overlooked. Even if you destroy The Emperor, Justice will remain one hundred Attack Points stronger than her."

"I'm not done…" said Yumi, taking two cards from her hand. "Next, I play Monster Reborn, to bring back Skilled Dark Magician…"

She played the card, and the ankh appeared on the field. Skilled Dark Magician appeared on it. (1,900/1,700)

"And then…" she said, "I play The Sage's Stone, to summon the main man from my deck!"

She played the card, and Dark Magician Girl's staff glowed. Dark Magician appeared in a flash of light. (2,500/2,100)

"And like you said," continued Yumi, "since I summoned the Monster you named, Justice's effect is invalid.

"Dark Magician Girl, attack The Emperor! Dark burning attack!"

Dark Magician Girl fired a bolt from her scepter, and The Emperor exploded into pixels.

"And without him," she added, "your other two Monsters return to their original levels."

Justice fell to 2,100 Attack, and The Chariot fell to 1,700.

"Dark Magician… Attack Justice! Dark magic attack!"

Dark Magician cast his mighty spell, and the large creature cringed before exploding into particles. Cassandra shielded herself.

"Skilled Dark Magician, destroy The Chariot!"

Skilled Dark Magician fired a blast, and The Chariot burst into flames before bursting into fragments.

**(Y: 200) -------------------- (C: 900)**

"And I didn't forget what happens when The Chariot is destroyed when in its inverted position," said Yumi. "It's Special Summoned to my side of the field…"

The Chariot appeared on Yumi's side.

"And that means this duel is over. Chariot, attack…"

"Hold it, Yumi," interrupted Cassandra. "You're forgetting something."

"What?" said Yumi.

Cassandra pointed. The card appeared above The Chariot, and started to spin.

"I still have to stop it to determine it's effect, Yumi…" she said.

"Oh, what difference does it make?" asked Yumi. "You haven't got a single card to protect yourself. Whether it lands upright OR inverted, I'll attack with it and you'll lose!"

"True," said Cassandra, "victory is yours as far as this duel is concerned…

"But you forget the point of this duel, and you forget that The Chariot is not just a Monster Card, it is also a Tarot card. If I am to see your future correctly, I must know where it will land before you deliver the final strike.

"You came this far, Yumi… Don't ruin it now…"

Yumi sighed, and then looked at her.

Cassandra looked up.

"Stop," she said.

The card stopped…

It was in the upright position.

Cassandra smiled.

"Chariot, attack directly!" shouted Yumi. "Master blast!"

The Chariot blasted its guns, hitting Cassandra and knocking her over.

**(Y: 200) -------------------- (C: 0)**

The Monsters vanished…

Yumi walked up to the table as Cassandra got up.

She noticed that her badge was now at Blue.

"So…" she asked. "What does my future hold?"

Cassandra shuffled her deck.

Her eyes glowed again.

"It holds a great struggle, Yumi," said Cassandra, "but the final rounds of the duel showed much.

"Dark Magician Girl represents you. Dark Magician represents your spiritual guide, the same counsel that was represented by The Hierophant.

"Allies will aid you in this conflict. They were represented by the Monsters that protected you while Dark Magician Girl struggled to come to your aid.

"And you may even find an ally from the most unlikely of places. That is what The Chariot represents. In this duel, my Monster came to your side, not once, but twice, and an ally may come to you from where you don't expect.

"However, since The Chariot was upright before the last attack, I can assure that the help he or she gives you will be genuine."

She showed her the Justice card.

"Follow the signs. Do not resist. Trust your insights, not your impulses. It will lead you to victory in the end…

"…and you will find the way to set the Pharaoh free…

"Find Justice…"

She smiled.

"Pleasant dreams…"

Then her eyes glowed again, with fiery light, and the whole room started to blur. Yumi felt she was falling asleep quickly. She tried to stay awake, but it was no use…

The next minute, she was back in her hotel room, sleeping soundly under the covers.

Sitting next to her on the bed was the strange woman who had been shadowing her. She removed her sunglasses and looked at Yumi.

Slowly, she placed her hand on the sleeping girl's forehead, and Yumi smiled in her sleep.

The strange woman replaced the sunglasses, and then vanished.

_After a spooky duel in a strange place, Yumi finally gets to sleep soundly, wiser for the experience. Day One is officially over. What will Day Two bring?_

_And to everyone reading… Want to see more of Cassandra? Let me know!_

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**ARCANA FORCE I: THE MAGICIAN (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fairy/Effect  
**Attribute:** Light  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,100  
**DEF:** 1,100

**Card Description:** Toss one coin when this card is Normal Summoned, Flip-Summoned, or Special Summoned. Depending on the result of the toss, acquire one of the following effects:

Heads: During a round where at least one Spell Card is played, double this card's base ATK until the End Phase of the turn.

Tails: During a round where at least one Spell Card is played, increase your opponent's Life Points by 500.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**ARCANA FORCE VII: THE CHARIOT (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fairy/Effect  
**Attribute:** Light  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,700  
**DEF:** 1,700

**Card Description:** Toss one coin when this card is Normal Summoned, Flip-Summoned, or Special Summoned. Depending on the result of the toss, acquire one of the following effects:

Heads: When this card destroys an opposing Monster as a result of battle and sends it to the Graveyard, the controller of this card Special Summons the destroyed Monster to his/her side of the field.

Tails: When this Monster is destroyed as a result of battle and sent to the   
Graveyard, the controller of the Monster that destroyed it Special Summons this Monster to his/her side of the field.

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**0**

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**ARCANA FORCE IV: THE EMPEROR (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fairy/Effect  
**Attribute:** Light  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,400  
**DEF:** 1,400

**Card Description:** Toss one coin when this card is Normal Summoned, Flip-Summoned, or Special Summoned. Depending on the result of the toss, acquire one of the following effects:

Heads: Increase the ATK of all "Arcana Force" Monsters on your side of the field by 500.

Tails: Decrease the ATK of all "Arcana Force" Monsters on your side of the field by 500.

**0**

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**VISION (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** A pair of evil-looking, hypnotic eyes surrounded by waves of red and purple.

**Card Description:** Pick up the top card on your deck and show it to your opponent. Then, shuffle that card into your deck. If you play that card during the course of the duel, your opponent loses 1,000 Life Points. This effect does not reoccur if a second copy of the same card is played.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**SUIT OF SWORDS X (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** Ten swords driven into the ground, under a crescent moon.

**Card Description:** Toss one coin when this card is played. If the result is heads, destroy all Monsters on your opponent's side of the field. If the result is tails, destroy all Monsters on your side of the field.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**SELECTION OF FATE (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** Two facedown tarot cards with a hand reaching towards them.

**Card Description:** Your opponent chooses one card in your hand at random. If the chosen card is a Monster Card that can be Normal Summoned, Special Summon it to your side of the field.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**CUP OF ACE (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** A golden goblet against a cloudy sky.

**Card Description:** Toss one coin when this card is played. If the result is heads, draw two cards from your deck. If the result is tails, your opponent draws two cards from his/her deck.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**REVERSE REBORN (Spell Card)**

**Equip Spell**

**Image:** The face of Arcana Force I: The Magician, on a background composed of grey and black shapes.

**Card Description:** Select one "Arcana Force" Monster in your Graveyard. Special Summon the selected Monster in Attack Position and Equip it with this card. The Equipped Monster acquires its "Tails" effect. If this card is removed from the field, destroy the Equipped Monster.

**0**

**0**

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**ACE OF WAND (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image:** A wand with a glowing green orb on the end.

**Card Description:** You can activate this card when one or more Monsters are destroyed outside of battle. Toss one coin. If the result is heads, the owner(s) of the destroyed Monster(s) gain Life Points equal to their destroyed Monster(s) combined ATK. If the result is tails, the owner(s) of the destroyed Monster(s) lose Life Points equal to their destroyed Monster(s) combined ATK.

_Note: The proceeding nine cards were all used by Sartorious at various times in the second season of "Yu-Gi-Oh GX". Creative credit goes to the writers of the episodes._

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**ARCANA FORCE 0: THE FOOL (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fairy/Effect  
**Attribute:** Light  
**Level:** 3  
**ATK:** 1,000  
**DEF:** 1,000

**Card Description:** Toss one coin when this card is Normal Summoned, Flip-Summoned, or Special Summoned. Depending on the result of the toss, acquire one of the following effects:

Heads: You can destroy one of your opponent's Spell or Trap Cards.

Tails: Your opponent can destroy one of your Spell or Trap Cards.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**ARCANA FORCE XI – JUSTICE (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fairy/Effect  
**Attribute:** Light  
**Level:** 6  
**ATK:** 2,100  
**DEF:** 2,100

**Card Description:** Toss one coin when this card is Normal Summoned, Flip-Summoned, or Special Summoned. Depending on the result of the toss, acquire one of the following effects:

Heads: When this card is destroyed, your opponent loses 2,000 Life Points.

Tails: When this card is destroyed, you lose 2,000 Life Points.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**SPIRIT SELF (Spell Card)**

**Equip Spell**

**Image:** A female gypsy meditating, while a spiritual form resembling her floats above her.

**Card Description:** This card can only be Equipped to an "Arcana Force" Monster. When this card is played, state the name of one Monster that can be Normal Summoned. If no copies of that Monster are in your opponent's hand or deck, inflict 2,000 points of damage to your Life Points and destroy this card. If the named Monster is in your opponent's hand or deck, if he/she does not summon it by the end of his third End Phase after this card is played, remove all copies of the named Monster in his/her hand and deck from play, and destroy this card. If he/she summons it by his/her third End Phase, the Monster Equipped with this card loses its effect for as long as this card is Equipped and the named Monster remains on the field.

**0**

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**POT OF CHARITY (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** A ceramic vase with a peaceful face on the front.

Card Description: Remove one LIGHT Monster in your Graveyard from play. Draw three cards from your deck.

_Note: "Pot of Charity" was created by King Dragun for his fic "Sister of Anansi". Creative credit goes to him._

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**Ren: If Day One was that intense, I can't wait for Day Two! Bring it on!**

**Chelsea: My army of the undead is ready to go.**

**Yumi: Patience people… I think we should just watch this duel that's about to start for now…**

**Coming up next, "Rasputin Appears! Ice Age Chill". **

**Something is rotten in the state of Duelatopia…**


	12. Rasputin Appears! Ice Age Chill

_Before this chapter debuts, I'd like to say some words._

_This chapter debuts a major character, who has a religious belief that is more common than many might think – he has none. In fact, he openly rejects such beliefs. If he worships anything, it knowledge. He has a reason, but I must keep that a secret for now._

_Thus, a disclaimer._

_This character is NOT, by any means, meant to represent all people who have atheistic, agnostic, or humanistic beliefs. I'm not such a person myself (I won't tell you what faith I belong to) but I have friends who are, and they are decent people, even if I disagree with them on that matter. Just because you don't follow any religion doesn't mean you can't be a decent person._

_If you choose not to follow any religion, please do not be offended by this character. I did not design him to illustrate my own views to the contrary, or my disapproval towards such attitudes._

_Now that I've taken care of that unpleasant business…_

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**CHAPTER ELEVEN**

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**Rasputin Appears!**

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**Ice Age Chill**

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It was seven AM, the morning of Day Two.

Sheena Arachne walked onto the bridge, holding a cup of coffee.

"What's the status so far?" she asked a technician.

"Two hundred and eleven guests are still in the running," he answered. "So far, seven guests are at Blue status, but none beyond that.

"You might be interested in knowing… One of the guests at Blue is Ms. Mouto, and another is your daughter."

Sheena smirked.

"It doesn't surprise me…" she said. "Keep me informed of any changes…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Ren, Chelsea, and Yumi were sitting at an open-air café eating croissants and orange juice, while Yumi related her spooky duel with the fortuneteller last night. Ren looked in an Industrial Illusions catalogue.

"So…" he said, pouring through the 'A' section, "you said the names of these Monsters all started with 'Arcana Force'?"

"That's what I said," replied Yumi.

"Well…" said Ren, looking at a page, "this catalogue was released this May, and I can't find them in here anywhere. They must have been custom cards of some sort… This Cassandra woman clearly wasn't your typical duelist."

"That's not entirely new to me, Ren," muttered Yumi. "Most fortunetellers are just charlatans who want to make money… This one, though… I think her powers were real…"

She looked out onto the street.

"Somewhere in this big city, something is lurking, waiting to strike, and I have a feeling we're gonna be caught in the middle of it…"

"So..." replied Ren. "Do we go looking for it, or do we wait for it to walk right up to us?"

There was a long pause.

"Hey," said Chelsea, "is that Marlon?"

They looked over, and saw Marlon at the next table, talking to a slightly younger man. He was holding a small object in his hands.

"It seems… Egyptian in nature…" said Marlon, looking at the small disk, "and was likely an amulet of some sort, although the chain is long gone. Most of the hieroglyphs are strange to me, but the symbol in the center is clearly the Eye of Wdjat… A very popular symbol of magic, I believe…"

Yumi perked up. Marlon had found something with the Eye of Wdjat on it?

She glanced at her Puzzle.

Yumi got up, but before she could go over, three figures approached Marlon's table.

Two of them were Nicholas and Olga, even though Yumi and her group hadn't seen them yet…

The third was a man who seemed to be around forty. He was dressed in an outfit that resembled a smoking jacket, made of expensive material, with designer slacks and loafers. Most remarkably, his face sported a full black beard, long, but neatly trimmed and combed, with ample hair on his head.

"Marlon Farnsworth, I presume?" said the strange man.

He had one of those strange accents that made it impossible to tell where he was from.

"I am…" said Marlon. "And you are?"

"Well, my full name is Rasputin Arthur Graham Carlisle Lamont the 3rd," said the man, holding out his hand. "Simply call me Rasputin, it's much easier to remember…"

"I see…" muttered Marlon. "Not the most… respectable name…"

"Mmm, yes…" said Rasputin with a shrug. "It was the name of a Russian advisor to the Czar who was a bit of a scoundrel, but, eh, you can't exactly choose your names…

"I knew a man who actually changed his family name. He thought the name Gore would have been bad for business… He was a butcher…

"I've considered changing mine… but it takes money that I'd rather spend elsewhere…

"Oh, where are my manners? These are my two protégés… Nicholas, and Olga."

He pointed to the two teenagers. The two of them nervously waved.

"So what can I do for you mister… ah, Rasputin?" replied Marlon.

"I couldn't help but take interest in that amulet you found," said Rasputin, looking at the strange artifact. "You see, Mr. Farnsworth, like you, I'm an archaeologist of sorts, but I tend to study old cultures rather than old fossils. I travel a lot… Most recently, I've been operating out of Copenhagen…"

"Really?" asked Marlon, perking up. "I've been to Copenhagen. The Arken Museum of Modern Art is quite a place."

"Indeed," said Rasputin. "May I ask where you found that?"

"Believe it or not, I found it in a pile of coal," said Marlon. "It caught my eye as I passed by this morning."

Yumi rubbed her chin as she watched this…

She saw the Pharaoh watching next to her.

"Marlon…" said Rasputin, "mind if I call you Marlon?"

"Not at all," he replied.

"I collect such artifacts," said Rasputin. "If we had met elsewhere I might offer a decent check for it… But since we're both guests of this tournament, what would you say to a duel with a wager?"

"I'm listening…" replied Marlon.

Rasputin took a card out of his jacket.

"I'm willing to ante this up against that amulet. It's quite rare…"

Marlon stared at it. Yumi tried to look, but she couldn't see it.

"I say…" muttered Marlon. "That IS quite rare!"

He looked at the amulet.

"I suppose I might even enjoy it," he said. "Jolly good then…"

As he stood up, Nicholas and Olga went over to where Yumi's group was sitting.

"Mind if we join you?" asked Nicholas. "His duels are always interesting to watch…"

"Perhaps…" said Yumi.

The Pharaoh looked at her and shook his head.

_But I can't shake the feeling that something is rotten in the state of Denmark…_ she thought.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Marlon and Rasputin faced each other on the street beside the café. Their Disks activated.

"Game on!" they both said at once.

**(Marlon: 8,000) -------------------- (Rasputin: 8,000)**

"All right old boy…" said Marlon, drawing his first card.

He looked over his first hand.

"To start, I'll place two cards facedown, and one Monster in Defense Mode…"

Two facedown cards and a facedown Monster appeared.

"Ho boy…" said Chelsea. "Looks like he's gonna play the same trick he used on you, Yumi."

"Well, let's see what we have here," said Rasputin, drawing his first card.

He took one of them.

"I play the Spell Card, Nobleman of Crossout."

He played the card, and an effeminate knight in armor with a sword appeared. He stabbed into the facedown Monster, and it shattered.

"Good grief!" shouted Ren.

"So much for that strategy," said Chelsea.

"Next…" continued Rasputin, "I'll summon my Ice Knight."

He played a card, and a knight in bulky armor that was seemingly made of entirely of ice and a cape made of white fur, carrying a sword made of dull metal appeared. (1,300/1,200)

"This Monster gains 400 Attack Points for every Aqua-Type Monster on the field," he explained. "And that includes himself, incidentally."

Ice Knight rose to an Attack of 1,700.

"Well, let's see…" he said. "I could attack… But those facedown cards are a concern, so I think I'll just end my turn."

"Suit yourself…" said Marlon, drawing a card.

He looked at it.

"I summon my Sabersaurus to the field!" he exclaimed.

With a rumbling, the huge armored Dinosaur appeared, and roared. (1,900/500)

"Crush his Ice Knight!" he shouted. "Tusk trample!"

Sabersaurus charged, and smashed Ice Knight into little pieces. Rasputin cringed…

**(M: 8,000) -------------------- (R: 7,800)**

"Not bad…" said Rasputin, drawing a card. "Easy come, easy go I guess… But it's far from over…"

He played a card.

"I play Premature Burial. I simply have to relinquish 800 Life Points, and my Ice Knight returns."

The ground cracked, and Ice Knight rose out of the ground. (1,300/1,200) –) (1,700/1,200)

"And next…" he continued, "I sacrifice him to summon forth his master… Farwell, my Ice Knight…"

Ice Knight shattered into shards of crystal…

"I summon Mobius the Frost Monarch!"

A chilling wind seemed to blow over the whole field, as a huge form, best described as a fifteen-foot-tall giant sculpted out of ice wearing a purple cape rose behind Rasputin. His cape fluttered in the chilling wind that surrounded him. (2,400/1,000)

"And simply by summoning him," continued Rasputin, "I can destroy your two facedown cards."

Mobius breathed a blast of freezing vapor. Marlon's two facedown cards lifted up, revealed to be Fossil Excavation and Widespread Ruin. They froze solid, and then shattered.

"I'm hardly done…" said Rasputin. "Next, I play a Spell Card… Called Mobius's Palace."

He fit the card into his Disk, and with a rumble, a huge palace made of ice crystal rose up behind him, glimmering in the morning light. The whole arena started to ice over.

"A powerful Spell Card," he said. "It can only exist so long as Mobius is on the field, but when it does, all Beasts, Beast-Warriors, Winged Beasts, Plants, and Dinosaurs lose 500 Attack Points."

Sabersaurus groaned, and fell to an Attack of 1,400.

"Now Mobius, attack!" shouted Rasputin. "Blizzard blight!"

Mobius breathed forth a cone of chilling frost, and Sabersaurus was frozen solid in a block of ice. It shattered into little pieces.

**(M: 7,000) -------------------- (R: 7,000)**

Ren turned to Olga.

"Your dad sure can duel," he said. "He…"

"Rasputin's not my dad," Olga quickly said.

"Oh… uh… okay…" muttered Ren.

Rasputin fit a card into his Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

"That will do it for my turn…" he said.

Marlon drew a card. He looked at it.

"My Trap Card activates," exclaimed Rasputin, as his facedown card lifted. "It's called Mobius's Glacier. This card needs Mobius's Palace to exist, but it further inconveniences the Monsters the first card effects. Those Monsters can't attack, and can't be set in Defense Mode."

"This is not a coincidence, Yumi," said the Pharaoh. "Rasputin's deck is specially designed to counter a deck like Marlon's. He must want that artifact pretty badly…

"The question is… why?"

"Well, let's see what we can do about that," said Marlon. "I play… Pot of Greed."

He played the card, and then drew twice.

"Since I can't defend, I'll go on the offensive," he said. "I summon Balloon Lizard."

He played the card, and a large creature appeared, floating in the air. It resembled an alligator, but its torso was spherical and bloated, similar to… a balloon. (500/1,900)

"Interesting…" said Rasputin. "But all for naught. I'll destroy it before its effect becomes a serious issue."

"I wasn't intending to use its effect," said Marlon, taking a card from his hand. "Let me share with you a common theory among paleontologists. Most folks say that dinosaurs were an evolutionary step up from common lizards, who were in turn a step up from amphibians. In a sense, ordinary cold-blooded reptiles evolved into dinosaurs, who many believe were warm-blooded, more like birds.

"This Spell Card is called Ultra Evolution Pill. What it does is speed up the evolutionary process. So if I used it on a Reptile, like this one, it might turn into a Dinosaur, now wouldn't it?"

He played the card.

"So I use it to sacrifice my Balloon Lizard…"

The Reptile vanished in a burst of energy.

"To summon Black Tyranno from my hand!"

A huge, carnivorous Dinosaur, standing bipedal with dark skin arose, and gave a primal roar. (2,600/1,800)

Then the ice froze it to the ground, and its Attack fell to 2,100.

"I'll place this facedown," said Marlon, placing a card in his Disk, "and end my turn."

Rasputin drew a card.

"I summon my second Ice Knight," he said.

Another Ice Knight appeared. (1,300/1,200)

"And then," he said, "I bring back the first with the power of Monster Reborn."

He played the card, and the ankh appeared. Another Ice Knight materialized.

"And with three Aquas on the field," he said, "they both have 2,500 Attack Points.

"Mobius, attack the Black Tyranno!"

"Hold it right there, old sport," said Marlon. "I had a Trap ready…"

His facedown card lifted.

"Zero Gravity," he said. "Now all Monsters on the field switch Modes."

Mobius and the two Ice Knights crouched in Defense Mode, as did Black Tyranno, but the Dinosaur was quickly moved back into Attack Mode by the Glacier.

"Fine…" said Rasputin. "I end my turn then. You still can't attack…"

Marlon drew.

"Oh, I can't can I?" he said. "I play the Spell Card, Shield Crush!"

He played the card.

"Now I can destroy one Monster who's in Defense Mode. Time to break the ice, so to speak. I target Mobius!"

A beam of energy shot from the card, and Mobius groaned as cracks started to appear all over him. He shattered into little pieces of ice.

"Mobius…" moaned Rasputin. "Smashed into pieces… like common cocktail ice…"

"That means his Palace goes too…" said Marlon.

The Palace blew into pieces, and Black Tyranno rose to its normal 2,600 Attack.

"…and like a chain reaction, that means the Glacier is gone as well."

The Trap Card shattered, and the ice trapping Black Tyranno melted.

"And since the only cards you now have on the field are Monsters in Defense Mode," continued Marlon, "Black Tyranno not only can attack now, he can do so directly!"

Black Tyranno charged, causing the ground to tremble, and stomped with its mighty foot.

Rasputin groaned and held his head…

"Ugh…" he said. "That was… unpleasant…"

**(M: 7,000) -------------------- (R: 4,400)**

"I'll place a card facedown and end my turn," said Marlon, fitting his last card into his Disk. "It's your move…"

Rasputin drew one card. He gave it an odd look.

He placed it in his Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

"Your move…" he said.

Marlon drew a card.

"Well…" he said. "With that facedown card there, Black Tyranno can't attack directly, but I can still take care of your Knights."

His facedown card lifted.

"I activate Call of the Haunted."

The ground rumbled, and Sabersaurus clawed its way out of the ground. (1,900/500)

"Both of you…" he ordered. "Take down his Ice Knights!"

Sabersaurus charged, and smashed one of the Ice Knights to pieces. Black Tyranno charged and stomped the other one flat.

"Thank you…" said Rasputin, with a sinister smirk. "As a paleontologist, you surely know about another theory, Marlon… About how a catastrophic event caused the extinction of the dinosaurs, like, say perhaps, a meteorite crashing to Earth…"

"Well, yes, that's a very common theory, but…" replied Marlon.

Then his eyes opened wide.

"Wait… Your facedown card…"

"Yes…" said Rasputin, as his facedown card lifted. "It's the one I wagered, and I can activate it since I have fewer Life Points than you do…

"Jurassic Impact!"

The sky turned red, and a swarm of fireballs fell from above.

"Hit the dirt!" shouted Ren.

Everyone gasped in horror, as the meteorites crashed onto the arena, the two Dinosaurs howled, and were blown to atoms.

It wasn't over yet. The whole arena had been turned to a volcanic wasteland, covered with molten lava.

"This _is_ a hologram, right?" asked Ren, nervously.

"The cataclysm it causes not only kills all Monsters on the field," said Rasputin, "but the owners of the destroyed Monsters lose 1,000 Life Points for each. Plus, the arena becomes so inhospitable to life that no Monsters can be summoned or set for one of each of our turns."

"Fine…" muttered Marlon. "I'm ending this turn…"

**(M: 5,000) -------------------- (R: 4,400)**

"Then I draw…" said Rasputin.

He looked at the card he had drawn.

"Pass…" he said.

Marlon drew. He shook his head as he looked at the card.

"I pass as well…" he said.

"I guess there isn't much they could do…" said Chelsea. "Without being able to summon… That was a powerful Trap. No wonder Marlon accepted the wager."

The lava cooled, and became a rocky surface again.

Rasputin drew again.

"Well…" he said. "I can summon again, but to summon this lass, I need to remove Mobius from play."

The card fell out of his discard slot, and he placed it inside his jacket.

"So I summon Tara the Ice Princess."

He placed the card on his Disk, and a coldly beautiful princess with icy skin and hair, dressed in a skimpy fur bikini and white fur cloak appeared. A chilling wind blew around her. She didn't seem at all like she was dressed for cold weather, but she was an Ice Princess... maybe that was the whole point. (2,000/800)

"And by the way," said Rasputin, "she has the same ability as Mobius, but she can use it every round.

"Attack directly!"

Tara blew a chilling gust at Marlon. He shielded himself, but shivered under the intense cold…

**(M: 3,000) -------------------- (R: 4,400)**

"I say…" said Marlon. "When this is over, I might need some brandy to ward off this chill…"

"She can destroy two Spell or Trap Cards every turn?" asked Ren. "There has to be a catch…"

"Yes, there is a catch," said Nicholas. "That effect is not optional. Rasputin _must_ use her ability to destroy two cards if any are on the field, even if that means destroying his own. If Marlon doesn't use any, she can be a handicap."

"It's your move," said Rasputin.

Marlon drew a card.

He looked at the three cards in his hand.

He placed one of them on his Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared.

"That's it for my turn," he said.

Rasputin made a draw. He scowled. Clearly he was disappointed.

"Tara, attack," he said.

Tara blew her freezing mist. A winged cherub appeared on the card, and froze solid before it was blasted to shards.

"You just flipped my Skelengel, old bean," said Marlon. "Now I get to make one draw…"

He drew a card.

"That's all I can do…" muttered Rasputin.

_I have to win…_ he thought. _The Jurassic Impact card means nothing, but I must have that talisman…_

Marlon made a draw.

He grinned.

"Okay, old chap…" he said. "First, I Special Summon Gilasaurus…"

Gilasaurus appeared, bearing its claws. (1,400/400)

"I use its effect to raise Ice Knight from the Graveyard," replied Rasputin.

Ice Knight appeared again.

"And don't forget his ability. Now there are two Aquas on the field."

(1,300/1,200) –) (2,100/1,200)

"I didn't forget," said Marlon. "Next, I play Inferno Reckless Summon, to summon my other two Gilasaurs."

He played the card. Two more of the small Dinosaurs appeared.

"You're only hurting yourself," said Rasputin, with a laugh.

Two more Ice Knights appeared on his side of the field. Each of them grew to (2,900/1,200)

"And now…" said Marlon, "I sacrifice two Gilasaurs, to summon my best Monster! I summon Super Conductor Tyranno!"

Two of the small Dinosaurs vanished, and a Dinosaur just as big as Ultimate Tyranno loomed above the field. It seemed as much metal as it was flesh, and an electric aura emitted fiercely around it. In let out an unearthly roar. (3,300/1,400)

"3,300 Attack Points?" shouted Rasputin. "Surely, you've got to be kidding…"

"No joke," said Marlon, "and that means it's curtains for your Ice Princess! And don't call me Shirley. Attack! Electric rage!"

Super Conductor Tyranno fired a blast of pure electricity. Tara the Ice Princess screamed before she was reduced to ashes.

"Well…" said Marlon, "with one less Aqua on the field, the Attack Score of your Ice Knights fall to 2,500…"

He looked at the last card in his hand.

_With Dark Driceratops in reserve,_ he thought, _and one more Gilasaurus on the field to sacrifice, next round, this duel will be mine._

**(M: 3,000) -------------------- (R: 3,100)**

"Your move…" he said.

Everyone watched as Rasputin drew a card.

"Heh, heh…" he chuckled.

"You've been a challenging opponent, Marlon… But this duel is over…"

He fit the card into his Disk.

"I Equip one Ice Knight with Chthonian Alliance. Now he gains 800 more Attack Points for each Monster on the field with the same name. You're pretty smart… You can add it up…"

The Equipped Ice Knight glowed with a dark, fiery aura…

(4,100/1,200)

"Good Jove…" said Marlon.

"Stronger Ice Knight…" said Rasputin, "destroy his Super Conductor Tyranno! Cold blade!"

The Ice Knight leapt up, and slashed at the huge Dinosaur with his sword. It roared, and exploded into a blast of furious pyrotechnics.

"You…" continued Rasputin, "destroy the final Gilasaurus."

With one swipe of his blade, the second Ice Knight cleaved the Gilasaurus in half.

"Third time's the charm," said Rasputin. "Attack directly!"

The third Ice Knight leapt up and slammed his blade into Marlon. He toppled over and fell on his back.

**(M: 0) -------------------- (R: 3,100)**

Marlon sat up, and held his head.

"Ugh…" he said, getting up. "Well, it was rather close at least…"

He stood up.

"Ah, well… A deal's a deal… This thing was only a curiosity anyway…"

He handed the amulet to Rasputin.

"Thank you…" said Rasputin, with a glimmer in his eye. "I assure you, I'll make good use of it."

He held out his hand. The two men shook.

Marlon looked at his hand strangely…

Olga and Nicholas stood up as Rasputin approached the table. He turned towards Yumi.

"Ah," he said, "young Yumi Mouto… I've heard good things about you… I'll be watching your progress very closely…"

Yumi didn't respond. She didn't like how he had said that.

Nicholas passed by Yumi.

He quickly slipped a small piece of paper into her hand.

"This is my cell phone number…" he whispered. "If you ever want to have lunch or dinner or something… Call me, okay?"

"Nicholas, get over here!" shouted Rasputin.

Yumi looked dumbfounded…

Yumi looked at Marlon, who was shaking his hand as if it were numb.

"You all right, Marlon?" asked Yumi.

"Oh, I'm quite all right, Ms. Mouto…" said Marlon. "Darn arthritis must be acting up again…"

When the three were walking away from the table, Nicholas spoke up as Rasputin looked at the odd talisman.

"That was foolish," said Nicholas. "If you hadn't drawn Chthonian Alliance, you could have lost a very valuable card!"

"Heh, heh…" chuckled Rasputin. "I would gladly have wagered the entire deck!"

He held the talisman up to the sun.

"Clearly, the old fogy didn't realize just what he had…"

Yumi heard that. No one knew she had, but she had.

"Ren, Chelsea…" she said. "I'll meet you in the lobby of the hotel in an hour. I have something I need to do. Until then… just enjoy yourselves."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"So are we going to use it?" asked Nicholas.

Rasputin studied it closely.

He took a leather strap out of his pocket, and strung it through the hole where a chain would have gone. Then he tied the strap together.

"None of them have revealed themselves yet in a way that this talisman can determine," he said, placing it around his neck. "But we have a means, and they don't. They don't even know about them yet, most likely. We can be patient.

"You two… Go, duel… I'll take care of things if something happens…"

Olga and Nicholas went off on their separate ways.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In her hotel room, Yumi logged on to the computer that was provided.

"Let's see what we can find out about you, Mr. Arthur Graham Carlisle Lamont the 3rd," she said. "There can't be _that_ many people with a name like yours in the dueling world…"

She logged onto the "Who's Who in Duel Monsters" site.

A file came up.

"Yeah, that's him…" she said, looking at the picture. "Winner of last year's Kaibaland London Duel Monsters Cup, I see… Not the best picture…

"Won using a Fire Deck? So why use ice now?"

She looked at some vital stats. His citizenship listed him as a legal resident of the Czech Republic.

"Yeah, right…" said Yumi. "If that's a Czech name, then I'm Italian…"

She looked at the date of birth. It seemed to confirm that he was forty-two years old, but there was an asterisk next to it.

She checked the footnote. It said: "Could not be validated. Birth certificate could not be located."

Yumi's eyes narrowed.

Marital Status: Single

Known Relatives: None

Clearly, Olga and Nicholas were _not_ his true children. Was he their legal guardian? Not many teenagers would hang around with someone his age unless he was their guardian or they were his love slaves, and if they were the latter, he wouldn't have brought them to a place so public.

He checked for occupation. It said "CEO of Raxxon Importing".

Yumi thought for a minute. She had heard of Raxxon Importing… It was a shipping firm in Europe that imported chemicals… very rare ones. Not the type you could buy at the corner drug store. As far as she knew, it was legit…

…but it had nothing to do with archaeology.

She looked at other information.

He was known to speak at least seven languages, known to have an I.Q. of 190 at last testing, interests included science, chemistry, art, and ancient cultures.

Well, that might have explained the archaeology.

She sighed.

He was hiding something. What did that strange talisman do?

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Yumi and her friends may have been up with the sun, but Sam had slept later. She had plenty of time to reach Gold, being at Blue, and she was going to meet Erik for a breakfast buffet.

She was just getting out of the shower, when she heard a knock on her door.

"Oh…" she moaned, reaching for a bathrobe, "one minute!"

She quickly put on the robe, and went to the door.

Standing there was the same old woman whom Yumi had met last night. Sam flinched a little at the sight of her.

"Forgive the intrusion, Ms. Arachne," she said. "I am Maria, someone who has an interest in you and your friends…"

"If you want an autograph, this is a bad time…" said Sam.

"No…" said Maria, "I simply came to ask a small favor…"

She held up a letter that was sealed with wax.

"Your friend Yumi will be exiting her hotel when you walk past it. Simply give her this letter when you see her. If I tried to deliver it myself…

"Well, let's just say that some unscrupulous people are looking for this letter, and I'd be no match for them. But you…"

Sam gave her a dirty look.

"You're telling me that this letter has info that could get me mugged," she said, "and you want me to deliver it? By the way, Yumi is NOT a friend!"

"It is in your best interest to do so, Sam," said Maria. "An evil tide heads for this island, and your part in it cannot be avoided. As much as you two are rivals, you must become allies, however shaky that alliance may be.

"Do this, and at a later date, I will repay you with vital information when you need it…"

"Oh, fine!" snapped Sam, grabbing the letter. "I'll do it. But don't think I'm gonna play hero if this place is overrun by weirdoes again. I'm not my father…"

"I wouldn't think of it…" said Maria.

She turned and walked away…

Sam looked at the letter.

_If I was smart, I'd toss this, and forget this ever happened,_ she thought.

_If I was smart, I'd go as far away from Yumi as possible right now…_

She paused for a second, and then reached for a pair of fresh underwear.

_If I was smart… I would have chosen a less violent hobby…_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Yumi," said the Pharaoh, "I can tell when something is magical, and I didn't detect even a trace of magic from that amulet."

"Are you certain?" she asked.

"Almost positive," he replied. "For all we know, it could have been nothing more than a toy belonging to a girl your age several millennia ago."

"I really doubt that this guy would duel for the ancient equivalent of a friendship bracelet…" muttered Yumi.

She sighed as she sat back in the chair.

She couldn't discern anything more from the internet. Whoever Rasputin was, her computer couldn't tell her.

She shrugged her shoulders.

"Maybe I was wrong about this guy…" she muttered. "Maybe he's just an eccentric businessman from Copenhagen who collects old junk…"

Her Puzzle glowed.

"Yumi!" shouted the Pharaoh. "I feel it!"

"Feel what?" asked Yumi, nervously.

"The presence," he said. "It's been here ever since I've known you… But it's much stronger now! It's coming…"

Yumi got up…

And she was startled to see her…

In front of her was the strange, phantom woman. Yumi had seen glimpses of this in dreams and daydreams since she was a toddler… A woman with waist-length, platinum hair, dressed in a white business suit, wearing dark sunglasses…

Yumi stared at her.

"Hello, Yumi," she said in a gentle voice. "I've finally been given permission to let you see me, because I must. Things are entering a phase, and you need my help."

"Who are you?" asked Yumi, nervously.

The woman removed her sunglasses, revealing big, beautiful, sea-green eyes.

"I'm Anastasia Pegasus," she said. "Your father knew me…"

Yumi drew back in fear…

_After witnessing a strange duel with an odd wager, the situation for Yumi gets stranger still as Anastasia appears from the Great Beyond. Why is she here? And what threats are posed by this new duelist with an interest in Yumi?_

**0**

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**ICE KNIGHT (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Aqua/Effect  
**Attribute:** Water  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,300  
**DEF:** 1,200

**Card Description:** For each Aqua-Type Monster face-up on the field, increase the ATK of this card by 400.

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**0**

**0**

**MOBIUS'S PALACE (Spell Card)**

**Continuous Spell**

**Image:** A beautiful palace made of ice crystals.

**Card Description:** If there is no "Mobius the Frost Monarch" face-up on your side of the field, destroy this card. Decrease the ATK and DEF of all face-up Beast, Beast-Warrior, Winged Beast, Plant, and Dinosaur Monsters on the field by 500.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**MOBIUS'S GLACIER (Trap Card)**

**Continuous Trap**

**Image:** A menagerie of rural Monsters frozen in an icy tundra.

**Card Description:** If there is no "Mobius's Palace" face-up on your side of the field, destroy this card. All face-up Beast, Beast-Warrior, Winged Beast, Plant, and Dinosaur Monsters on the field are switched to Attack Position and cannot be set or summoned in Defense Position. The above-named Monster Types cannot attack.

_Note: "Ice Knight", "Mobius's Palace", and "Mobius's Glacier" were used by Frost in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" multi-part episode "Taken By Storm". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0**

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**TARA THE ICE PRINCESS (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Aqua/Effect  
**Attribute:** Water  
**Level:** 6  
**ATK:** 2,000  
**DEF:** 800

**Card Description:** This card cannot be Normal Summoned or set. This card can only be Special Summoned by removing one "Mobius the Frost Monarch" in your Graveyard from play. Each of your Standby Phases that this card is face-up on your side of the field, destroy two Spell or Trap Cards on the field (this effect is not optional).

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**JURASIC IMPACT (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image:** A meteorite falling to Earth from orbit.

**Card Description:** You can activate this card when your Life Points are less than those of your opponent. Destroy all Monsters on the field. Each player loses 1,000 Life Points for each of his/her Monsters that are destroyed by this effect. Each player cannot Normal Summon, set, or Special Summon a Monster for one of his full turns after this card has been played.

_Note: "Jurassic Impact" was first mentioned by Hasselberry in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Camaraderie Contest", and first used by him in "Taken By Storm (Part Two)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**Ren: Uh, Chelsea? What do you think Yumi is doing?**

**Chelsea: Dunno… Must be important.**

**Ren: Maybe she's found out something important…**

**Cassandra: That she has, young ones, and it will decide the path she will take to her destiny!**

**Coming up next, "Legend of the Sorcerer Kings; The Pathway Revealed!"**

**And don't worry… Sam will get a chance to get some things done too.**


	13. The Pathway Revealed!

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**CHAPTER TWELVE**

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**Legend of the Sorcerer Kings**

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**The Pathway Revealed!**

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Yumi stood staring at the phantom in silence for a minute or two.

She remembered her worst duel ever, which she had faced when she was first learning how to use a Disk. Her opponent had Machine King, Mechanicalchaser, and Cyber Phoenix. All she had was Beta the Magnet Warrior in Defense Mode. Her opponent wanted her to lose badly, so he played Limiter Removal and attacked her Magnet Warrior with the Phoenix and attacked directly with the other two Monsters.

That's the bad part about a duel. If you can't stop a direct attack, you can't run and hide. All you can do is take it.

And now, no matter how much she wanted to run, she knew she couldn't.

Finally, she got enough courage to speak.

"Yeah…" she finally said. "My dad knew you… You tried to kill him…"

Anastasia's head drooped.

"Yes, Yumi, I did," she said, sadly. "But that was so long ago… I deserved to burn in Hell…

"And you know, I was prepared to all along. I didn't tell him this, but I had kept cyanide in my private quarters. If I had succeeded in killing him, the next thing I would have done would have been to swallow it, and then tell the devil to do his worst. I had been prepared for damnation ever since I… killed my father…

"But… your father… he saved me, gave me a second chance…"

"So I heard," said Yumi. "He told me you were rehabilitated and reformed.

"So how long have you been spying on me?"

Anastasia smiled.

"Yumi…" she said. "I haven't been spying on you. I've been watching you because it's my job. I've been with you all your life, since the day you took your first breath and made your first cry. And I expect to stay until you die, at which point I'll lead you to Heaven.

"I'm your guardian angel."

Yumi gave a look of shock.

"I know it's hard to believe," said Anastasia. "No wings at the moment… This isn't even my true form. You see now what I looked like when I was alive. When I was allowed into Heaven, I got a new body that's far more beautiful. Maybe I'll be allowed to show it to you eventually.

"But I can explain. Sit down…"

Yumi sat down on the bed, and the phantom sat beside her.

"You may think that in Heaven, the blessed souls just bask in the light of eternal bliss," said Anastasia, "maybe listening to angelic choirs and sampling nectar and ambrosia. But in reality, it isn't truly like that. Heaven is a journey of sorts. Each soul seeks perfection. They seek to master the secrets of the universe and the ways of all things. After years, often centuries, they grow in power, rising among the ranks of celestial hosts.

"The most ambitious souls seek to join the Archlords, and if someone told them that he wanted to join them, they wouldn't laugh at him – they'd encourage him, and tell him to try his hardest to do so. Angels of higher ranks always encourage the lower ones.

"The ultimate goal of every soul in Heaven is to achieve Glorious Union, where we become one with the Almighty, and ultimate perfection is achieved. It might take me thousands of years, but I have faith that I will achieve it someday."

She paused.

"All of us take different paths towards our goal. I wanted to be someone's guardian angel so much… To help someone after hurting so many in my life. So, in earthly terms, I went to a sort of… well, sort of a night school, if you will, and studied to be one, and I eventually got certification.

"When I found out that your mother had conceived you, I practically begged the ones in charge to let me take you as my first assignment. It would be my way of repaying your father. Everyone admitted it was an odd request, but there was no risk… I wasn't evil any more.

"So I got the assignment. I was there when you were born… When your father was holding your mother's hand when she was in the pains of labor, I was holding the other one, whispering as many gentle assurances as he was. I've been watching over you ever since. I've been your conscience, and your protector…

"Have you ever wanted to do something that seems easy, but you decide against it because of a nagging feeling that you might get hurt? I give you that nagging feeling, because I don't want you hurt. And when you're faced with a moral choice, I always try to urge you towards the right one.

"Because… If you ever fell into evil like I did, I'd have to leave you… Just like my guardian angel left me…"

"Really?" muttered Yumi.

Anastasia nodded.

"He had no choice…" she replied. "After the first murder, it was pretty much a certainty that I could no longer be saved, so he left. You can't guide an evil soul. But… Once I actually did get into Heaven, he was there to greet me again with hugs and congratulations. He said it didn't happen often, but he was glad that it did."

Yumi was hanging on to every word.

"So why show yourself to me now?" she asked.

"To help you, and him…" said Anastasia, pointing to the Puzzle. "I can help you set him free.

"Unfortunately, the plan reached a snag… Rasputin.

"I knew him well in my former life. He was a member of the board of directors of Industrial Illusions when I was only a little girl… before my dad fired him…"

"Your dad knew him?" asked Yumi. "When you were a little girl? Just how old is he?"

Anastasia sighed.

"Older than you may think," she replied.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Sam trudged out of her hotel, angrily.

Who did this Maria think she was, a messenger? She had half a mind to throw the letter in a garbage can, and more than half a mind to break the seal and read it to see what the whole issue was.

She looked at the wax-stamped seal. Maybe she'd do just that…

Then she felt a chill… Did a cloud suddenly cover the sun?

Before she knew it, a tall form was standing in front of her…

It was a dark figure, dressed in a black cloak, his eyes obscured by the hood. He wore a Duel Disk on his arm.

Sam backed up and looked around. No Centurions in sight.

"And where do you think you're going?" said the cloaked man.

"To breakfast, as if it's any of your business," said Sam, annoyed.

"It is," said the man. "You'd best hand over that letter, if you want to live until lunch."

Sam sneered. Who did this jerk think he was threatening?

She looked at the letter. She didn't like Yumi, but deep inside, she knew that giving up this letter to this guy would be bad. On the other hand, he'd likely pester her until she did.

She noticed a badge tied to his belt, indicating Green status, one level below her.

"I see you're a duelist," she said.

"Of course," said the man.

"Do you have a name?" she asked.

"My name is my own," said the man, "and I don't share it. I'm a member of a group that works towards a cause bigger than you could imagine. We call ourselves… The League of Ascension."

"And that's supposed to impress me?" asked Sam crossing her arms. "You seem like nothing more than Rare Hunter wannabes."

He scowled.

"You can't begin to comprehend the goals that the League of Ascension is trying to achieve!" he exclaimed.

"Maybe not…" said Sam, "and I'm betting they don't tell grunts like you much about them either."

He gave another angry scowl. It was as if Sam had hit that one right on the head.

"Tell you what," said Sam, stuffing the letter in her pocket. "Buddy… I'll guess I should just call you an Ascender, huh?"

"Yes, that is the right term," he replied.

"Weird…" she muttered. "Makes you sound like some mountain climber… Anyway, you want the letter so badly, I'll duel you for it. But I'm upping the ante…

"The winner can punish the loser however he or she desires."

The Ascender paused at this…

Then he noticed that the one he was facing was a young and attractive eighteen-year-old…

"Heh, heh…" he chuckled. "Very well… It's a bet…"

Sam stepped back, and her Disk activated. Her opponent activated his own.

"Game on!" they both said at once.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"From what I know, Yumi," said Anastasia, "Rasputin was born in Austria around the mid 1700th Century. He was born into wealth and nobility, when such things truly mattered in that part of the world.

"You see Yumi, his big problem is, he doesn't acknowledge any power greater than mankind. He might have once, but that time was long ago. Call him an atheist, and he'd take it as a compliment. He has no use for religion, thinking that anyone with such beliefs is deluded. Only the power of the mortal mind matters. If he worships anything, it is knowledge.

"It wasn't that he never _believed_ in higher powers. On the contrary, he's always willing to listen to theories that they exist… But he thinks that if they do exist, they're all frauds and meddlers. Powerful, maybe, but he doesn't believe their power gives them any authority. He doesn't believe they have a right to interfere in the affairs of mankind. He has often asked why we were never given a chance to vote for their system, saying that it was forced upon us like some dictatorship.

"In his opinion, only mankind itself can control their affairs, and the so-called gods have no place in it.

"To Rasputin, humanity doesn't need God. And he'd laugh at you if you said it was a blasphemy. He's heard that hundreds of times. To him, the very word 'blasphemy' has no meaning, because there's nothing you can offend that you have to respect."

"That's awful…" muttered Yumi.

Anastasia nodded.

"Several people have told him he would be smote from above by lightning for some of the things he has said," replied Anastasia, "and he never gets tired of visiting those people to tell them that he's still around.

"Now, several such men harbor a secret – they fear death. With no faith in the higher powers, they think nothing waits for the deceased except oblivion. They think nothing exists beyond the grave but dust.

"Now, this particular view isn't exactly _uncommon_, of course. The world has always been full of agnostics and unbelievers. But Rasputin was different in that he actually _did_ something about it. Determined never to face oblivion, he turned to alchemy, eventually developing a sort of… potion, for lack of a better term, that would stop him from aging if he took it regularly. He calls it an immortality serum. He's been taking it all these years, never growing older because of it.

"It has side effects, of course. He no longer sleeps, and the unnatural insomnia has affected him, having to be awake constantly. He needs much less food than most men, having to eat only one meal a day… But he drinks five martinis a day, a habit he's had for the past three centuries. Whether it affects him or not, I don't know. The potion has also rendered him sterile, unable to ever sire children. Despite all this, he considers these drawbacks small prices to pay in order to cheat the Reaper.

"But the potion doesn't truly make him immortal. It can't last forever. Originally, he only had to take it every five years to keep from growing older. Now he must do so once a month. And the ingredients, which were rare to begin with, keep getting scarcer. Soon, he won't be able to make it, his true age will catch up to him, and he'll be ashes. His time is almost up, and the fear of his mortality is becoming more and more prevalent.

"He's tried to find other ways to become immortal. To that end, he's become a big figure in the European underworld. Recently, he's become active in the world of Duel Monsters, forming a crime syndicate to achieve goals in that area.

"And he even faced your grandfather in one attempt."

"My grandfather?" said Yumi, shocked.

Anastasia nodded.

"Shortly after the KaibaCorp Grand Prix," she continued, "your great aunt Serenity's eyesight began to fail. Your grandfather Joey panicked, thinking that the surgery that had restored it was becoming undone.

"From out of nowhere, Rasputin appeared, and claimed he had a formula that would restore it again. I know now that he had caused the deterioration in the first place. Likely with a poison that he had bribed some restaurant employee to put in her food."

Yumi clenched her fists.

"Rasputin said he would only give up the formula if Yugi dueled him and wagered the three Egyptian God Cards against it. His goal was to find the secret of immortality from them. With no choice, Yugi agreed.

"The duel went slowly at first, with Rasputin only playing wall Monsters. Eventually, Yugi summoned Valkyrion, and destroyed one of his four defenses.

"Then Rasputin drew a key to his strategy – the same card that Kaiba had used to attempt to take Slifer from Yugi in Battle City."

"I've heard of that card," said Yumi. "Lullaby of Obedience. It lets you pay 1,000 Life Points to name a Monster that's Level Eight or more, and if your opponent has it in his deck, you get to take it."

"Yes," said Anastasia. "Not only did he believe he would use it to win the duel, but to prove to everyone, himself included, that he could control a god, and thus prove his superiority over them.

"Rasputin carefully considered his options, as he always did. He knew that he probably wouldn't be able to control Ra until he deciphered the Heretic Code on the card. Also, he realized that once he played that Spell Card, he'd have two cards left in his hand, so if he summoned Slifer, it wouldn't be strong enough to defeat Valkyrion.

"So he played it and named Obelisk. Once he had it, he sacrificed his three Monsters to summon it.

"At that point, he realized that he might have made a grievous error. As much as he denied the significance of the gods, Obelisk's power was incredible, and was straining even to his incredible will. He was clearly NOT a person that had been chosen to wield such power. Nonetheless, he mustered the strength to order an attack, and destroyed Valkyrion.

"But then Yugi activated his facedown Soul Rope, and Special Summoned Obnoxious Celtic Guardian. On his turn, he sacrificed him for Dark Magician Girl, and played the Sage's Stone to summon Dark Magician. He placed a facedown card, and told Rasputin to make his move.

"The only clear thing at this point about Rasputin was that he wasn't thinking clearly. In a mind full of fog, he thought it was a bluff – Traps didn't work on God Cards, after all. So he ordered an attack on Dark Magician… And Yumi activated a Trap that he had never used before then. Covering Fire. It added Dark Magician Girl's Attack Score to Dark Magician's, for a total of 4,500, enough to destroy Obelisk. It took Rasputin totally by surprise.

"Rasputin couldn't do anything else. He lost on Yugi's next turn. Joey threatened to break his legs unless he honored his side of the bargain, so he had no choice. Rasputin has always been a coward when threatened by actual violence. Like I said, he fears dying, and his potion does not make him impervious to harm – only ageless.

"I give you a fair warning, Yumi… Ever since then, Rasputin has blamed Dark Magician Girl for losing that duel, and ruining his chance of obtaining the God Cards. He hates her. Of course, he's only using her as a scapegoat. He had only himself to blame."

Yumi paused.

"Why did your dad fire him?" she asked.

Anastasia paused.

"Like I said, he wasn't just an employee," she replied. "He was on the board of directors. And he held a lot of power in the company.

"I was certain that he was plotting to seize control of Industrial Illusions… But, heh, I was eight years old at the time, so if I could figure that out, dad likely could, right?

"Anyway, there was no danger of dad losing his position as president of Industrial Illusions. As Seto Kaiba would tell you, in business, the magic number is 51. Own 51 of a company's stock, and you own the company.

"My dad was always on the safe side. He kept his personal share of the company stock at over 75, and if it ever went lower than that, he'd quickly move to correct it. Most of the other board members were loyal to him anyway…

"As to why Rasputin was fired…"

She shivered.

"Did your grandmother ever tell you about…" she said, nervously, "the temple? The one in his castle on Duelist Kingdom where he did… unholy rituals in shadow magic when he was wearing that awful Eye?"

Yumi shivered.

"Yeah…" she muttered. "She, Tristan, and Bakura caught him in the act by accident."

"He showed it to me once," muttered Anastasia. "He wanted to warn me never to succumb to evil like he did… A lot of good it did…

"After he lost his powers he kept meaning to have that place sealed up. But he kept procrastinating. In the meantime, he kept using the island as a resort and vacation spot, both for himself and his employees.

"Rasputin conned his way into a trip there just so he could break into that place and try to learn the secrets of Shadow Games. But dad's security caught him in the act. Dad realized beyond a doubt that Rasputin was a dangerous man, and since trespassing in an off-limits area was grounds for dismissal, he fired him at once.

"Fortunately, it made him stop procrastinating, and seal up that awful temple for good."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**(Sam: 8,000) -------------------- (Ascender: 8,000)**

"I can't believe you're actually going though with this!" said the Ascender.

"Blah, blah, blah," said Sam. "Let's just get this over with…"

She drew her first card.

"I summon Gil Garth to the field," she said.

She played the card, and the robotic, armored Fiend appeared, brandishing his scimitar. (1,800/1,000)

"Now let's see what you've got."

"Indeed…" said the Ascender.

He drew a card.

"I place a Monster in Defense Mode, and one card facedown," he said.

Two facedown cards appeared, perpendicular to each other.

_Standard opening move…_ thought Sam. _Keeping your strategy secret…_

She made a draw.

"I summon Archfiend Soldier," she replied.

In a burst of black flames, a hideous demon with mauve skin and ram-like horns, wearing a flowing cloak and holding a nasty sword appeared.

It snarled, and glared at the Ascender… (1,900/1,500)

"Archfiend Soldier…" she shouted. "Attack his facedown Monster! Sword of Perdition!"

The Soldier flew forward…

"I activate my Trap," said the Ascender, as his Trap Card lifted. "A powerful Trap Card called Waboku. It reduces the damage me or any of my Monsters would have received this turn to zero…

"But… the battle still occurs, so it still flips up…"

Archfiend Soldier's sword came down on the card, and an evil-looking treasure chest appeared on the card. The Soldier's sword was blocked by a dome of shimmering energy. (100/1,000)

"It's called a Dark Mimic LV 1," said the Ascender. "And due to its effect, I get to draw one card."

He made a draw.

Sam looked at her cards.

"I can't do anything else," she said. "Your move."

"Then I draw…" he said, drawing a card. "And I activate my Dark Mimic's effect, sacrificing its Level One form, for Dark Mimic LV 3, in Defense Mode."

The chest grew, and became even more fiendish. (1,000/1,000)

"I'll place one card facedown, and end my turn," he said.

A new facedown card appeared.

Sam drew a new card.

_If I destroy his new Dark Mimic,_ she thought, _he'll get to draw two more cards. But then again, I can't just do nothing…_

"Gil Garth, attack his Dark Mimic!" she shouted.

Gil Garth flew forward, and slashed at the chest with his blade, slicing it in half like it were made of rubber foam. The pieces melted into goo.

"Thank you…" said the Ascender, drawing twice.

"Archfiend Soldier, attack…" started Sam.

"I activate… Threatening Roar!" shouted the Ascender.

His facedown card lifted, and a bellowing roar sent the two Fiends cowering.

"Afraid you can't attack me any more this turn," he said.

Sam growled. This was getting frustrating…

"Then it's your turn," she said.

"Then I draw…" he said.

He drew a card.

"Now the real fun starts!" he said with a laugh.

"First, I play the Spell Card, Level Limit Area B," he said, placing a card in his Disk. "This moves all Monsters that are Level Four or greater to Defense Mode."

Gil Garth and Archfiend Soldier knelt in Defense Mode.

"Then I place… three cards facedown."

He fit three cards into his Disk, and three facedown cards appeared.

"Next I play… Wave-Motion Cannon!"

He played the card, and a trapdoor on his side of the field opened. A large, fat cannon covered with tubes and gizmos rose out of it on a lift.

"When I decide to fire this, it will deal you 1,000 points of damage for every one of my Standby Phases that it was on the field.

"Next, a Monster in Defense Mode…"

He set a card, and a facedown Monster appeared.

"And finally…" he said, "the coup de grace…

"I sacrifice your two Monsters to summon the Lava Golem!"

Sam looked shocked as her two Monsters were consumed in fire…

And then, an iron cage formed around her, made only the more shocking by the fact that it was fastened around the neck of a gigantic, formless beast made of molten lava. (3,000/2,500)

"Heh, heh…" said the Ascender. "Your move…"

_Lovely…_ thought Sam. _A Burn Deck…_

_Also known as The True Coward's Deck…_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"So what does this all have to do with me, Anastasia?" asked Yumi.

She noticed that the Pharaoh was beside her, listening closely.

"Let me tell you another story, Yumi," said Anastasia. "Five thousand years ago, there were a group of eight individuals known as the Sorcerer Kings. Of course, the word 'King' is sort of a misnomer, because a few of them were women."

Yumi looked at the Pharaoh.

"Yes, I heard of them," he said. "But all that was known about them is that they were powerful magicians."

"Anyway," said Anastasia, "the Sorcerer Kings had beliefs not unlike Rasputin's, and believed that humans could obtain powers that only the gods could harness through mortal magic. And they tried to obtain it.

"Each of them had a… sympathetic object that was the key to their power. Collectively, these items are called the Shadow Charms. Only the Sorcerer Kings themselves could use them to their fullest potential, but in another's hands they had powerful abilities.

"One day, all the Sorcerer Kings disappeared. The most popular theory is that they had challenged the gods for ultimate power, and failed, and that to this day are being punished in some divine prison.

"But over the ages, the Shadow Charms have shown up in the hands of others. Very rarely has anyone had more than one at one time. And it is said that if anyone collected all eight, he or she would have ultimate power… Godlike power.

"Rasputin wants that power. He'd truly be immortal. And he wouldn't stop there. He'd be able to do pretty much whatever he wanted.

"But Yumi… The Shadow Charms could also be offered as a sacrifice to perform the ritual… The ritual that would restore the Pharaoh's memories and let him leave this world!"

Yumi paused.

"Where are they?" she asked, anxiously.

"Here…" said Anastasia. "The original Archlords hid the Mandate on this island because it was a well of powerful magic. Eldritch magic seeps from the core of this island, as it does in other places around the globe… like Stonehenge, for example. Over the years, when owners of the Charms died or somehow got rid of them, they eventually all hid themselves on this island!

"They know that someone wants to claim them now… And they'll show themselves when the time is right. You must find them before Rasputin does, because each Charm only recognizes one owner at a time.

"And if one of them is ever claimed… It can never be stolen or sold or even given away… It can only be won…

"Rasputin is already ahead of you. That talisman he won is a device that can locate the Shadow Charms once they make their presence known. Fortunately…

"I'm not too bad at locating them myself…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"You're going to have to draw a card sooner or later!" laughed the Ascender.

_Okay, let's go over the situation…_ thought Sam.

_I've got a Lava Golem on my side of the field, that's gonna cost me 1,000 Life Points per turn… I can't attack with it due to his Level Limit card, and even if I could, I have a feeling one of his other Traps would make that a bad idea._

_He has Wave-Motion Cannon on his side of the field, which will get more dangerous with each of his turns._

_My answer…_

She quickly drew a card.

_Bring it on._

She cringed as the cage around her glowed red-hot.

**(S: 7,000) -------------------- (A: 8,000)**

"I activate Mask of Restrict!" shouted the Ascender, as a Trap Card lifted. "Now that Golem is staying there."

Sam growled.

_Typical…_ she thought.

"I play my Graceful Charity Spell Card," she said, holding the card up.

"Now I draw three times…"

She made three draws.

She gave an evil grin…

She discarded Pot of Avarice and Kuriboh.

"I'll place this facedown…" she said, "and that will be all…"

A facedown card appeared.

The Ascender drew a card. The Wave-Motion Cannon glowed with energy.

"I flip my facedown Monster into Attack Mode," he said. "Reveal… Des Koala!"

A large koala appeared, ready to pounce. (1,100/1,800)

"Now you lose 400 Life Points for each card in your hand. And I see six!"

Sam shrieked as she was struck by six bolts of lightning.

**(S: 4,600) -------------------- (A: 8,000)**

"Won't be long now…" he said. "I set a new Monster in Defense Mode, and end my turn."

A new facedown Monster appeared.

Sam drew a card. She cringed again.

"I activate my facedown card," she shouted. "Dust Tornado! Say bye-bye to your Wave-Motion Cannon!"

Her facedown card lifted.

"No," said the Ascender. "I activate Solemn Judgment."

One of his facedown cards lifted.

"It costs me half my Life Points, but your Trap is negated."

Sam's Trap shattered.

**(S: 3,600) -------------------- (A: 4,000)**

Then Sam burst out laughing.

"What?" asked the Ascender. "What's so funny?"

"I knew you'd do that," she said with a wicked smile. "Cowards like you who play Burn Decks think your opponents will never reach you, so what difference does it make if you cut your Life Points in half?"

"Shut up!" shouted the Ascender. "I am by no means a coward!"

"Yes you are!" snapped Sam. "You're afraid to actually attack, hiding behind Spells and Traps, and letting them do your opponent in. You're afraid to take risks, and God forbid ever take an attack.

"But you're going to have to face it now, because I knew you had Solemn Judgment set, and that Dust Tornado was only a decoy to fool you into wasting it. Since I'm almost certain that your last facedown card is either Magic Cylinder or Dimension Wall, you're now helpless to stop me from playing this…

"Heavy Storm!"

She played the card, and the Ascender watched in horror as the wind tore across the field and almost every part of his strategy – Wave-Motion Cannon, Level Limit Area B, Mask of Restrict, and Magic Cylinder (because that indeed was what it was) – was blown to pieces.

"How in the world…" he gasped. "You… you couldn't have…"

"You snooze, you lose," said Sam. "And I'm just starting. Now let's get rid of this overgrown, ugly excuse for a Fiend. I sacrifice it for Lesser Fiend."

She played the card, and in a swirl of red energy, Lava Golem vanished, and was replaced by a hulking, pale-skinned demon with four-arms. It growled and clenched its four fists. (2,100/1,000)

"No…" moaned the Ascender.

"I really don't know why he's called a 'lesser' Fiend," said Sam. "He looks pretty tough to me.

"But even so, he's not staying. Next I play the Spell Card… Metamorphosis. Now I can sacrifice my Lesser Fiend to summon a Monster from my Fusion Deck who's the same Level. And I think I'll summon my Fiend Skull Dragon."

Lesser Fiend vanished in a burst of energy, and a ferocious Dragon appeared. It stood upright, also had four arms, and huge, leathery wings. (2,000/1,200)

"Technically, he isn't a Fiend," said Sam. "But he's close. Fiend Skull Dragon, attack his facedown Monster! Vile wind!"

Fiend Skull Dragon breathed forth a blast of black smoke. Another Des Koala appeared on the card and let out a loud shriek. It shattered into bits.

"Ha!" laughed the Ascender. "Now you're gonna get it…"

"Hmm…" said Sam, shaking her head. "I don't seem to have lost any Life Points. Wonder why?

"Oh, I know why… Fiend Skull Dragon negates the flip-effects of any Monster he destroys.

"Now I'll place one card facedown…"

A facedown card appeared behind Fiend Skull Dragon.

"I'm done with my turn, so I'll turn it back to you."

The Ascender's hand shook as he drew.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Yumi slipped her Duel Disk on her arm.

"The League of Ascension…" she muttered. "I get it… As in _ascend_ to a higher state, as in equal to the gods. This is Battle City all over again…

"What about those two teenagers with him? Nicholas and Olga?"

Anastasia shook her head.

"Those two are a mystery," she said. "He is their legal guardian, but I'm not sure what their purpose is. The best guess is, he adopted them because he wanted heirs because he can't sire children of his own. But since his goal is to live forever, it doesn't make much sense. Perhaps he's promised them something when he gets ultimate power. At any rate, they're his chief henchmen, acting as his eyes and ears when he can't. And both of them are top-rate duelists."

Yumi sighed.

"I guess this isn't as bad as a demon trying to invade the Earth…"she said. "But I'll try my hardest… I'll get these Shadow Charms. And I'm sure Ren and Chelsea will help too…

"Although frankly, I don't know how I'm gonna explain this to them. Can you show yourself to them?"

Anastasia shook her head.

"In this reality, humans normally can't see angels," she said. "If it weren't for this special case, you wouldn't have seen me until you died and I had to lead you to the afterlife. I might be able to show myself to them eventually… It's hard to say."

"Well, I'll think of something…" said Yumi.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The Ascender looked at the card he had drawn.

Another Lava Golem. All he needed was another good Trap Card and for her to summon another Monster, and he could still win.

"I shift my first Des Koala into Defense Mode…" he said.

Des Koala shielded itself in defense.

"Then I place a card facedown."

He placed his other card in his Disk, and another facedown card appeared.

"That's all for now."

Sam made a draw.

"I activate my facedown card!" shouted the Ascender. "Secret Barrel!"

His Trap lifted, and another trapdoor opened in the ground. A large cannon rose out of it.

"This weapon blasts you for 200 points for every card on your side of the field and in your hand – I see six total."

The cannon blasted a beam of energy, and Sam screamed as it hit her.

**(S: 2,400) -------------------- (A: 4,000)**

"You just made me mad…" she said, taking a card from her hand.

"I play Confiscation! I give up 1,000 Life Points, and you give up the last card in your hand."

The Ascender gasped as the Lava Golem in his hand vanished.

"Another Lava Golem?" asked Sam. "Good…

"Now I activate… Call of the Haunted."

Her facedown card lifted, and a stone coffin rose out of the ground. It opened, and Archfiend Soldier stepped out of it. (1,900/1,500)

"Send that Des Koala back to Australia!" shouted Sam. "Sword of Perdition!"

Archfiend Soldier roared in rage. He made one swipe with his blade, and Des Koala shattered into pixels.

"Fiend Skull Dragon…"

"No! Don't!" screamed the Ascender.

"Attack directly!" yelled Sam.

The Dragon breathed forth its foul breath, and the Ascender screamed, falling to his knees.

"Just as I thought…" said Sam. "You really don't like being hurt, don't you? Get used to it.

"I'll place a card facedown, and that ends my turn… Do your worst."

She fit a card into her Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

**(S: 1,400) -------------------- (A: 2,000)**

The Ascender sweat heavily as he drew a card.

"All right…" he muttered. "I play… Pot of Greed."

He played the card, and the evil jar appeared. He drew twice.

His eyes lit up…

_Looks like Lady Luck is smiling on me!_ he thought. _I just drew Ring of Destruction and Barrel Behind the Door!_

_I simply have to set both, and as soon as she draws… Boom… Her Monster explodes, she loses 2,000 Life Points, and my second Trap redirects the damage I would have taken to her…_

_I've won!_

He fit the two cards into his Disk, and two facedown cards appeared.

He glared at Sam.

Sam drew a card…

"I activate Ring of Destruction!" he shouted.

His Trap Card lifted.

The familiar ring of grenades appeared around Fiend Skull Dragon's neck.

Sam was about to trigger her Trap…

Then she stopped.

_Why bother?_ she thought.

Fiend Skull Dragon wasn't impressed. It simply tore the Ring off and tossed the pieces aside.

"WHAT?" shouted the Ascender. "HOW?"

"I didn't mention his other effect," said Sam. "Trap Cards that target… They don't work on him."

The Ascender's eyes widened in fear…

"I have a pretty good idea what that other Trap is," said Sam, "so…

"Fiend Skull Dragon, attack him directly!"

The Ascender screamed again, as the vile wind tore into him.

**(S: 1,400) -------------------- (A: 0)**

The Monsters vanished. Sam walked up to him as she looked at her Badge.

"Thanks for helping me reach Violet, by the way," she said.

"You lucked out…" he sneered. "I'd have won if I had used it on your Archfiend Soldier."

Sam paused, and then took the card out of her Spell/Trap Zone and looked at it.

Seven Tools of the Bandit.

She smirked.

"Yep, I lucked out," she said with a shrug. "But since I did, you lost. And we had a deal, remember?"

There was loud WHACK! followed by a scream as Sam's foot hit her target squarely, and the Ascender fell to his knees, wincing in pain. Sam started to walk away.

"Sam! Sam!" shouted Erik's voice.

Erik ran up.

"What happened?" he said, panting for breath.

"We have to find Yumi…" said Sam. "And then we gotta call my mom. As various characters in _Star Wars_ have said, I've got a bad feeling about this."

When they were out of sight, the Ascender pulled a cell phone out of his cloak and hit the speed dial.

"Boss?" he moaned, talking into it. "Things didn't quite go as planned…"

In his penthouse suite, Rasputin listened. He scowled.

Then he hung up.

"I should have known better than to send that guy to deal with Arachne's kid…" he said. "He's the stupidest duelist I have…

"Better call someone more competent…"

He looked at a list on his computer, one that came from his flash drive.

"For this job, I need someone who's relentless, and vicious… one who will ignore any pleas for mercy and not listen to any bribes. One who won't be sidetracked by penny-ante wagers…

"I need…"

He looked at one name.

"…her… The one who is as relentless as the Field Spell she commands…"

He dialed a number.

"Holly?" he said, when it was answered. "Listen closely. I have a very important job and it can't be botched…

"Succeed, and you'll get a bonus. And you'll be allowed to keep one of the Charms until we get all of them…"

He chuckled as the one on the other end replied.

"Yes, thought you'd like that…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Yumi walked down to the lobby of the hotel, and saw Chelsea and Ren waiting. Ren was playing a tune on the guitar that was beautiful, but rather empty. He could play music, but when it came to composing it, he had yet to really find his inspiration.

"Hey, Yumi," said Chelsea. "What's new?"

Yumi looked over her shoulder and saw Anastasia standing there.

"Lots…" she said. "This is gonna be hard to explain guys, but…"

At that moment, Sam marched into the lobby, an angry look on her face.

"May I help you?" asked the doorman.

"NO!" shouted Sam, rudely, as she strode up to Yumi.

She stared her rival in the face, and held up the letter.

"I had to face a Lava Golem to get this to you…" she said with a growl, "so please never say I don't do you any favors… I don't know what trouble is about to start on this island, but I'm pretty sure it's all your fault."

Yumi took the letter and looked at it. She broke the seal with her finger, and slowly opened it.

She read the handwritten letter.

_**Dear Princess of Games,**_

_**By now, someone should have contacted you about what your goal is. My interference must be small, and infrequent, but I will help when I can.**_

_**I know where you can find a Shadow Charm that has revealed itself, but its power is so great, that only an attempt to locate it specifically will find it. Thus, Rasputin's talisman did not alert him, and whatever force is helping you likely could not either. But my ally and I were smarter.**_

_**Go to the beach where the barbecue pit with the mural of Battle Steer is. An old chest lies half buried in the sand next to the building. Open it, and you will find the Crown of Souls. **_

_**Be careful. Rasputin will stop at nothing to get it before you do. And if you must fight for it… May the powers of Good stand beside you.**_

_**Sincerely,**_

_**Maria**_

"The Crown of Souls…" muttered Anastasia. "The Charm crafted by Machius the Wise, the noblest of the Sorcerer Kings. What it does isn't known, but its power is said to be great…"

Yumi paused.

"Guys, come on!" she shouted. "We gotta find this Crown!"

Ren and Chelsea looked at each other with a confused look. Then they followed Yumi as she ran out of the hotel.

Sam put her hand on her hip.

"Hey you guys!" she shouted. "Wait for us! No way you're leaving us out of this!"

She grabbed Erik's arm and ran after them.

They didn't know that another figure in a cloak was watching them…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The five teenagers ran down the beach, where several guests who weren't in the dueling mood at the moment were sunning themselves.

"You gonna tell us what this is all about, Yumi?" asked Chelsea. "If I knew we were going to go to the beach, I would have brought my swimsuit."

"No time to swim," said Yumi. "Let's just say that things just got more complicated."

The barbecue pit they were looking for came into view. It wasn't open, seeing as no-one bought chicken and ribs at nine in the morning, so they could look without any distractions.

"Spread out…" said Yumi. "Look for a chest…"

Everyone started to circle the stand.

"Found it!" shouted Ren.

They all ran to where he was, and saw an old wooden chest half-buried in the sand.

"Gimme a hand, Ren…" said Yumi, gripping it.

They both pulled, and yanked it free from the sand.

They saw that it was closed with a rusty padlock.

Yumi looked around.

Her eyes fell on a crowbar on the ground.

"How lucky can you get?" she said with a laugh, as she picked it up.

She jammed the crowbar between the lock and the lock's bar, and with one heave, it snapped.

Yumi dropped the crowbar and was about to open the chest…

"Yumi, watch out!" shouted Erik.

Fortunately, Erik had been watching in case some hidden guardian of the chest showed up. And he saw the cloaked figure just as it lunged for Yumi.

But the figure was fast. It tackled Yumi to the ground.

"Thanks for finding the Crown," it said, in a female voice. "I'll take it from here!"

"Another one of those League of Ascension goons?" said Sam. "Guess they're equal opportunity employers."

"Get off of her!" shouted Ren.

The Ascender took a small flask out of her cloak, and hurled it, sending up a cloud of green smoke. Everyone except her and Yumi started coughing.

The Ascender proceeded to try to pin Yumi… Only to get a fist in the face. Yumi forced her off of her, and the two struggled.

"You can have it over my dead body…" sneered Yumi through her teeth.

"Okay…" said the Ascender, angrily. "I can arrange that…"

The sky started to darken… clouds started to gather…

"No…" screamed Anastasia. "Not this!"

Lightning flashed…

Yumi and the Ascender slowly let go of each other…

They stared at each other in silence…

The chest opened, and the artifact rose out. It was a golden crown, the golden band made to look like the wearer would be wearing two golden snakes. The snakes' mouths met in the front, where a single ruby was set.

The Crown of Souls started to glow as darkness covered the beach…

"It's started…" muttered Anastasia. "Only one thing can happen now…

"Good luck, Yumi…"

_To be continued…_

**0**

**0**

**0**

**Ren: What's happening? Who turned off the sun?**

**Chelsea: Look at Yumi… She isn't blinking… Something's happened to her…**

**Sam: What the devil is going on? What is this place?**

**Anastasia: The Shadow Charm has no owner yet, and when that is the case, fighting over it can only mean one thing…**

**Coming up next, "Yami no Oujou! Yumi's Challenge".**

**Heaven help us…**


	14. Yami no Oujou! Yumi’s Challenge

**0 0 0 0 0**

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**CHAPTER THIRTEEN**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Yami no Oujou!**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Yumi's Challenge**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

Duelatopia…

In the City of a Thousand Wonders, action was happening all over the place. Monsters were at battle in dozens of locations.

In the middle of the Restaurant District, a boy with slick, black hair and a jean jacket was dueling a younger boy with brown hair and more fashionable clothes. The boy in the jean jacket had 1,700 Life Points remaining and Armed Dragon LV 5 (2,400/1,700) on his side. The other boy had 3,500 Life Points remaining and had Soul Tiger in Defense Mode (0/2,100) and Berserk Gorilla (2,000/1,000) in Attack Mode.

"Your Trap Card may have gotten you out of that last attack," said the boy with the Dragon, "but next turn will be different. Make your move."

"Well, let's see here…" said the other boy, drawing and adjusting his glasses.

"All right! I sacrifice Soul Tiger and Berserk Gorilla to summon Big Koala!"

The two Beasts vanished, and a huge koala appeared, towering over the Dragon. (2,700/2,000)

"Get that Dragon!" he ordered. "Take down from down under!"

Big Koala charged on all fours, and tackled Armed Dragon, blowing it away. The first boy cringed as his Life Points fell to 1,400.

"I'm not done yet…" he said, drawing a card.

"I play… Pot of Greed…"

He made two draws.

"Perfect," he said. "I play Level Modulation. First, I get to be generous. You get to draw two cards."

His opponent made two draws.

"Then I get to summon my Dragon back from the Graveyard."

Armed Dragon LV 5 appeared again.

"And I'm not done. Next I play… Level Up! This lets me instantly evolve him into Armed Dragon LV 7."

In a flash of light, the Dragon transformed into an even bigger, nastier one. (2,800/1,000)

"Now I activate his ability…" he continued. "I'll toss Invader of Darkness from my hand, and since it has 2,900 Attack Points, my Dragon can wipe out your big teddy bear."

He discarded the card. Armed Dragon shot out a blast of energy disks, eradicating Big Koala.

"Now, attack directly!"

His opponent was thrown from his feet as the huge claw crashed down.

The duelist slowly got up as his Life Points fell to 700.

"All right, my move…" he muttered, drawing a card. "And koalas aren't bears, for your information…"

He smiled when he saw what it was.

"Thanks for the two free cards," he said, playing a Spell Card. "I play Silent Doom. Now I can summon one Normal Monster from my Graveyard in Defense Mode. Guess who it is."

Big Koala appeared, crouching in Defense.

"Now I play… Polymerization. I'll fuse Big Koala with Des Kangaroo to summon the Master of Oz!"

A short, scrappy kangaroo appeared on the field. Then the two Monsters swirled together…

…forming a titan even bigger than the Dragon. It was a huge koala with green fur, wearing boxing gloves, a purple jacket, and red sneakers. (4,200/3,700)

"WAIT a minute!" shouted his opponent.

"Attack!" shouted the duelist. "Ayer's rock uppercut!"

Master of Oz clobbered the Dragon, blasting it and its owner's Life Points to nothing…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Outside the Museum of Natural History, Heck had finally gotten the courage to make another challenge.

Right now, he had 2,200 Life Points remaining, and had VW-Tiger Catapult (2,000/2,100) on his side of the field. Unfortunately, he couldn't attack with it. His opponent, who had 2,400 Life Points remaining, had a Continuous Spell Card called "A" Cell Breeding Device on his side of the field, which let him put an A-Counter on one Monster each turn. He also had a Monster called an Alien Psychic that prevented Monsters with A-Counters from attacking. (200/100)

His opponent drew a card.

"I use my Breeding Device…" he said, "to give your Catapult a second A-Counter…"

A hideous slug flew forward, and attached itself to VW.

"Then, I sacrifice Alien Psychic…."

Alien Psychic vanished…

"To summon Alien Mother!"

In an explosion of energy, a hideous creature appeared on his side of the field. It (she?) was reptilian, with an armored carapace, four arms, and razor-sharp claws, teeth, and talons. (2,300/1,500)

"Well that ain't pretty…" said Heck. "And that ain't ugly… That is _pretty ugly!_"

"Make jokes if you want…" said his opponent. "But when an Alien battles a Monster with A-Counters, that Monster loses 300 Attack Points for each one.

"Alien Mother… Attack his Tiger Catapult! Bite from beyond!"

Alien Mother rushed the Machine, grabbed it, and sank its teeth into its armor. The Machine sparked and exploded.

Heck shielded himself as his Life Points fell to 1,300.

"However," he continued, "since your Machine can't be summoned from the Graveyard, I can't use Alien Mother's effect."

"Your move… You lose next turn, unless you can do something with two cards."

Heck drew a card.

"Ah play Pot of Greed," he said. "So now ah have three."

He made two draws.

"Heh, heh…" he said.

He played a Spell Card.

"Ah play… Different Dimension Hangar!

"Here's how it works. Ah get to remove up to three Union Monsters in my deck from play…"

He looked through his deck and chose two cards.

"And ah'm gonna do that with Y-Dragon Head, and Z-Metal Tank. Next, ah summon X-Head Cannon…"

He played the card, and the blue, cannon-toting Machine appeared. (1,800/1,500)

"Now, since the two Union Monsters ah just removed from play are ones that can be Equipped to X-Head Cannon," he continued, "my Spell Card lets me summon them to the field…"

A glowing portal opened in mid-air, and Y-Dragon Head flew out (1,500/1,600), followed by Z-Metal Tank (1,500/1,300).

"Now… Combine…"

The three Machines merged, changing shape, and the XYZ-Dragon Cannon loomed over the field. (2,800/2,600)

His opponent gulped.

Heck discarded his last card, and Alien Mother screamed before it was atomized.

"Attack directly!" shouted Heck. "De-fission blasters!"

The Machine opened fire. Heck's opponent was thrown back by the impact as his Life Points hit zero.

As the holograms vanished, Heck looked at his badge, which had been restored to Orange.

"Okey-dokey…" he said.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

On the beach not far from the barbecue pit where Yumi and her group had been (but strangely, were not right now), Felicia was in a tough spot.

She had her Super War Lion (2,300/2,100) on the field, but only 800 Life Points left.

Her opponent had Neo Aqua Madoor on the field in Defense Mode (1,200/3,000), and a strange device that was the result of a dangerous Continuous Trap: Type Zero Magic Crusher. He had 2,000 Life Points remaining.

"My move!" he said, drawing a card.

He grinned.

"And I discard my Gather Your Mind to activate the effect of my Magic Crusher!"

He discarded the card. The Type Zero Magic Crusher glowed. It shot a blast of energy at Felicia, and she winced in pain as it hit her. Her Life Points fell to 300.

"All I need to do is draw one more Spell Card on my next turn, and this duel is mine," he said.

"Not if I can help it," she said, drawing a card.

She smiled.

"I summon Rescue Cat."

She played the card, and the sweet-looking kitten appeared. (300/100)

"Now I activate her effect. By sending her to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon two Beasts that are Level Three or less. Go, cutie!"

Rescue Cat burrowed into the sand, and The All-Seeing White Tiger (1,300/500) and Catnipped Kitty (0/500) appeared.

"And what are _they_ gonna do?" asked her opponent with a laugh.

"Take down your defense," answered Felicia.

"I'd like to see them try it," he replied.

"Do you know what Catnipped Kitty can do?" asked Felicia. "Once per turn, she can reduce the Defense Score of one Monster to zero."

Catnipped Kitty meowed, and blew a kiss to Neo Aqua Madoor. He blushed, and fell to (1,200/0).

"All-Seeing White Tiger… attack!" shouted Felicia.

The Tiger pounced, and Neo Aqua Madoor shattered into shards of ice.

"Super War Lion, attack directly!"

The lion pounced, and the duelist screamed as it tackled him.

Felicia grinned as she looked at his prone foe.

"Mmm…" she said, looking at her badge. "Felicia Summers is back on the prowl…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Cassandra sat at her table, shuffling the Tarot deck. (Cassandra never slept for a full eight hours at a time. She had learned how to divide her sleep pattern into short naps that she took frequently, and was thus able to get an ample amount of rest and still be active almost any time. She was willing to teach others how to do this "trick", but it was hard.)

The deck she was shuffling now had a full seventy-eight cards. She needed more insight this time.

She took a card and placed it on the table.

The High Priestess. The card that represented Yumi.

She slowly drew another card. It was a simple picture of an arm coming out of a cloud, holding a large sword.

"The Ace of Swords…" she said. "Yumi's mind is awakening to new challenges, as it should be. One cannot stay rooted in old habits with what is about to occur.

"I sense that the first one is starting and that Yumi is involved. The next card should show me the most likely outcome…"

She drew a card, and looked at it…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Where were Yumi and her friends?

Yumi was staring down the Ascender, and they were standing on a grim parody of the pleasant beach. The beach they were now on was rocky, covered with grey sand, with angry waves crashing into the shore. Overhead, angry black clouds were overcast. Not a trace of Duelatopia was in sight.

Ren, Chelsea, Sam, and Erik watched in fear from a nearby rock…

Then they noticed Anastasia standing by them, with a look of worry on her face.

"You!" shouted Ren. "Who are you? Did you bring us here? Where are we? What is this?"

Anastasia looked surprised.

"You can see me?" she asked.

They nodded.

"Well, I'll let Yumi tell you if she survives…" she muttered.

"If she survives?" shouted Chelsea. "Where are we? What's happening?"

"I'll… try to explain…" said Anastasia. "We're most likely in the Sorcerer Kings' domain. Another dimension of sorts. Where exactly, I don't know. And as for what's about to happen, it's what has happened in history whenever two warriors have reached a stalemate over a Shadow Charm that had no owner…

"This is called the Yami no Oujou… One of the deadliest types of Shadow Games…

"In ages past, these contests would consist of battles of swords and incantations. But since both of them are duelists, the rules have adjusted, and Duel Monsters will suffice…"

"Then if Yumi loses, she loses her soul?" asked Ren.

Anastasia shook her head.

"It's simpler," said Anastasia. "The term 'Yami no Oujou' can be translated to 'Death of Darkness'. Maybe a more appropriate description of this is death _from_ darkness. This game is played for keeps. Whoever loses… well, the loser usually dies…"

The four youths shuddered.

"Couldn't one of them just forfeit?" asked Chelsea.

"It won't happen…" replied Anastasia. "That has never happened once in the history of these particular Shadow Games. Some people think that the atmosphere affects the mind, and makes both combatants unwilling to surrender. Every time an ally has begged someone to simply give the Charm to his opponent, he's found his pleas completely ignored…"

"Yumi!" screamed Sam. "You'd better live through this! I haven't gotten a chance to beat you yet!"

Yumi either didn't hear her rival or didn't care.

"Yumi…" said the voice of the Pharaoh, "you realize we're in this deep…"

"Mmm…" she replied. "Any idea who's running this?"

"I have no idea," he responded. "Whatever beings are in charge, their power is far beyond anything I've ever encountered. Even Zork pales in comparison. Perhaps the rumors of the Sorcerer Kings' demise were blown out of proportion."

Yumi finally spoke to her opponent.

"You work for Rasputin don't you?" she asked. "So who are you?"

The Ascender lowered her hood, revealing an olive complexion and flowing, red hair.

"You may call me Holly," she said. "I was once the national champion of Greece, before I lost that title. I found that becoming a duelist assassin paid more than tournaments.

"As for who my boss is, I won't confirm or deny anything. All I'll say is, he'll pay a great deal once he learns that I've done away with you. I'm gonna bury you at sea!"

"Don't count on it…" said Yumi.

Then a powerful voice spoke out of the clouds.

"_Yumi, Holly,"_ it said. _"Listen closely. A battle of Duel Monsters will suffice, but to make it more challenging, a house rule is being added."_

"House rule?" said Erik. "He can do that?"

"These beings are not bound by any rules set by Industrial Illusions," said Anastasia. "They can basically do whatever they want."

"_Here is the rule,"_ said the being. _"I call it Danger Zone, because the arena will have an abundance of Trap Cards, and we all know how dangerous they can be._

"_It works as follows: Every time each of you end your turns, a Trap Card, chosen at random, will be placed on your side of the field, provided you have room for one. The Trap could be almost any one that you'd find useful. I assure you, you won't get something that you'd find completely worthless. Backfire, for example, is only a possibility if you have at least one Fire Monster._

"_The only two Traps that are not allowed in this duel are Royal Decree and Chain Burst. If either of you have one of them in your decks, I guarantee you'll never draw it. Jinzo is forbidden as well. No card that permanently nullifies or limits the ability to use Traps now exists in your decks if you had any to begin with. One-use cards that counter other Traps, like Seven Tools of the Bandit, are still legit._

"_One more thing. Whenever one of these special Traps leaves the field in any way, they are, in a sense, removed from play. Thus, you cannot recover them with Mask of Darkness or something similar. However, if it is a Trap that must be destroyed to activate, it still counts as being sent to the Graveyard if it is destroyed._

"_Now begin. Honor goes to Holly."_

The two Disks activated.

"He's giving the first turn to Holly?" shouted Ren. "Just like that? No fair!"

"I'm afraid that in a Yami no Oujou," said Anastasia, "the decision of the official is final."

**(Yumi: 8,000) -------------------- (Holly: 8,000)**

"Game on!" shouted both the duelists.

Holly made her first draw.

"Let's see now, what first…" she said, looking over her hand. "Think I'll summon my Giant Red Seasnake."

She played the card, and in a burst of energy, a giant, eel-like serpent appeared, with sharp teeth and red scales. It hovered in the air in front of Holly, and hissed menacingly. (1,800/800)

"Next, I'll place one card facedown."

She fit a card into her Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

"That will do for now. I end my turn."

With a shimmer of light, another facedown card appeared on her side of the field. But instead of the usual color, it was solid gold.

"Interesting…" she said with a smile.

"Lovely…" muttered Sam.

"What?" asked Ren.

"Giant Red Seasnake…" replied Sam. "Sure, it isn't very special in terms of stats, but that card is incredibly rare. It was made back when Level Four beatsticks were rare and expensive, and unlike most, it was never reprinted as a more common version. So even today, that one is still rare and expensive.

"Holly could well have more rare and powerful cards than she knows what to do with…"

"All right, Holly…" said Yumi. "I draw!"

She drew a card.

"And I will too, thanks to the nice Trap I was just given," said Holly.

The Trap Card lifted, and an image similar to the Pot of Greed, but red and more spherical, appeared.

"Jar of Greed," she said, making a draw. "Now I get one card."

"But you lose one Monster," replied Yumi. "I summon Skilled Dark Magician."

She played the card, and the black-robed mage appeared. (1,900/1,700)

Then the Spellcaster turned towards her. Yumi was startled as she heard him speak.

"Fear not, Yumi," he said. "I and the rest of your companions will aid you in this dangerous game."

"You can talk?" whispered Yumi.

"In this realm we can all reach our full potential," he replied.

"Okay then!" she shouted. "Turn that eel into unagi! Black magic blast!"

"With pleasure," he replied.

He fired a burst of black magic, and the Giant Red Seasnake exploded.

**(Y: 8,000) -------------------- (H: 7,900)**

"That will be my turn," said Yumi.

One of the golden Traps appeared on her side.

_Hmmm…_ thought Yumi. _Now how does this one work again? Not many duelists use it…_

_Oh yeah…_

Holly drew a card.

"Well what do you know?" she said, showing Yumi the card. "I just drew Warrior of Atlantis.

"But don't worry, I don't intend to summon him…"

She slipped the card into her Graveyard slot.

"See, by sending him to the grave, I get to take a certain Spell Card from my deck."

She took her deck and looked through it, choosing a card.

Her Field Slot opened.

"And now I'll use it," she said. "Time to swamp this beach. I play… A Legendary Ocean!"

A huge tidal wave appeared behind her. Yumi braced herself, as it crashed into the beach…

Before she knew it, they were both knee-deep in sea-water, and a beautiful sea palace had appeared behind Holly.

"A Water Deck…" said Anastasia. "Challenging… if used right…"

"Nice, isn't it?" asked Holly. "And in this place, all Water Monsters gain 200 points, for both attacking and defending.

"It also downgrades their Levels by one, letting me summon a Level Five Monster with no sacrifice…

"Like this one… the Orca Mega-Fortress of Darkness!"

As she placed the card on her Disk, and bubbles appeared in front of her…

And then a huge creature broke surface.

Everyone here had seen killer whales before. Environmentalists were glad to say that, in recent years, they had grown much more numerous, and were taken off the endangered list a decade ago. However, this one was much different than any they had seen. It was much bigger than the typical specimen, and most killer whales didn't have cannons, turrets, and huge cranes on their backs. (2,100/1,200) –) (2,300/1,400)

"I activate my own Trap!" shouted Yumi.

Her facedown card lifted, showing a sinister Invader of Darkness pointing a finger.

"It's called Penalty Game! and I can use it when you have exactly four cards in your hand, like right now. Now I can choose one of two effects…

"And I'm going to choose the one that makes you skip your next Draw Phase."

Holly scowled at her.

"Fine…" she said. "Your Skilled Dark Magician is still the catch of the day! And if there's one thing I love more than a duel, it's a fish-fry.

"Attack! Killer whale cannon!"

"Sorry…" said Yumi to the Spellcaster.

Orca Mega-Fortress of Darkness opened its mouth, and a huge cannon blasted, blowing Skilled Dark Magician to particles.

(Y: 7,600) -------------------- (H: 7,900)

"You're gonna regret that…" said Yumi.

"Man…" said Sam. "The Ascender I faced was a klutz who used a Burn Deck. This one seems a great deal more competent. I guess they come from all walks of life in dueling."

"I'll place another card facedown, and end my turn," said Holly.

Another facedown card appeared.

Then, in a flash of light, another golden card appeared.

"Okay…" said Yumi. "Now I'll…"

"Hold it one minute!" shouted Holly.

Her golden Trap lifted.

"Time Seal?" shouted Yumi "Of all the dirty…"

"What's good for the goose is good for the gander," said Holly, with a smirk.

Yumi growled, and looked at the cards that she already had.

_What am I worried about?_ she thought. _I have Mirror Force right here. Man, now why didn't I set it one turn ago? _

_Because I wasn't expecting a huge killer whale-slash-air craft carrier combination, that's why… Ah well, I'll give her a big surprise._

"I place a Monster in Defense Mode, and one card facedown," she said.

A facedown card and a facedown Monster appeared.

She nodded, and a new golden Trap appeared on her side.

"All right," said Holly. "I'll skip my Draw Phase…

"And then I'll activate the Trap I put down earlier. It's called Cursed Waters LV 3."

The Trap lifted. It showed the picture of a bird's eye view of a ship in clear waters approaching an underwater plateau shaped like the number three.

"Okay…" said Yumi. "Interesting name… But what does it do?"

The water below Holly started to bubble again.

"It lets me summon Monsters from my hand," said Holly, "whose combined Levels add up to… well, three.

"So I'll summon Torpedo Fish and Cannonball Spear Shellfish."

She played two cards. Two small Monsters broke surface in front of her. The first Monster looked like a streamlined shark shaped like a torpedo. (1,000/1,000) –) (1,200/1,200) The other looked like a mollusk with a pointed, spiral shell. (1,000/1,000) –) (1,200/1,200)

Anastasia took off her glasses.

"This Holly is no rookie!" she said in surprise. "Normally, the combined Level of those two Monsters would equal five… But thanks to her Field Spell, they meet the requirements of her Trap Card perfectly!"

"Now to show you the trick I can do with these Monsters and my Fortress," said Holly. "By sacrificing my Torpedo Fish, I can destroy one Monster."

Torpedo Fish vanished. Then the Fortress fired a blast, and Torpedo Fish shot towards Yumi's side of the field, blowing away her facedown Blast Magician.

"Next…" continued Holly, "by doing the same thing with my Cannonball Spear Shellfish, I can wipe out one of your Spell or Trap Cards. And I think I'll do that to the one you set yourself."

The Shellfish vanished, and it was fired from the Fortress. Mirror Force was blown to shards.

"You're wide open!" shouted Holly. "Orca Mega-Fortress, attack!"

"I can't watch…" said Ren, as the huge whale aimed its gun.

"I activate… Mask of Weakness!" shouted Yumi.

Her golden Trap lifted, and a purple tiki mask attached to the huge whale.

"This weakens your Monster by 700 points for one round," said Yumi, as the Orca's Attack fell to 1,600. "Its attack will still go through, but it won't hurt me as much…"

Then she screamed as the cannon's blast hit her.

"I was wrong…" she gasped. "That _did_ hurt pretty badly…"

**(Y: 6,000) -------------------- (H: 7,900)**

_Can't get too cocky…_ thought Yumi. _I can't forget… If I lose… I'm finished…_

"And that's all…" said Holly, with a laugh.

A golden Trap appeared on her side of the field.

_Hmm…_ she thought. _Think I'll save that…_

Yumi drew a card.

She looked at it and made a slight smirk.

She placed three cards in her Disk, and two facedown cards and a facedown Monster appeared.

"That will do for me," she said.

Another of the golden Traps appeared.

Then she smirked again.

Holly drew a card.

"I activate my Trap," said Yumi, as the golden Trap lifted.

It was an ominous image of a robed spellcaster casting a spell inside a barrier.

A dark fog started to cover the field, hanging over the water like some evil mist…

"What's going on?" asked Holly.

Thunder rolled again…

"It's a powerful Continuous Trap called Curse of Darkness," replied Yumi. "Now, if you want to use any Spell Cards, they'll cost you 1,000 Life Points apiece."

"That _is_ a powerful Trap!" exclaimed Erik.

"Yes, but a risky one," said Anastasia. "It affects Yumi as well, so she has to be careful."

Holly looked at her hand.

"Orca Mega-Fortress…" she said. "Attack!"

"You triggered another Trap!" shouted Yumi, as a Trap she had set herself lifted. "A Hero Emerges!

"Now you have to choose a card from my hand, and if it's a Monster, I get to summon it."

Holly's eyes opened wide.

"You have only _one_ card in your hand!" she exclaimed.

"Perfect!" laughed Chelsea. "Now she's stuck with that one!"

"And the one in my hand is a good one…" said Yumi, throwing it on her Disk. "Chaos Command Magician!"

In a burst of light, the glossy-robed mage appeared. (2,400/1,900)

Chaos Command Magician gave her a thumb's up.

"We'll support you to the end, Yumi," he said.

Holly snarled.

"Okay, fine…" she said. "I can't stop you from taking out my Fortress next round… But I can still destroy your other Monster…

"Orca, continue your attack!"

The Fortress blasted its cannon…

A grizzled old witch-doctor in colorful clothes appeared on the card.

"That's Old Vindictive Magician!" shouted Holly.

The Spellcaster was blasted to bits.

"Bingo," said Yumi. "And since you flipped him, your Monster is toast."

Orca Mega-Fortress of Darkness howled, and then exploded in a fiery blast.

"You sunk my battleship!" whined Holly, as debris rained down on her side.

"That's it Yumi!" shouted Ren. "Beat this chick, and we'll all have fish and chips for lunch!"

"I hope so…" muttered Erik. "Sam and I had to skip breakfast to hang out with you guys."

"The fastest way to a man's heart is through his stomach…" growled Sam, "especially if you punch him there! Now keep quiet! You do realize that if Yumi dies, my mom is going to have to explain this to hers?"

Holly growled. She waved her hand, and a second golden card appeared next to the first one.

Yumi drew a card.

"I summon Magician's Valkyria," she said.

She threw the card on her Disk, and Valkyria appeared, and gave Holly a mean look.

"Chaos Command Magician, attack directly!" ordered Yumi. "Chaos magic!"

"No problem," he said.

The mage fired a blast of colored energy from his staff, and Holly strained under it.

"Valkyria, you too," she said.

Valkyria leapt up.

"Take this!" she shouted. "Light beam blast!"

She pointed her staff and fired, striking Holly squarely.

Holly held her head…

**(Y: 6,000) -------------------- (H: 3,900)**

"That's all for my turn," said Yumi, as another of the golden cards appeared in front of her.

_I have to do something,_ thought Holly, looking at her hand, _or it's curtains for me…_

She drew a card.

She grinned an evil grin…

"Okay, Yumi, time for some serious pain. I'm going to start by using _both_ of the Trap Cards that our host gave me.

"First, I use this one, Pikeru's Circle of Enchantment…"

The Trap lifted, and White Magician Pikeru appeared over Holly. She calmly cast a spell and an aura of light surrounded Holly.

"What it does is prevent me from losing Life Points from card effects for this turn. So I can use Spell Cards without worrying about your Curse of Darkness.

"Now that it's safe to use them, I'll get rid of it. I play Mystical Space Typhoon."

She played the card, and a cyclone tore across the sea, shattering the Curse of Darkness card. The fog dissipated and faded away.

"Next, I activate Soul Resurrection…"

Her other Trap lifted.

"This lets me take one Normal Monster from my Graveyard, and Special Summon it to the field in Defense Mode. So Giant Red Seasnake, welcome back."

The Seasnake appeared again, curling up in its coils. (1,800/800) –) (2,000/1,000)

"I'm only half done…" continued Holly. "I play another Spell Card. This one is called… Big Wave, Small Wave. Here's how it works. I have to destroy all the Water Monsters I have on the field, but then I get to Special Summon an equal number from my hand."

She played the card, and Giant Red Seasnake shattered.

"And the Monster I'm summoning is…" said Holly, "Hydrogeddon!"

A burst of muddy water erupted out of the ocean in front of Holly, and a strange creature rose out of the sea. It looked like a large quadruped, made of boiling, bubbling mud. (1,600/1,000) –) (1,800/1,200)

"Hydrogeddon," she ordered, "drown Magician's Valkyria!"

Hydrogeddon blasted a gush of water from its mouth at the Spellcaster.

"I activate Rush Recklessly!" shouted Yumi, as one of her facedown cards lifted.

Valkyria rose to an Attack of 2,300.

"Oh, whatever shall I do?" moaned Holly.

She grinned an evil grin, and then held up a card.

"I know… I'll play MY Rush Recklessly!"

Hydrogeddon shot up to 2,500. Valkyria screamed as she was engulfed in the blast of water, and then she was gone.

**(Y: 5,800) -------------------- (H: 3,900)**

"And I'm far from done…" said Holly. "When Hydrogeddon crushes an enemy Monster, I get to summon another one."

Another burst of muddy water shot up, and a second Hydrogeddon broke surface.

"Continuing…" she said. "Since I haven't Normal Summoned yet, I'll summon Oxygeddon."

She played another card, and a wispy creature that looked like a pterodactyl made of green gas appeared, hovering over the two Hydrogeddons. (1,800/800)

"Technically, this isn't a Water Monster, but it works for me… I'll show you why…"

She took the last card in her hand.

"A chemistry lesson. What do you get when you combine two hydrogen atoms with one oxygen atom?"

"You get water," said Yumi. "Duh."

"Exactly…" said Holly. "So I play the Spell Card, Bonding H2O, and sacrifice my three Monsters, to summon Water Dragon."

The three Monsters burst into globules of energy, and then, a huge form erupted out of the Legendary Ocean. It was a giant sea serpent, made entirely of water, with a dragon's head, and no limbs. It looked at Yumi with glowing green eyes. (2,800/2,600) –) (3,000/2,800)

"I'll end my turn there," she said.

One of the golden traps appeared on her side of the field.

"Guys..." muttered Sam, "I really hate to sound like some Patty Pessimist, but I've seen that thing used before, and it's _really_ bad news…"

"What can it do?" asked Ren, looking at the huge creature.

"Well," answered Sam, "even if Yumi somehow destroys it, that might make things even worse."

Yumi drew one card.

"I move Chaos Command Magician to Defense Mode, and that will be all," she said.

Chaos Command Magician crouched in defense.

"Sorry Yumi…" he said. "Good luck from this point…"

"Thanks," she said.

One of the Trap Cards appeared on her side of the field.

She smirked.

Holly drew a card. She smiled when she saw what it was.

"I activate Dust Tornado!" shouted Yumi, as it lifted up. "Say goodbye to that Trap Card!"

The Tornado shot forward, and the golden card shattered.

"Heh, heh…" chuckled Holly. "You took the bait! That Trap was a special one called Dark Coffin. It had to be destroyed for it to be activated.

"Now you have to make a choice, Yumi… You can either destroy one of your Monsters, or discard one card from your hand.

"So, Yumi… What's it gonna be?"

Yumi grit her teeth.

She discarded her last card.

"Now, let's continue…" said Holly. "I summon my favorite Monster. Meet Mermaid Knight."

She played the card, and a new Monster appeared. It was a lovely, but powerful-looking mermaid, somewhat resembling a more mature, adult version of Ariel, holding a shield and sword. Armor covered the lower half of her body. She gave an angry look at Yumi and her Monster. (1,500/700) –) (1,700/900)

Yumi looked at Mermaid Knight. It was easy to see why she was Holly's favorite Monster… She kind of looked like Holly herself…

"Water Dragon… destroy Chaos Command Magician! Tidal surge!"

Water Dragon blasted a mighty blast of water from its maw, and Chaos Command Magician was washed away.

"Now my Mermaid can attack you…" she continued. "And due to my Ocean, she can do so twice!"

Mermaid Knight flew forward, and Yumi screamed as she slashed at her with a downward stroke.

Then she screamed again as it was followed by an upward stroke.

Yumi fell to her knees.

"So this is what… a Shadow Game… feels like…" she muttered.

**(Y: 2,400) -------------------- (H: 3,900)**

"Good lord…" muttered Ren. "This can't be happening…"

"She has no cards in her hand…" gasped Chelsea. "She's gonna need a miracle draw…"

"I'll end my turn there," said Holly, with a laugh.

A new golden Trap appeared on her side of the field.

Yumi got up. She took some deep breaths…

She drew a card.

_Darn!_ she thought, looking at it. _Apprentice Magician, no offense, but you were NOT the card I wanted right now!_

"I activate the Trap I got," said Holly. "Sixth Sense!"

The Trap lifted, showing a frightened woman with psychic energy coming out of her head.

"Sixth Sense?" asked Sam. "What the heck is that?"

"Sixth Sense is a very rare and very powerful Trap," replied Anastasia. "In fact, it goes on and off the Forbidden List frequently, and was just made legal again with the last list. Holly names two numbers between one and six, and then a die is rolled. If the result is one of the numbers she named, she draws that many cards. Any other number, and she loses that many cards from her deck."

"Oh, this is the most unfair duel I have EVER seen!" shouted Ren.

"I'd be really dumb to name any numbers except five and six," said Holly, "so let's go!"

A golden die appeared in the air, and rolled, bouncing on the waves…

Everyone gasped as it came up five.

Holly grinned and made five draws.

Yumi placed her card on her Disk, and the facedown Monster appeared.

She bowed her head.

"YUMI!" screamed Ren.

Yumi looked as the golden Trap started to materialize...

_If there's a Heart of the Cards, it seems to have deserted me…_ she thought. _This Trap I'm getting is my only chance… If it can't block an attack… All I'm doing is stalling for one more round…_

She stared at it for a minute.

Then she faced her opponent.

Holly drew a card.

She looked at her hand.

_Let's see here…_ she thought. _Another Ocean, another Bonding H2O, Pot of Avarice, Dust Tornado, Exchange, Spiral Serpent… Nothing I can use here…_

_Ah well… As if it matters…_

"Mermaid Knight…" she ordered. "Attack her Monster! Sword of the sea!"

Mermaid Knight flew forward with an evil grin, and Apprentice Magician appeared on the card before she was cut down.

"I use her effect," said Yumi, "to set another Apprentice Magician."

Another facedown Monster appeared.

Holly frowned.

"Again!" she shouted.

Mermaid Knight cut down the second one.

A third facedown Monster appeared.

"Water Dragon, attack!" she screamed.

Water Dragon roared… It breathed out its breath weapon…

Yumi gestured, and her Trap lifted.

"HUH?" shouted Holly. "Draining Shield? WAIT!"

It was too late. An invisible shield formed around Yumi, and the blast plowed into it. Energy flowed into her and she glowed with an aura of light…

**(Y: 5,400) -------------------- (H: 3,900)**

Yumi slowly looked up.

"Thank you…" she said. "I feel much better now."

"Big deal!" shouted Holly. "So you got lucky that turn. I'll get you next turn!

"I'll place this facedown, and end my turn."

She fit a card into her Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

Then, another golden Trap Card appeared on Holly's side.

_She's right,_ thought Yumi, looking at her facedown Monster. _I don't have a Monster in my deck that's strong enough to destroy her Water Dragon without help. And even if I could, I'd have three Monsters to deal with instead of one._

She drew a card.

"I play… Pot of Greed!" she shouted.

"How lucky can you get?" muttered Holly.

"Lucky?" said Yumi. "You've been the one with all the luck so far. And I think you've used it up, and the tide of luck is about to swing to me…"

She drew twice.

She looked at them and smiled.

"I Flip-Summon my Magician of Faith," she said.

The card flipped, and Magician of Faith appeared where the card was. (300/400)

Yumi retrieved a card from her Graveyard. She held up Pot of Greed.

"Now if you don't mind…" she said, "I'd like to play it again!"

The jar appeared in front of her again with an evil cackle, and she drew twice again.

She looked at the four cards.

"Okay, Yumi," said Magician of Faith. "Use what you have, and bring down that abomination!"

"Right…" said Yumi. "Now… I play Magical Dimension!

"I sacrifice Magician of Faith…"

The Spellcaster vanished.

"…to summon Dark Magician of Chaos!"

In an aura of pure darkness, Dark Magician of Chaos appeared. (2,800/2,600)

"Now, I could destroy one of your Monsters, but if I did, I couldn't use his ability to get a Spell Card back. For some reason, it's a 'miss the timing' thing.

"So I'll forfeit that effect to get a Spell Card back from my Graveyard."

"Pot of Greed again, right?" asked Holly, in an annoyed tone.

"No, actually," said Yumi, as she took another card from her discard slot. "This time, I'm choosing Rush Recklessly.

"And now I'm playing it!"

She held up the card, Dark Magician of Chaos rose to an attack of 3,500.

"Dark Magician of Chaos, attack Water Dragon! Scepter strike!"

The chaos mage leapt into the air, and cast a spell of burning black magic. Water Dragon bellowed and was blown into a great splatter.

**(Y: 5,400) -------------------- (H: 3,400)**

"Oh yeah?" said Holly. "Well, when Water Dragon bites the big one, I get to summon the three Monsters that I sacrificed to summon it…"

"Not this time you don't," replied Yumi. "That's only the case if it goes to your Graveyard. And Dark Magician of Chaos removes from play any Monster that he destroys."

Holly paused, dumbfounded.

"I'll end my turn now," said Yumi. "The tide of this duel is turning…"

One of the golden traps appeared on her side of the field.

Holly angrily drew a card.

"First thing's first, Yumi," she said. "I don't like the help you've been getting.

"So say goodbye to that Trap. I activate my own Dust Tornado!"

Her own Trap Card lifted up, and the Tornado tore across the field, shattering the golden card.

Yumi grinned as a spooky mist formed on her side of the field.

"I was hoping you'd do that," she said.

A frightening-looking creature, resembling a cross between a golden serpent and a bug wearing a tutan crown rose on Yumi's side of the field, and shielded itself in Defense Mode. (1,000/1,000)

"What is THAT?" asked Holly.

"Dark Coffin isn't the only Trap that has to be destroyed to be activated," said Yumi. "The Trap you destroyed was called Statue of the Wicked. When it's destroyed, I get a Wicked Token like this one."

Holly grit her teeth.

"I play Pot of Avarice!" she shouted.

Both Hydrogeddons, Oxygeddon, Giant Red Seasnake, and Orca Mega Fortress of Darkness slipped out of her discard slot. She added them to her deck, reshuffled, and made two draws.

"I move Mermaid Knight to Defense Mode, and set another Monster in Defense Mode." she said.

A facedown Monster appeared. Mermaid Knight sat on her tail, and folded her arms over her chest.

A new Trap appeared on Holly's side of the field.

Yumi drew a card.

_Huh…_ she thought. _Haven't gotten a chance to use him yet._

"Meet the newest addition to my deck," she said. "I summon Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer."

She played the card, and in a shadowy aura, a man in a monk's outfit, holding a string of prayer beads appeared. He was bald, and the left half of his face was hideously scarred. (1,800/700)

"Hmm…" said Anastasia. "Never expected a Mouto to use that guy, but it makes sense when you think about it."

"Dark Magician of Chaos…" ordered Yumi, "kill her Mermaid Knight!"

The Chaos Mage fired a blast. Mermaid Knight screamed as she was torn apart by it.

Holly screamed too… a bloodcurdling scream. She fell over on her back.

"Holly seems to have taken that loss pretty hard," said Erik.

"Well, I'm no stranger to Shadow Games, and…" started Anastasia, "and…"

They all looked at her. She laughed nervously.

"Anyway," she continued, "you heard what she said… That was her favorite card. In every duelist's deck, there is a card that stands out, a card that is closer to the duelist than any other card. It's the card that represents the duelist.

"In a Shadow Game, if that card is destroyed, it can be quite a shock to the system. And due to the effect of Dark Magician of Chaos, Mermaid Knight didn't just die, she was removed from play… She was eradicated. It struck Holly like a hammer to the skull."

Holly slowly got up, with sweat pouring down her face. She gathered her cards.

"I'm not done with you yet…" said Yumi. "Kycoo, attack her facedown Monster! Spell of banishment!"

"Take this, heathen!" shouted Kycoo.

He waved his hand, and lightning flashed, striking the facedown card. A large grizzly bear appeared on the card, and shattered.

"That was… a Mother Grizzly…" muttered Holly. "Now I can Special Summon a Water Monster that has 1,500 Attack Points or less. So I summon Amphibious Bugroth MK-3."

A Machine of some sort, looking like a submarine with two clawed arms and two turrets of some sort on top, rose out of the water in front of her. It made a series of beeps and clicks, and a light appeared in its windows. (1,500/1,300) –) (1,700/1,500)

Yumi looked at the Machine.

"I end my turn…" she said.

A new golden Trap appeared in front of her.

Holly drew a card. She looked at it closely.

"I'll place one of my own cards facedown…" she said.

A normal facedown card appeared next to the two golden ones.

"Then a Monster in Defense Mode…"

A facedown Monster appeared.

"And I forgot to mention," she continued, "in ocean terrain, my Bugroth can bypass your Monsters and attack you directly.

"Bugroth, attack Yumi directly! Lock-on torpedoes!"

Two hatches on the Amphibious Bugroth's underside opened, and two torpedoes fell into the water. They launched, and shot towards Yumi, exploding on impact. Yumi struggled to keep standing…

**(Y: 3,700) -------------------- (H: 3,400)**

"Yumi!" exclaimed Dark Magician of Chaos.

"I'm all right…" she replied.

"Two more rounds," said Holly, "and you're finished.

A third facedown golden card appeared next to the other ones.

Yumi angrily drew.

She looked at it.

"Dark Magician of Chaos, attack the Amphibious Bugroth MK-3!"

The Spellcaster prepared to fire…

"I activate… Tornado Wall!" shouted Holly.

Her own Trap Card lifted, and a wall of waterspouts sprang up. The submarine was blown to pieces, but Holly didn't seem to care.

"So long as this Continuous Trap is active," she said, "the very ocean itself will protect me. Any damage you would inflict to my Life Points is reduced to zero."

Yumi's eyes narrowed. Dark Magician of Chaos looked at her.

"Sorry Yumi…" said the chaos mage. "She's right. It's weakening my magic. I never figured I'd ever have to blast through water…"

"Don't worry, we'll think of something," replied Yumi.

"Kycoo, attack her facedown Monster!"

Kycoo started to chant.

"I activate another Trap," said Holly.

One of her golden cards lifted. It bore the image of Freed the Matchless General looking over a map on a table.

"It's called A Feint Plan. Now you aren't allowed to attack my facedown Monsters for this turn."

Kycoo stopped dead in his tracks. He turned to Yumi and shrugged.

Yumi glared at her.

"I end my turn," she said to Holly.

Another gold card appeared on her side.

Holly drew a card.

She played a card, and the Pot of Greed appeared on her side of the field. She made two draws.

She grinned.

"I Flip-Summon my Don Turtle," she said.

Her facedown Monster flipped into Attack Mode, and a weird creature appeared where the card had been. It looked like a big, colorful turtle shell with two eyes peering out of it. (1,100/1,200) –) (1,300/1,400)

"And when Don Turtle is summoned," she continued, "I can Special Summon any other Don Turtles I have in my hand, and I just happen to have another one right here."

She placed another card on her Disk, and a second Don Turtle appeared.

"Now… I sacrifice both my Turtles…"

The two Don Turtles shattered into pixels…

"Wait a second!" shouted Sam. "Two sacrifices? Her Field Spell already downgrades her Monsters' Levels by one… That means…"

"…that whatever she's summoning is stronger than Level Seven…" muttered Chelsea.

"I summon the true King of the Sea…" exclaimed Holly. "A creature whose appearance has meant watery doom to every coastal town that has seen it… The unstoppable Spiral Serpent!"

The Legendary Ocean was still for a minute…

And then, waves started to crash. A giant fin broke surface, followed by another one…

The rest of the creature slowly emerged, looking too big to be real. It was a sea serpent twice the size of the palace behind Holly, with a thick body connected to a long, snaky neck that held a head with a mouth full of shark-like teeth the size of swords. (2,900/2,900) –) (3,100/3,100)

"God help her…" muttered Ren.

"He'd better…" gasped Sam, "because I don't know what else can…"

"Now…" said Holly. "I activate… Rising Energy!"

Another golden Trap lifted.

"Now, I just gotta trash one of my cards, and Spiral Serpent gains 1,500 Attack Points."

She tossed her other Bonding H2O, and Spiral Serpent glowed, and rose to an Attack of 4,600.

"Forty-six hundred?" shouted Chelsea. "That's overkill!"

"Spiral Serpent," ordered Holly, "attack Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer with Spiral Wave!"

Spiral Serpent bellowed a roar that seemed to shake all of creation. It blasted a cyclone of water from its massive jowls, and Yumi was thrown off her feet as Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer was obliterated.

**(Y: 900) -------------------- (H: 3,400)**

"Dumb," said Chelsea. "She could have attacked Dark Magician of Chaos."

"It doesn't really matter what Monster Yumi has," said Anastasia. "Yumi can't damage her Life Points so long as that Trap Card is on the field, and she likely can't summon anything stronger than Spiral Serpent. She aimed for the target that would cost Yumi more Life Points."

"I'm not done," said Holly, playing a card. "I play… Exchange!"

As the card appeared, Yumi raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, fine…" muttered Yumi, "come here…"

Holly grinned, and walked over.

"You first, I insist…" said Holly, showing the four cards in her hand.

Yumi gave a look of shock. One of the cards in Holly's hand was Creature Swap.

She slowly took it…

_Why?_ thought Yumi, looking at the card.

She slowly revealed the three cards in her own hand, which consisted of Injection Fairy Lily, Dark Magician, and Buster Blader.

"Eh… Not much good here…" muttered Holly. "Your Dark Magician is tempting, but…"

She took Injection Fairy Lily.

"This should do…"

She walked back to her position.

_Yumi took the bait, hook, line, and sinker!_ she thought. _She'll obviously use that Creature Swap to take control of my Serpent in exchange for that Wicked Token…_

She turned and looked at Yumi.

_And it will be the last thing she ever does. The Trap Card I received on my last turn is a powerful one called Trojan Blast. Once she tries to take my Monster from me, it will activate, blowing the Serpent to pieces, and dealing her 3,100 points of damage._

"My turn is over," she said. "Make your move."

One more golden facedown card appeared on her side of the field.

Yumi looked at her deck, then at the cards in her hand, and then at the last golden Trap Card she had been given. Then she looked at the Wicked Token.

_Okay, it's crunch time,_ she thought. _She deliberately took the only Monster I could summon with no sacrifice. And I'm running out of options. If I don't get a good draw, this duel will be over very shortly…_

She drew a card.

It was Graceful Charity.

She looked at the cards in her hand again.

_Okay…_ thought Yumi. _Here goes… something…_

"I play Graceful Charity!" she shouted.

"I activate another Trap," said Holly, as her most recent gold card flipped up. "Magic Drain. Unless another card in your hand is a Spell Card that you can discard, you won't be getting any more cards. And since I saw your hand, I know you don't have any…"

Yumi grinned.

"Don't have any?" asked Yumi. "Did you forget about THIS?"

She showed her the Creature Swap.

She quickly discarded it, and the Trap Card shattered.

The beautiful angel appeared, and she drew three new cards. She quickly made two discards.

"What?" shouted Holly. "But… what… You were supposed to…"

"Oh, come on…" said Yumi. "Did you actually believe I would fall for something so obvious, Holly? You must think I'm really stupid. That last Trap Card is probably Remove Brainwashing, which you would have waited to trigger until after I destroyed the Monster you got from me using it."

Holly growled…

"And because you made the mistake of thinking I was stupid," continued Yumi, "this duel is over."

"I play Mystical Space Typhoon."

She played the card, and a ferocious cyclone tore across the field. A Legendary Ocean receded, its palace crumbling to dust, and Tornado Wall went with it.

"Now, I sacrifice my Wicked Token for Dark Magician Girl," she continued.

The Wicked Token vanished, and Dark Magician Girl appeared in a flurry of hearts. (2,000/1,700)

She didn't say anything. She merely smiled and winked at Yumi.

"And she gains a little bonus, since Dark Magician is in my Graveyard," she continued.

(2,300/1,700)

"Since when?" shouted Holly.

"Since I just put him there using Graceful Charity," replied Yumi, as she fit her last card into her Disk. "Next… I play Premature Burial. Chaos Command Magician, welcome back."

Chaos Command Magician reappeared in a burst of energy. (2,400/1,900)

"Big deal," said Holly. "None of your Spellcasters are strong enough to beat my Spiral Serpent."

Yumi glared at her…

Her final golden Trap Card lifted.

"Reinforcements?" gasped Holly.

"Yes," said Yumi. "It gives 500 extra Attack Points to any one Monster on the field, and I think I'll give them to Dark Magician of Chaos."

Dark Magician of Chaos glowed, and his Attack Score went up to 3,300.

"Dark Magician of Chaos… Attack the Spiral Serpent! Scepter Strike!"

The Chaos Mage fired a mighty blast at the much bigger Monster, a David shooting at an immense Goliath. Thunder flashed, and the Spiral Serpent roared in agony as the magical energy erupted over its body.

Finally, it exploded into shards.

"Chaos Command Magician, attack directly! Chaos magic!"

Chaos Command Magician blasted his beam of multicolored light and Holly shrieked as an explosion centered on her.

"Dark Magician Girl…"

Yumi paused…

"Attack…"

She paused again.

She looked at Holly for a few seconds.

Then she looked at the sky…

She realized where she was.

The gravity of what she was about to do slowly set in. Attacking would mean her opponent's death…

She also realized that her opponent hadn't started this battle… Neither of them had.

She had gotten so caught up in the duel, she hadn't really thought about it until now…

What was the point of this duel? Why was it demanded to decide who would own a Shadow Charm? Was it to prove who was worthy?

Or… did some demented creature do it for his own entertainment?

It didn't matter… She knew she had to do it…

"Hesitating?" asked Holly. "You don't have the guts, do you? Heh… I would have seen you dead in a minute, Yumi…"

Yumi paused again.

"I have to win, Holly…" she said, slowly. "But I don't blame you for this… I blame Rasputin. He did nothing to stop you from doing this, and did nothing to save you…

"And from this point on, I'm going to make it my goal to bring him down. God knows how much more blood he has on his hands.

"Forgive me if you can…

"Dark Magician Girl… Dark burning attack!"

Dark Magician Girl cast her spell, and Holly screamed as the whole world seemed to come undone…

**(Y: 100) -------------------- (H: 0)**

Yumi's head drooped…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The next thing everyone knew, they were back on the beach next to the barbecue pit. The prone form of Yumi's opponent was lying in the sand twenty feet away.

Erik rushed to the Ascender, and Yumi noticed that there was something on her head. She lifted it off, and saw that it was the Crown of Souls.

"Well…" said Ren, coming up to her. "You, uhm, you won…"

"Yeah…" muttered Yumi, sadly. "I hope it was worth what I had to do…"

"People!" screamed Erik, who was in the process of ripping open Holly's shirt. "Good news, bad news. Good news is, she still has a pulse. Bad news is, she's losing it fast. Start looking for a Centurion while I do what I can."

He quickly started to apply CPR to the fallen Ascender.

"Erik is CPR certified?" asked Yumi, as they started to look.

"Yeah, uhm," said Sam, "it just never came up in casual conversation… 'Hi, this is my boyfriend, and he knows CPR'…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Cassandra placed the card she had drawn on the table underneath The High Priestess and the Ace of Swords.

The card was upside-down. If you were to turn it around so that you could look at it properly, you'd see a valiant knight on a horse carrying a wand in a laurel wreath, while onlookers cheered for him.

"Interesting," said Cassandra. "The Six of Wands represents victory, and Yumi was indeed victorious…

"But the card is inverted…

"Victory is far from complete. Many more struggles lie ahead."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

One hour later…

A man sat in Rasputin's suite, listening on a cell phone.

He was a hulking man, with a sloping forehead that made him look sort of like a Neanderthal, and a nose that had clearly been broken sometime in the past. He wore an expensive black Italian suit that was clearly custom tailored (he didn't buy it himself – Rasputin had commissioned it).

Everyone called him Louis. He didn't bother with his last name any more. He had once been a penny-ante legbreaker for the European mob before Rasputin offered him much more money for a job as a personal bodyguard.

That was his title, anyway. In truth, Louis was a combination of bodyguard, manservant, and gofer. If one were to compare him to a Duel Monster, the best one to compare him to would be a Giant Orc – very strong, very loyal, but not very bright.

He listened into the phone.

"Okay, I'll tell him…" he said, "but he ain't gonna like it…"

Rasputin walked in.

"Uhm, boss?" said Louis. "Bad news… Holly lost… The Mouto kid… She got the Crown."

"Holly lost…" muttered Rasputin. "Well, is she dead?"

"Nope," said Louis. "She's in the hospital."

Rasputin scratched his head nervously…

"Well…" he muttered. "If that's the case, she's likely in a coma full of nightmares. In her case she's dreaming about drowning in waters full of the Monsters in her deck…

"If she ever wakes up… Which isn't likely… She'll realize that turning coat on me would be even more dangerous than any Yami no Oujou. And that's the best thing about sadists… They hate the thought of being hurt themselves. We have nothing to worry about…"

"Uh, but Yumi has the Crown…" muttered Louis.

"I stand corrected…" growled Rasputin.

He thought for a minute.

"Give me the phone."

"Who you gonna call?" asked Louis.

"Someone to throw terror into them," said Rasputin. "But I won't target Yumi just yet… After all, I'm not some vulture who goes after wounded prey.

"I know someone who's just aching to challenge Ren…

"Someone whom his father was well acquainted with…"

_Having won the dreaded Yami no Oujou, Yumi claims the Crown of Souls for her own. One Shadow Charm down, and seven yet to come, but the rest will likely come just as hard. What new dangers lie in wait?_

**0**

**0**

**0**

**DIFFERENT DIMENSION HANGAR (Spell Card)**

**Continuous Spell**

**Image:** A spaceship flying out of a glowing portal.

**Card Description:** Select up to three Union Monsters from your deck that are Level Four or less and remove them from play. If you Normal Summon, Flip-Summon, or Special Summon a Monster to your side of the field and that Monster can be Equipped with one or more of the Union Monsters that was removed from play by this card, Special Summon the Union Monsters that you removed from play with this card's effect that the summoned Monster can be Equipped with. Union Monsters Special Summoned with this effect cannot attack, and cannot be offered as a Tribute.

_Note: "Different Dimension Hangar" was first used by Chazz in a third season episode of "Yu-Gi-Oh GX". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**CURSED WATERS LV 3 (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image:** A bird's eye view of a ship in clear waters approaching an underwater plateau shaped like the number three.

**Card Description:** You can only activate this card when "Umi" is active on the field. Normal Summon Monsters from your hand whose combined Levels equal three. This counts as your Normal Summon for the turn.

_Note: "Cursed Waters LV 3" was first used by Anacis in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Get Yarr Game On!" Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**Sam: Enough with this madness! I don't know about all of you, but I've got a tournament to win!**

**Yumi: It's far from over Sam. In fact, I'd say it's just starting. And we're all in it deep.**

**Ren: Yeah… And I had the strangest feeling right now… You know what they say? Like someone walking over your grave?**

**Yumi: Maybe someone did.**

**Coming up next, "Shadows From a Generation Ago; Duel of Darkness".**

**As the wheels of the plot start to turn…**


	15. Shadows From a Generation Ago

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**CHAPTER FOURTEEN**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Shadows From a Generation Ago**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Duel of Darkness**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

Sheena Arachne sat in her large office, massaging her temples.

The happenings of the last hour had given her quite a headache.

A device on her desk buzzed.

"Enter," she said, hitting a button.

A man in a business suit walked in.

"How's the patient?" she asked.

"In critical condition, but stable now," he answered. "The doctors can't tell when, if ever, she'll come out of the coma."

Sheena swung her chair so it was facing the window.

"If she does soon, she'll have some explaining to do," she replied. "I checked her badge… Although it recognized her as a tournament guest, complete with a trust fund, when I looked for her name on the official list, it wasn't there.

"And according to my daughter, she's only one of a group… Of some band of outlaws. These thugs are up to who-knows-what, and stealing company money in the process."

"They must have constructed a sort of phantom guest list to enter the tournament," said the aid, "so they could be unnoticed."

Sheena nodded.

"When I find Smalls, he's going to have a lot to answer for," she said. "But he isn't at his station right now… I checked.

"But the Centurions are looking for him right now, and he won't get far…"

She picked up her phone.

She didn't know it, but Smalls had quickly heard that one of the Ascenders had been apprehended. Fearing for himself, he had fled Duelatopia on the next available boat…

…and unfortunately, that left a lot of secrets in the system that only he could remove.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Hundreds of miles away from Duelatopia, at the Marris residence in Domino City, Ren's kid sister and her friend Sally were engaged in a tabletop duel.

Sally's deck had a clear theme, one of Fiend-Type Monsters, even though it had more Monsters than most decks had. Connie's deck had a better Monster-Spell-Trap ratio, but her theme was very vague. It was basically only made up of Dark Monsters that she found interesting. She would have to go a long way before she constructed a proper deck.

Right now, she had Mechanicalchaser on the field, and her opponent had Newdoria.

Sally drew a card.

"Hee, hee…" she chuckled. "I'll sacrifice Newdoria…"

She placed the card in the discard pile.

"…and bring out Summoned Skull!"

She threw the card down on the table.

"So now I can scrap your Machine!"

Connie sighed, and discarded Mechanicalchaser.

She was down to 1,450 Life Points now, and Sally had 1,800. She looked at her hand.

Vorse Raider, Ebon Magician Curran, and Scapegoat…

She drew a card.

Her eyes perked up…

It was the card her big brother had given her.

"I place a facedown card, and a Monster in Defense Mode," she said, setting two cards. "Your move."

Sally made a draw.

"I attack your facedown Monster with Summoned Skull!" she laughed.

Connie made a sinister smirk, and held up the card.

"Bad idea," she said. "Any Fiend who battles Getsu Fuhma dies."

"No way…" said Sally.

"It's like my brother said…" said Connie. "She has a special power… She drives away evil creatures and night terrors."

Sally sulked.

"My move now…" said Connie.

She drew, and then placed Vorse Raider on the table.

"I attack directly. You lose."

In her mind, she saw Vorse Raider slamming his axe into Sally. How she wished she could use a Disk and make the Monsters real…

Sally sighed, and gathered her cards.

"This is getting boring…" she muttered. "I wish we were in Duelatopia."

"Hey…" said Connie. "Let's see if my brother has dueled again since last time!"

She rushed to the computer on her desk, and sat down. She quickly logged onto the Duelatopia website…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Okay, mom… okay," said Sam.

"Bad news," she said, putting away her cell phone. "Holly's condition has stabilized."

"Why is that bad news?" asked Yumi.

"Because she might survive," growled Chelsea. "She didn't deserve us being a bunch of goody-two-shoes. From what we saw, Yumi, she not only intended to kill you, she was enjoying it."

Yumi shook her head.

"My family has a history with such people," she said. "Give Holly slack. Consider her side…"

"Consider her side?" asked Chelsea. "Are you saying something gives her permission to be cruel?"

"Maybe something happened to her when she was a kid, Chelsea," suggested Yumi. "Maybe she was beaten… abused…

"…or raped…"

Everyone gave a look of fear…

"You see, people," continued Yumi, "her attitude isn't justified, and if she ever wakes up, she should pay for her crimes. But no-one is ever born that way. If my grandparents learned one thing about dealing with guys like her, it's that everybody has a story…

"And the story of someone like Holly is usually a tragic one."

There was a long pause.

Yumi frowned as she looked at her badge. The Yami no Oujou had not upgraded her status, even though she had won. She guessed that the powers in charge didn't care about the tournament.

She and her two friends were now in a busy section of Duelatopia, and Sam and Erik were not ready to leave them yet.

"Uhm… it's a cool hat, Yumi," said Ren, looking at the Crown of Souls. "Do you know what it can do?"

"So far, nothing except look expensive," said Yumi, touching it. "But it does look kinda good on me… I think I'll leave it on for now."

Then they heard a familiar tune…

It was Ren's cell phone. It had to be. Who else's cell phone played the refrain from "American Pie"?

"Now who could that be?" asked Ren, answering it.

"Hello?" he said, putting it to his ear.

"Hello, Reginald," said a voice that seemed both sinister and gentle at the same time.

Ren seethed with anger. He _hated_ being called Reginald. It was his true name, sure, but it was geeky…

"Who is this?" he asked, angrily.

"Not someone you know, but someone you likely heard about," said the voice. "I knew your father, and I found him to be rather pathetic as a duelist…"

Ren was now _very_ angry.

"I'm making you a challenge," said the voice. "If you want to prove that all members of the Marris family aren't incompetent, well, see the building to your right?"

Ren looked at the tall building, a very tall shopping center.

"I'm on the roof right now," said the voice. "Meet me up there if you dare…"

He hung up.

"Oh, I dare all right…" said Ren.

"What was that all about?" asked Yumi.

Ren quickly shuffled his deck.

"Someone just got on my bad side," said Ren, placing it back in his Disk, "and he's gonna pay. Come on!"

He rushed into the building, and everyone followed.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

They reached the top of the very tall building and looked around. The top was made up of a glass roof, situated above a four-hundred-foot drop down the center of the building, which was made up of several floors made up of landings.

The Pharaoh appeared beside Yumi.

"An ominous place for a duel," he said. "This is similar to setting where Lumis and Umbra lured your grandfather and Seto Kaiba to so many years ago."

Ren looked around.

"Where are you?" he shouted.

A tall figure walked out from behind a vent. Ren raised an eyebrow…

He wasn't a normal duelist, that was for sure. His clothing resembled armor, colored black and silver. On his head was a cross between a mask and a helmet that was egg-shaped, which was black on the right side and bronze on the left.

"Hello, Reginald," he said, crossing his arms. "I think you know who I am…"

Ren's eyes narrowed.

"Yeah…" he muttered. "You're the Phantom Duelist, or someone who looks just like him. Nineteen years ago, he defeated my father… By using Masked Beast Des Guardius to turn Crescent Moon Queen against him.

"Hard to tell since you're wearing a mask, but… You don't seem to have aged a day…"

"Hmm," said the Phantom. "True. Could be I'm the original Phantom's son. Or his apprentice.

"Or maybe I know of some method to keep myself from aging, and I'm the same man who faced your father all those years ago. Wouldn't that be creepy?

"It hardly matters… For all intents and purposes, I'm the Phantom now, and unless you are a coward, you will face me in a duel!"

"Ren…" muttered Chelsea. "This might not be a good idea… I mean, just look at him!"

"Calm down…" said Ren. "I saw the videotape of that duel. I know this guy's deck. There's no way he could surprise me. And I'm not afraid of any Mask Deck."

_Fool…_ thought the Phantom. _Do you really think I'd be stupid enough to use the same deck?_

"All right, Phantom," he said. "I'm going to pay you back for what you did to my dad… With interest!"

He lifted his Disk.

"You'll find that _much_ easier said than done…" replied the masked man.

The two Disks activated.

"Game on!" they both said.

**(Ren: 8,000) -------------------- (Phantom: 8,000)**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Connie typed in Ren's name, and his face appeared on the screen.

A flash appeared on the screen.

"Duel in progress?" she squeaked in surprise. "We can see it live!"

A video came up on the screen, and Connie and Sally saw Ren facing the Phantom Duelist.

"Who's that?" asked Sally. "He looks pretty tough…"

"Aw, he's nothing my big brother can't handle…" replied Connie.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"All right, Phantom…" said Ren, drawing a first card. "Prepare to have that mask knocked off your head…"

He looked at his hand.

"For starters, I summon Double Pinaska in Attack Mode."

He played the card, and the machete-wielding Spaniard appeared, twirling his weapons. (1,500/1,500)

"That's enough for now."

"Not bad…" said the Phantom, as he drew his first card, "but I can do better."

He chose a card from his hand.

"I summon… Picador Fiend."

He played the card, and a creeping shadow appeared on the field. From out of the shadow, a horrific creature emerged. It was a skeletal figure, wearing an evil, grinning mask, with skulls mounted on its shoulders and large leathery wings. It rode a demonic horse that was gaunt and hairless, with ram-like horns. (1,600/0)

"Good lord…" muttered Sam. "I've never seen _that_ before…"

"Great…" said Yumi. "This from someone who plays a Fiend Deck…"

"Picador…" ordered the Phantom, "attack his foolish Spaniard with mortal smite!"

Picador Fiend's eyes, the eyes of its mount, and the eyes on its skull-like shoulder-guards glowed green. It shot a wave of intense, green flames at Double Pinaska…

"Pinaska, defect!" shouted Ren.

Double Pinaska crossed his machetes, and caught the blast, knocking it away.

"So…" said the Phantom. "His effect let him survive. Oh well… He can only do that once…

"I'll place one card facedown, and then my move is over."

A facedown card materialized.

Ren drew a card.

"Heh, heh…" he chuckled. "I summon Dark Blade in Attack Mode."

He threw the card on his Disk, and the black-armored Warrior appeared. (1,800/1,500)

The Phantom's eye narrowed.

"Time to take out the trash…" said Ren. "Dark Blade, attack his Picador Fiend!"

Dark Blade made two slashes with his blades. Picador Fiend was thrown from its mount, and then shattered into pixels. Then the mount shattered.

"Double Pinaska, attack directly! Double slash!"

Double Pinaska twirled his weapons and leapt up, bringing them down on the Phantom Duelist. He staggered backwards.

**(R: 8,000) -------------------- (P: 6,300)**

The Phantom caught his breath.

"Having fun, Reginald?" he asked.

"Naw…" said Ren, sarcastically. "I'm having a _terrible_ time kicking your ass! Your move, loser."

The Phantom just stared at him as he drew.

"Loser…" he said. "I'll show you who's a loser…

"I play my… Pot of Greed."

He played the card, and the evil jar appeared. He drew two cards.

"Now to set the stage that will seal your fate…" he said, as his Field Slot opened.

He placed a card in the slot and it closed.

"I play… Dark Arena!"

An aura of uncanny darkness covered the whole field. Then, structures of diabolic design rose up around them, and cheering from an audience echoed over them. It looked sort of like…

"A… bullfighting ring?" asked Ren.

"Yes…" said the Phantom. "And you're the bull."

Ren looked up. The cheering was coming from an audience consisting of demonic creatures…

"According to legend," said the Phantom, "one pastime that demons have is to kill mortals in gladiatorial matches that are similar to mortal bullfights. As you might expect, like a bullfight, the bull has no chance.

"One of those reasons is, in this arena, it's so dark, most Monsters can't see where they're going. All Monsters in Attack Mode _must_ attack when they are able to. However, unless a Monster has the word 'Fiend' in its name, you can't choose the target – I can choose it for you."

"Now…

"I raise my Picador Fiend from the Graveyard with Call of the Haunted!"

His facedown card lifted, and Picador Fiend appeared out of the darkness. Its eyes and the eyes of its mount glowed even fiercer in the uncanny gloom. (1,600/0)

"And by the way…" he continued, "in Dark Arena, his power grows. He gains the ability to attack directly."

Picador Fiend blasted its evil smite, and Ren hollered as it hit him. The fiendish spectators cheered.

**(R: 6,400) -------------------- (P: 6,300)**

"Hey…" he muttered. "That… hurt!"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Connie and Sally gasped in fear.

"He… he isn't really hurt, is he?" asked Sally.

"Uh…" muttered Connie. "I… Well… He… He told me it was rough…

"Ren, come on, beat this guy…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Continuing my turn," said the Phantom, "I now bring out the true star of Dark Arena… I play the Spell Card, Ritual of the Matador!"

A gory fountain appeared on the field as he played the card.

"And I sacrifice my Beast of Talwar from my hand to do so. Arise."

Beast of Talwar appeared on the field and vanished. In its place rose a tall, gaunt Fiend, with dark skin, claws, talons, and huge, red, leathery wings. Its eyes glowed with minute pinpoints. (0/0)

"Zero attack points and zero defense points?" asked Ren.

The Pharaoh gave a worried look.

"This looks bad, Yumi," he said. "Usually a Monster with no Attack and Defense is hiding some dangerous secret. I learned that firsthand from Pegasus when he summoned Relinquished."

"Your move…" said the Phantom.

"I'll move, all right…" muttered Ren, drawing a card.

It was Crescent Moon Queen. His best card.

_Time for a little payback…_ he thought.

"I sacrifice Double Pinaska and Dark Blade to summon Crescent Moon Queen!" he shouted.

His two Warriors vanished, and the powerful Queen appeared on the field. (2,600/1,700)

When she saw the Phantom, she gave a look best described as absolute fury…

"Oh, look…" he said. "She remembers me… Hello Queen, so good to see you again. How long has it been? A month? A year? A millennium? It seems so long…

"Did I ever tell you how much _fun_ it was forcing you to attack Clive?"

She grit her teeth…

"Queen… Attack!" shouted Ren.

Crescent Moon Queen charged forward.

"Face her, my Matador!" shouted the Phantom.

Crescent Moon Queen charged at Matador Fiend with her blades… The Matador's eyes glowed more brightly in the gloom, and its fanged mouth opened in anticipation…

Then a beam of energy shot from the Matador's eyes, and the Queen screamed. She exploded into pixels.

"I believe," said the Phantom, "the correct word to say in such a case is… Ole."

The demonic crowd cheered with delight.

"What?" asked Ren. "But… How?"

"Heh, heh," chuckled the Phantom. "I didn't mention… To make up for its nonexistent Attack and Defense, Matador Fiend has a lethal ability. The battle damage it receives from an attacking Monster is reduced to zero, and any Monster that attacks it… dies.

"Guess you found that out the hard way."

Ren scowled.

"It's still my move, Phantom!" he shouted.

He took three cards from his hand.

"First, I place a card facedown…"

He fit a card in his Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

"Next, I play the Spell Card, Frontline Base…"

The Spell Card appeared on his side of the field.

"Now I can Special Summon one Union Monster from my hand. So I summon Pitch-Dark Dragon in Defense Mode."

He placed the card on his Disk, and the Dragon appeared, folding its wings. (900/600)

"All right, that's all I can do…" he muttered.

"You're grasping at straws, Reginald," said the Phantom, drawing a card.

He looked at it.

"Your Pitch-Dark Dragon is hardly a threat to me at all. But then again, better safe than sorry… So I'm getting rid of it…"

He placed a card on his Disk.

"I summon Banderillo Fiend."

A new Fiend appeared in a burst of darkness. It was a creature that combined the worst aspects of a bat and a snake, with a sharp, pointed head, and a demonic face on its torso. (900/900)

"And just by summoning it, I can destroy one Monster."

The new creature glowed with an aura of fiery, purple energy. Pitch-Dark Dragon burst into shards.

"Be glad I can't attack with it this round," he continued. "But my Picador still can. Picador Fiend, attack directly with mortal smite!"

The Picador blasted his unholy energy, and Ren fell to his knees, sweat forming on his brow.

**(R: 4,800) -------------------- (P: 6,300)**

"I don't even know what a Banderillo is," muttered Erik.

"They're weapons used in a bullfight," said Sam. "My mom took me to one during our vacation to Europe. They're small spears that they jab into the bulls to weaken them so that the matadors can kill them easier.

"I found the spectacle barbaric, to say the least… Like this guy said, the bull has no chance…"

"People, show some support!" shouted Chelsea. "Ren is in big trouble, and I don't know how he's going to get out of this!"

_On the contrary,_ thought Yumi, _I know exactly how he can get out of this. He simply has to draw it._

Ren slowly drew a card.

He smirked.

"I summon Getsu Fuhma in Attack Mode!" he shouted.

In a shower of lotus petals, the lovely female ronin appeared, holding aloft her katana. (1,700/1,200)

"You never learn, do you?" asked the Phantom.

"Getsu Fuhma, attack!" shouted Ren. "Blade of Vengeance!"

Getsu Fuhma charged into the darkness.

"Face her, my Matador!" shouted the Phantom.

Getsu Fuhma confronted the Matador… It fired its deadly beams…

And then, _both_ Monsters exploded into shards.

The fiendish crowd was silent…

"WHAT?" shouted the Phantom. "What happened?"

"Heh, heh," said Ren. "I'm full of surprises too, Phantom.

"There's a legend behind Getsu Fuhma. They say that when she was a little girl, her parents and brothers were all murdered by creatures of darkness. So when she grew up and took up the sword, she swore an oath with her own blood that she would seek out and destroy such creatures, even if doing so meant dying in the attempt.

"In game terms, any Fiend or Zombie that Getsu Fuhma battles is automatically destroyed. And that was still a battle, despite your Matador's powers.

"So while your Matador reduced the battle damage to zero and destroyed her with its effect, Getsu Fuhma destroyed it with her own effect.

"And now I activate… Call of the Haunted!"

His Trap Card lifted, and a tombstone appeared on his side of the field…

Crescent Moon Queen burst out of the ground. (2,600/1,700)

"This can't be!" shouted the Phantom.

"Oh, it be all right," said Ren. "And you be in big trouble. Crescent Moon Queen, destroy his two nightmares!"

The Queen charged, and two slashes of a sword, Picador Fiend and Banderillo Fiend howled. Both of them exploded into shards. The Phantom stepped back nervously...

**(R: 4,800) -------------------- (P: 3,600)**

Crescent Moon Queen panted in exhaustion, and knelt in Defense Mode.

"I place one card facedown," said Ren, "and I end my turn…"

A facedown card appeared on his side.

The Phantom gave an angry look, and drew a card.

"I activate my Trap," said Ren, as his Trap Card lifted. "Final Attack Orders. Now my Queen moves back into Attack Mode."

The Queen stood up, and glared at the Phantom again.

"It won't help you," said the Phantom, looking at the card he had drawn. "I still have another trick up my sleeve.

"Like I said, in a bullfight, even if the Matador dies, the bull never leaves the ring alive."

He played a card, and a Spell Card appeared on the field that bore the image of an angelic form ascending into the clouds.

"Whoa…" said Ren. "Never saw that one before."

"It's a Spell called Ritual Foregone," said the Phantom, "and it works as follows. I pay 1,000 Life Points, and then I am able to Special Summon a Ritual Monster from my hand without the required Ritual Spell Card."

A second Matador Fiend appeared on his side of the field. (0/0)

"Of course," he continued, "there is a catch. It can't attack, and it would be destroyed when I ended my turn. So what's the point, you may ask?

"I'm going to sacrifice it, to summon a creature that will win the whole duel for me. But don't take my word for it…"

The Matador vanished, and a new Fiend appeared. This one was female, and dressed in a torn and ragged dress. She wore a white, grinning mask, and had tangled hair. She looked at Ren, and lifted her hands. Large claws sprouted from them. (2,100/1,000)

"Meet Macarena Fiend."

"She can't beat my Queen," said Ren.

"Can she?" asked the Phantom.

Macarena Fiend cackled, and stared at Crescent Moon Queen without blinking. Her eyes glowed red. The Queen gasped, and stared back with a look of horror.

Then, to Ren's horror, she turned to stone. Macarena Fiend made a slash with her claw, and smashed the statue to pieces.

"What happened?" gasped Ren.

"You Special Summoned her with Call of the Haunted, remember?" replied the Phantom. "So long as Dark Arena stands, Macarena Fiend destroys all Special Summoned Monsters."

"You mean I can't Special Summon Monsters?" gasped Ren.

"You can," said the Phantom, "they just won't last very long.

"And since you're now defenseless…

"Macarena Fiend, attack Reginald directly!"

Macarena Fiend slid up to Ren…

WHAM! She landed a kick directly in his crotch.

Ren fell to his knees, wincing in pain, as Macarena Fiend stood over him and laughed and the diabolical spectators cheered again. Black roses were thrown onto the arena floor.

He told himself, he should have known that such a nasty Monster would stoop to such a low attack…

**(R: 2,700) -------------------- (P: 2,600)**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

_Ren!_ thought Connie. _Oh, please don't lose! I'd die, I'd die!_

She looked at the screen.

"Don't give up big brother!" she shouted. "You can beat that creep!"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"This is brutal," exclaimed Chelsea. "We have to stop it!"

"We can't!" interrupted Yumi. "This is an official duel, and if we do anything, Ren loses."

Ren got to his feet slowly.

Somehow, he felt a warm feeling in his chest, despite the uncanny darkness. Something told him to continue…

"My move…" he muttered.

He drew a card.

He placed it on his Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared.

"Your move…"

"I draw one card…" said the Phantom, drawing.

He placed the card on his Disk.

"And I summon a second Picador Fiend."

Another Picador, much like the first, appeared out of the gloom. (1,600/0)

"You remember what he can do, right? Picador Fiend, attack directly."

For the third time, the Picador's blast hit Ren in the chest, and he howled in pain.

"Macarena Fiend, destroy his facedown Monster."

Macarena Fiend leveled a kick, and Ren's second Dark Blade was smashed to pieces.

"Pity…" said the Phantom. "I could have attacked it with Picador and hurt you even worse with my Macarena. Oh well, better safe than sorry…"

**(R: 1,100) -------------------- (P: 2,600)**

"What's Ren gonna do?" asked Chelsea. "Can Zombyra stand up to that thing?"

"Sure…" muttered Yumi. "But if he attacked with Zombyra, it would be a draw, and Ren would face a direct attack from the Picador on the next turn. If Ren attacked the Picador with Zombyra, Zombyra would lose 200 Attack Points, and Macarena Fiend would destroy him on the next turn. And don't forget, Ren can't choose who his Monsters attack.

"Let's face it… Without being able to Special Summon, Ren is at a tremendous disadvantage."

_That's for sure,_ thought Ren. _Even if I drew my second Getsu Fuhma, he'd obviously direct her attack against the Macarena, leaving me defenseless against the Picador on his next turn._

_There's gotta be something I can do… But what? This Dark Arena gives him too much power…_

He paused.

_That's it… All his Monsters gain power from this Field Spell… The key to beating him is destroying this blasted Arena… But how…_

He drew a card.

"I play… Pot of Greed," he said, playing the card.

The jar appeared, and he drew twice.

"Perfect," he said. "Time to end this twisted show…"

His Field Slot opened.

"I play Mystic Plasma Zone!"

The fiends in the audience groaned, as they faded into mist. Dark Arena crumbled, falling into rubble, and a dark fog replaced it.

"Heh, heh…" chuckled the Phantom. "Nice. In case you didn't notice, all my Monsters are just as Dark as yours. You may have destroyed my Field, but you made my Fiends even stronger."

Picador Fiend rose to (2,100/0) and Macarena Fiend rose to (2,600/600).

"Oh, did I?" asked Ren. "Well, now that she no longer has Dark Arena, Macarena Fiend can no longer destroy Special Summoned Monsters.

"And since you have two Monsters on the field and I have none, I can Special Summon this guy… The Fiend Megacyber!"

He threw the card on his Disk, and the hulking, cybernetic Warrior appeared. He clenched his fists and growled. (2,200/1,200) –) (2,700/800)

"Wait a minute!" shouted the Phantom.

"Fiend Megacyber…" ordered Ren. "Attack Picador Fiend with mega-slash!"

The Fiend Megacyber slashed at the Fiend with his blades, and it tumbled from its mount. Both exploded into particles.

**(R: 1,100) -------------------- (P: 2,000)**

"Your move…" said Ren with a smile.

The Phantom drew a card.

_This will not do!_ he thought, looking at the card. _Thanks to that Trap of his, I can't even move Macarena into Defense Mode!_

_Even worse, even if I bring back Dark Arena, that Warrior won't be affected by it… the word 'Fiend' is clearly there in its name… As if it matters… Thanks to what I thought was a good plan, I'm reduced to topdecking!_

He placed a card on his Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared.

He waved his hand.

Ren drew a card.

_Well, I guess I can use him after all,_ he thought.

"I summon… Zombyra the Dark!" he shouted.

In a burst of energy, a dark portal opened, and Zombyra flew out. (2,100/500) –) (2,600/100)

"Megacyber, attack Macarena Fiend!"

Megacyber made a slash across Fiend's chest with its blade, and she shrieked. She exploded into triangles

"Zombyra, attack his facedown Monster! Super-powered punch attack!"

Zombyra flew at the facedown card, and Manju of the Ten-Thousand Hands appeared on the card. It was blown to pieces.

**(R: 1,100) -------------------- (P: 1,900)**

Zombyra held his chest, and his Attack Score fell to 2,400.

"So what now, metalhead?"

The Phantom stared at him angrily.

"I don't like that…" he said with a growl. "I never thought I did, and now I'm sure…"

He drew one card.

He looked at it.

"I summon Dark Elf in Attack Mode," he said.

With a sinister cackle, a tall woman in a black robe, with pointed ears and black hair, wearing a tiara appeared in front of him. (2,000/800) –) (2,500/400)

"Smooth move," said Yumi. "She's stronger than Zombyra. But you forgot something… If you attack using her, it will cost you 1,000 Life Points, and you're low enough as it is."

"I'm not going to," said the Phantom. "She's just going to stall. Your Megacyber can certainly kill her, but Zombyra can't attack me. Unless you draw a third Monster, I still have a chance to turn this around."

Ren looked at him.

"I draw one card…" he said.

He looked at it.

"Hmm…" he said.

"Didn't draw a Monster, did you?" asked the Phantom.

"Not technically, no…" replied Ren. "But I drew a way to bring my best one back…"

He played the card.

"I play The Warrior Returning Alive. Now I can take one Warrior from my Graveyard, and add it to my hand."

A card slipped out of his discard slot.

"And since Level doesn't matter, you can probably guess who it is."

The Phantom's one eye that was visible widened…

"So now, I sacrifice The Fiend Megacyber and Zombyra the Dark to bring back Crescent Moon Queen one more time…"

The two Warriors vanished, and then the powerful female Warrior appeared, brandishing her blades in fury. (2,600/1,700) –) (3,100/1,300)

"As Sam once said," said Ren, "you can't keep a good Monster down for long. Queen, destroy his Dark Elf!"

The Queen charged, and cleaved Dark Elf in two.

"Now, finish him off! Attack directly!"

The Warrior charged towards the masked duelist in rage, and her sword slammed into him with the force of a sledgehammer. The Phantom Duelist flew backwards, striking something with a loud clang.

**(R: 1,100) -------------------- (P: 0)**

Everyone watching cheered as Crescent Moon Queen turned to Ren and smiled…

…and then she slowly disappeared, along with the darkness of the Field Spell.

Chelsea ran up to Ren and hugged him.

"Oh, if only your dad could have seen that!" she laughed.

"Yeah…" said Ren, somewhat surprised.

He looked at his badge. It was Blue now.

Then both of them noticed that they were hugging each other. They blushed, and slowly let go.

"Okay, Phantom, I want to know…" started Ren.

He stopped.

The Phantom was gone. All that remained where he had been was the dented ventilation duct that he had crashed into.

"Strange…" muttered Yumi. "I have to wonder if there was something about that whole thing that we didn't know about…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"YAY!" shouted Connie and Sally.

"That's my brother!" laughed Connie. "And he's going all the way! I just know it!"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

One hour later…

Rasputin was sitting at the computer in his hotel suite. Louis was standing next to him, while Olga and Nicholas were sitting on a couch nearby, visibly nervous.

The Phantom was staring at him from behind, but Rasputin wasn't looking at him.

"You have a lot of nerve coming back here, Phantom," said Rasputin. "I hire you to duel one kid, and you louse up royally."

"Rasputin…" said the Phantom, who was somewhat annoyed, "the terms of you hiring me was for me to duel him to scare those kids. You said I would be paid whether I won or lost. My end of the bargain has been fulfilled, and I merely have come to collect my fee."

"Have you now?" said Rasputin, not turning around. "Phantom, they certainly didn't look scared to me, and I don't pay for abysmal failures. It doesn't make me look good.

"If you think you can force me, think again. Think of the contacts I have, and how dangerous they are. Consider yourself lucky I'm not _charging_ you anything for getting you to this island with the others.

"This conversation is over. Louis, please show the man out."

Louis moved towards the Phantom…

…only to get a fist in the eye that knocked him out cold.

"It will be a cold day in Hell before some musclebound thug is able to 'show me out'," said the Phantom.

Rasputin looked at his bodyguard, and a look of fear crossed his face.

"Will you look at me when you speak to me now, you bastard?" asked the Phantom, grabbing his neck. "It's only polite, after all…"

Rasputin choked as the Phantom forced him too. Nicholas and Olga dove behind the couch.

"Listen closely, Rasputin…" said the Phantom. "I'm a mercenary with contacts that reach far wider than yours, and if there's one thing I can't stand, it's folks who renege on a deal.

"And I happen to know of _many_ powerful individuals who would pay handsome bounties for proof that you were no longer alive.

"So you will either hand over the promised payment, or I will get restitution from one of them…"

"Olga…" gasped Rasputin. "Get my… checkbook…"

"We agreed on cash!" shouted the Phantom.

"Open the safe!" shouted Rasputin.

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Ten minutes later…

The Phantom finished counting the stack of Euros.

"It was a pleasure doing business with you," he said, sarcastically. "If you need me again…

"Well, tell you what, if that happens, I'll find you…"

He glared at Rasputin and left.

Rasputin slumped in a chair, still shivering. Louis sat in another chair, holding a piece of raw meat on his black eye.

"Don't get it…" muttered Louis. "How'd he get the drop on me?"

"Because he's a master of twenty-eight styles of martial arts, and your fighting skills were learned on the streets," said Olga. "Frankly, I was against hiring him from the start… There are just some folks that can't be intimidated."

"Rasputin…" said Nicholas, "she has a point. You have to learn that there are some people you just can't bully. He wasn't like my old tutor… or your last secretary… Or the pizza guy! I can't believe what you did to that poor bloke…"

"Hey!" shouted Rasputin. "When I order a large, half-pepperoni, half-veggie deep dish pizza, I expect to GET a large, half-pepperoni, half-veggie deep dish pizza!"

He picked up the talisman.

"I'll get revenge eventually," he said. "On him and all those 'individuals' he mentioned that want me dead. Once I have all eight Charms, I'll be able to move mountains…"

He paused as he looked at it.

"And we're in luck… Another Charm has revealed itself. A powerful one. The Gale Shield, the Charm crafted by Malnus the Recluse."

"What does that one do again?" asked Nicholas.

"It's powerful," said Rasputin. "It's a bronze armband. It gives the user partial immortality, making him impervious to physical harm. Except from anyone holding another Charm, that is. If it made him ageless, it would be all we needed, but unfortunately, that isn't the case."

He paused.

"Unfortunately, it's been claimed already… By that crazy cat duelist…"

He paused again.

"Well, a Yami no Oujou isn't necessary now, but the only way to get it is to win it. Someone has to do so before Yumi and her cohorts find out about it… and/or Felicia realizes that it's more than a cheap trinket…

"Nicholas… Feel in the mood for a duel?"

Nicholas shrugged.

"Why not?" he said, reaching for his Disk. "It's better than sitting around here doing nothing…"

"Wait…" said Rasputin. "We might be able to get a bonus along with this…"

He reached into his jacket and pulled out a small flask of green liquid.

"You can NOT be bloody serious," said Nicholas. "The last time I did that, it took the poor girl six months to recover!"

"Do it," said Rasputin, handing it to him. "I looked up Felicia's duel with Ren. We might need a weapon against him later, especially if he's capable of beating an assassin like the Phantom.

"Trust me, my boy… It will all be worth it in the end…"

_Having beaten the Phantom Duelist, Ren gains long-awaited vengeance for his father. But now, Rasputin prepares to make a move that he and his friends remain unaware of. What will happen next?_

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**PICADOR FIEND (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fiend/Effect  
**Attribute:** Dark  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,600  
**DEF:** 0

**Card Description:** When "Dark Arena" is active on your side of the field, this card can attack your opponent directly.

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**MATADOR FIEND (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fiend/Ritual/Effect  
**Attribute:** Dark  
**Level:** 6  
**ATK:** 0  
**DEF:** 0

**Card Description:** This card is Ritual Summoned with the Ritual Spell Card "Ritual of the Matador". You must also offer as Tribute from the field or your hand Monsters whose total levels equal six or more. When this card is attacked by another Monster, reduce the battle damage to this card to zero, and destroy the opposing Monster.

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**BANDERILLO FIEND (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fiend/Effect  
**Attribute:** Dark  
**Level:** 3  
**ATK:** 900  
**DEF:** 900

**Card Description:** This card cannot attack on the round it is Normal Summoned, Flip-Summoned, or Special Summoned. When this card is Normal Summoned successfully, destroy one opposing Monster.

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**DARK ARENA (Spell Card)**

**Field Spell**

**Image:** A fiendish bullfighting arena shrouded in darkness.

**Card Description:** When this card is in play, all Monsters in Attack Position must attack whenever they are able to. If a player's Monster does not have the word "Fiend" in its name, his/her opponent may choose the target of the attack for that Monster.

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**RITUAL OF THE MATADOR (Spell Card)**

**Ritual Spell**

**Image:** An altar resembling the interior of a fanged mouth.

**Card Description:** This card is used to Ritual Summon "Matador Fiend". You must offer as Tribute from the field or your hand Monsters whose total levels equal six or more.

Note: The proceeding five cards were first used by Titan in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "A Reason To Win". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.

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**MACARENA FIEND (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fiend/Effect  
**Attribute:** Dark  
**Level:** 6  
**ATK:** 2,100  
**DEF:** 1,000

**Card Description:** This card cannot be Special Summoned. When this card and "Dark Arena" are both on the field, all Monsters that were Special Summoned are destroyed.

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**Yumi: Feel good, Ren?**

**Ren: Well, it was good to beat that creep. I can't help shake the feeling that Rasputin was hiding behind him somewhere. He'd probably be just the type to send an assassin.**

**Chelsea: So much about him we don't know. What about Nicholas and Olga? What do they do? Are they just there for him to have someone to talk to?**

**Yumi: Maybe we'll find out…**

**Coming up next, "Nicholas versus Felicia; Curiouser, and Curiouser".**

**The battle is well waged…**


	16. Curiouser and Curiouser

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**CHAPTER FIFTEEN**

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**Nicholas versus Felicia**

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**Curiouser, and Curiouser**

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As Nicholas left the penthouse, Cassandra, now again using the smaller deck, had the five cards spread out.

The three cards on top were, from left to right, The Fool, The High Priestess, and The Strength.

Below them were The Magician and The Lovers.

"One side of this conflict is revealed," she said. "But an opposing force exists…"

She looked at the deck.

"I believe I will find Nicholas with this draw…"

She took the top card.

It was a strange card. It bore the picture of a young man hanging from the bough of a tree by one leg, his other leg crossed to form the shape of a four. His hands hung freely, and coins fell from his pockets.

"I didn't expect this…" said Cassandra. "The Hangman is the sign of a man in turmoil and inner strife. What confuses you so, Nicholas? What transition have you gone through that troubles your soul?"

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What indeed?

Half an hour later, Felicia – a woman who would stand out anywhere due to her strange, yet sexy costume – was relaxing with a mocha latte at a sidewalk café. She had been quite active, getting back the rank she had lost from Ren and gaining two more, putting her at Blue.

She looked strangely at the large bracelet on her wrist. She had found it just lying in a trash can, and wondered why anyone would throw it away. Not that she knew what the symbols on it meant…

Nicholas watched her from a distance.

He took a card out of his deck.

Some years ago, a booster pack had included two very strange Traps and a very strange Spell. All three of them were Ultimate Rares in the pack.

But in the whole release, there were only twenty copies of the Monster that you needed to go with them. It was an experiment by Industrial Illusions, to see if anyone would compose a deck with the Monster as its centerpiece. If you did, you'd have quite a powerful deck.

This was one of those incredibly rare Monsters. Rasputin had given it to him, as a reward for his loyalty over the two years since they'd met. His record as a duelist wasn't perfect, but his record with this deck was.

One thought was on Nicholas's mind:

_Am I a hypocrite?_

He had been born to poor parents on the streets of London. And if there was one thing he hated among all else, it was the rich and the aristocracy. Snobs who had everything he could never have, likely never earned any of it, and thought that it was their God-given right to have it. The spoiled rich children gobbling chocolate at the candy store filled him with rage, and the debutantes flaunting their jewelry made him want to commit murder.

Most of all, he despised the monarchy. The King of England got wealth, fame, and prestige, practically for doing nothing. Great Britain's monarch played no part in government. What did he do to deserve wealth and fame? He was born into it. It was that simple. Nicholas planned to support any Parliament proposal to abolish the monarchy once he became old enough to vote, if one ever came up. Sadly, all such proposals in the past had been defeated.

The clincher came when he was ten years old, and became so poor that he had to beg for handouts. He didn't even ask the well-dressed fop for one – but the bastard went out of his way to make him feel worse, hitting him with a cane and saying that "his kind" should be rooted out like vermin.

It was as if he wasn't even a human being… It was the straw that broke the proverbial camel's back.

Nicholas wanted revenge. He secretly followed that man to his house, and when darkness fell, he forced open a window. He quickly grabbed the most expensive thing he saw, a bejeweled letter opener, and fled before anyone knew he was there.

He was surprised at how easy it had been. He was even more surprised when someone directed him to a place where he could sell it for a handsome price.

He decided what he'd do. If the rich looked down at him, he'd become a thief, and make fools out of them. In his eyes, they deserved it.

And for a while it went well. He quickly turned from an amateur thief to a great thief. He got more daring, burglarizing houses and filching jewelry, cash, and anything that was valuable. He quickly found out how to tell paste jewelry from real jewelry, and soon established quite a stash.

On one of his burglaries, he noticed a strange deck of cards. On a whim, he took it. He looked at the odd cards later, not knowing what they did. Another thief was more informed than he was, and told him about the culture of Duel Monsters…

But for now, that would just be a faraway dream.

It went on until he was fourteen years old…

…at which point he was caught. He guessed he wasn't too great a thief after all.

As Nicholas lay on the cot in a cell at a police station, he wasn't worried. The police only had evidence on him for one burglary. He'd do his time in juvie for a few months, and then start over again…

One could imagine his shock when a policeman told him he was free to go. Someone had paid his bail.

His shock turned to panic when he saw who it was. His benefactor was one of his victims, whom he had robbed a week earlier. The only reason he could think of for this man to get him out of jail was to kill him – the bejeweled golden cup he had stolen had been worth a fortune…

But the man, who said his name was Rasputin, told him that he had other plans. No normal thief could have stolen that cup. He saw potential in Nicholas. And he was looking for something special… He wanted a protégé.

Nicholas was faced with a decision: Either join this man whom he had robbed, or refuse him and risk death. Self-preservation won out.

For two years now, Nicholas had lived a better life. Crime was still a part of his life, but it was on a much higher level than simple burglary. Now it was the European underworld. Rasputin had taught him many things, including how to duel. And once he had revealed to him and Olga – his surrogate sister who had joined them at around the same time – the secret of the Shadow Charms, he had said that he would gladly share the power.

He would be immortal…

Nicholas had once hated nobility and aristocrats. Now he was one – an aristocrat of crime.

Maybe he was a hypocrite… But he couldn't quit, at least not yet. The thought of immortality was appealing…

He looked at Felicia and hit a number on his cell phone.

"Target within sight," he said.

"Excellent," said Rasputin's voice. "Now Nicholas, this task requires excellent skill, flawless timing, and near-perfect concentration. Are you absolutely sure you can do it?"

"Nope," replied Nicholas.

"Argh!" shouted Rasputin. "Then try your hardest! And don't forget that… thing."

Nicholas frowned.

He took the flask of green liquid out of his pocket. He knew that doing this was below even his standards, but he'd make it up in the end.

He quickly swallowed the liquid. He made a face… The stuff tasted like turpentine…

He walked up to Felicia's table.

"Mind if I join you, kitty?" he asked.

Felicia purred.

"Depends…" she said. "Are you going to challenge me or ask me out?"

"The former," said Nicholas, placing a binder on the table. "But I have a wager to make that you might find interesting."

He took a card out of the binder.

"I've seen you duel," he said. "Your deck only needs one card… This one…"

He showed it to her and her eyes opened wide.

"Is that really Bast, the Queen of Cats?" she asked, getting excited.

"Indeed it is," said Nicholas. "A powerful Beast-Warrior. Here's my deal. We duel. If you win, you get this card, plus any five cards of your choice from this binder.

"Take a look. They're all quite rare…"

Felicia opened the binder and started to look through the cards. He wasn't kidding…

"If I win," continued Nicholas, "I'll give you Bast as a consolation… But I want that nice bracelet you're wearing."

_This guy is nuts!_ thought Felicia. _He'll give me that card either way? It's more valuable to a duelist than any silly bracelet…_

She purred again…

"I accept," she said. "But I don't intend to lose. Since yesterday, my cats have fed well on three duelists, and they're hungry for another…"

Nicholas returned his true deck to its holder. Then he took another deck out of another holder and started to shuffle.

_This deck isn't quite as powerful as my real one,_ he said, _but it's powerful enough. And it takes most folks by surprise…_

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"I have to warn you, honey…" said Felicia, as they faced each other in the street. "My cats have been extra frisky lately. Don't say I didn't warn you."

Nicholas smiled calmly as he took five cards off his deck.

"Try not to kill me too bad, kitty…" he said.

**(Felicia: 8,000) -------------------- (Nicholas: 8,000)**

"Game on!" they both said.

"Ladies first," said Nicholas. "Chivalry isn't dead yet, even when the goal with a woman is to kill her."

"Cute…" said Felicia, drawing her first card.

She looked over her hand.

"And they don't start out any better than this! I summon Panther Warrior!"

She played the card, and the ferocious panther-man appeared. He roared, and brandished his scimitar. (2,000/1,600)

"Heh… Best get a scratching post for that one," said Nicholas.

"Your move, hon," said Felicia, "but he's coming after you next turn."

Nicholas drew a card.

"I place a Monster in Defense Mode…" he said, as a facedown Monster appeared. "And that will be all."

"Not much else you can do," said Felicia with a grin.

She made another draw.

"I summon Nekogal #1 in Attack Mode…" she said.

In a flash, the younger Nekogal appeared, crouching over and bearing her claws. (1,100/900)

"Next," said Felicia, opening her Field Slot, "I play the Field Spell Card, Gaia Power…"

As she closed the slot, trees started to sprout all around them, until the street had been transformed into a small forest.

"This handy card increases the Attack Points of all Earth Monsters by 500, at a cost of 400 Defense Points. But who wants to defend?"

Panther Warrior rose to (2,500/1,200), and Nekogal rose to (1,600/500)

"Nekogal, go!" shouted Felicia. "Attack his facedown Monster with cat scratch!"

The cat fairy leapt forward, ready to deliver a slash with her claws. A ceramic jar appeared on the card, and a one-eyed, snaky shadow with a toothy mouth on it appeared. It cackled before Nekogal made a swipe and slashed it to ribbons.

"That was a Morphing Jar," said Nicholas. "And since you flipped it, we now have to toss every card in our hands and then draw five new cards."

Felicia looked at him. That was helping her more than it was him…

"Whatever you say…" she said, as she discarded her hand.

"But before I draw my five cards," said Nicholas, discarding his, "I should tell you that one card that I'm discarding is Ojamagic…"

"Oja-who?" asked Felicia.

"Ojamagic," said Nicholas, as three cards appeared in his hand. "When it goes to the Graveyard, Ojama Green, Ojama Yellow, and Ojama Black come to my hand."

He drew five additional cards.

"And what are you gonna do with them?" asked Felicia.

"You'll see…" said Nicholas, looking over his hand.

"Well I'm not done with you!" she shouted. "I sacrifice Nekogal so that Panther Warrior can attack you!"

Nekogal shattered, and Panther Warrior roared...

"Panther Warrior, attack him directly!"

Panther Warrior roared and slashed his sword down. Nicholas groaned as the slash hit him.

**(F: 8,000) -------------------- (N: 5,500)**

Nicholas took some deep breaths.

"Not bad…" he said. "But it's my move…"

He drew a card.

"First…" he said, "I summon my Beetron-1 Beetletops in Attack Mode."

"Beetle-what?" asked Felicia.

A large Machine materialized. As the name suggested, it looked like a big beetle, with wings, a frontal horn, and four legs, but also two tires in its rear. (1,700/1,500)

"And by the way…" continued Nicholas. "Since this happens to be an Earth Monster, it benefits from your Field Spell."

(2,200/1,100)

"Purr…" said Felicia. "So what? Panther Warrior is still stronger."

"Not for long," said Nicholas," playing a card. "I play my Ojama Ride Spell Card. And it works like this. I first have to toss the three Ojamas…"

He discarded the three cards.

"And in return, I get to Special Summon up to three Machine-Type Union Monsters from my deck in Defense Mode.

"So here comes Beetron-2 Beetle Turbo!"

Another robotic beetle appeared, this one with huge mandibles and a stinger, shielding itself in Defense Mode. (1,500/1,800) –) (2,000/1,400)

"And I'll follow up with Beetron-3 Spider Base!"

A third robot appeared, this one consisting of two saucer-shaped units on top of each other walking on eight stilt-like legs. (1,000/2,000) –) (1,500/1,600)

"And now to show you the neat trick these things can do. Beetrons… Combine!"

The three Machines whirred and changed shape, fusing together into a much bigger, must nastier-looking Machine. It had wings, claws, a stinger with a huge blade, and a large cannon on its front.

It aimed its cannon at Felicia and her Monster…

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On the other side of Duelatopia, Heck was speaking to a girl he had met an hour ago.

"So you played high school football?" she asked.

"Yeah…" he said. "Until ah got hurt, you know…"

Then he sneezed.

"Weird…" he said.

He took one of his XYZ-Dragon Cannons out of his fusion deck and looked at it.

"Ah had the strangest feeling that this Monster just figured out a secret that it wants to tell me…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Felicia gulped…

"Meet my Assault Cannon Beetle," said Nicholas.

(2,400/2,800) –) (2,900/2,400)

"And this thing has a cool effect," he continued. "It works sort of like Cannon Soldier."

"Oh?" said Felicia, nervously. "Well you have no Monsters to sacrifice except itself."

"In a minute, I'll have three," said Nicholas, taking a card from his hand. "I play Ojamandala."

He played a card that had the image of the three Ojamas as figures on a Buddhist painted Mandala.

"So, I give up a thousand Life Points, and I get to summon back my three Ojamas."

Three small, goofy forms materialized in bursts of colored light. One was green, had one eye, and a lolling tongue. Another was yellow and had eyes on stalks. The third was black, bulky, and had sharp teeth. (0/1,000 x3)

A large claw from Assault Cannon Beetle picked them up, one by one, and loaded them into a chamber.

"And for each one I sacrifice…" he continued, "I can blast away 800 of your Life Points.

"Fire!"

The Assault Cannon Beetle fired three blasts, sending the three Ojamas flying at Felicia. She grunted as she was hit in the stomach, then in the chest, and then in the face.

She held her head in a daze.

"I'm not done," said Nicholas. "I still have its normal attack to use on your panther."

Assault Cannon Beetle fired a bolt of burning plasma from its cannon with a huge blast, and Panther Warrior exploded into pixels.

**(F: 5,200) -------------------- (N: 4,500)**

Felicia closed her eyes tight as smoke rose from the spot where her Monster had been.

"I hate Machines…" she said. "I hate bugs… I _really_ hate Machines shaped liked bugs…"

"Sorry I have to be so rough," said Nicholas, "but this is still a duel… I play to win…"

Felicia hissed, and bore her fangs. Nicholas got a little nervous.

He looked at his three remaining cards, one of which was a Spell called Front Change.

_Next turn,_ he thought, _I'll use this to swap my Assault Cannon for a Machine that will be nearly unstoppable, especially in this Gaia Power Field._

Felicia drew a card.

"You and your Cannon are going to pay…" she said, playing a Spell Card. "I activate the War Lion Ritual!

"Now, I sacrifice Nekogal #2 and my Cat's Ear Tribe, to summon Super War Lion!"

The two Monsters appeared on the field, and were consumed in a fiery conflagration…

Then the mighty Super War Lion leapt out.

"And my Field Spell gives him an added boost," she added.

(2,300/2,100) –) (2,800/1,700)

"A slight error in your calculations," said Nicholas. "My Assault Cannon Beetle is 100 Attack Points stronger."

"Not for long," said Felicia, taking one of the two cards left in her hand. "I play Rush Recklessly!"

She played the card, and Super War Lion roared as its Attack shot up to 3,500.

"Super War Lion, tear that Bug-Bot or Beetle-Bot or whatever it is apart!" shouted Felicia.

Super War Lion pounced, landing squarely on top of the Assault Cannon Beetle. The Machine exploded into hot metal and flaming debris. Nicholas shielded himself from it. Super War Lion roared in bloodlust.

**(F: 5,200) -------------------- (N: 3,900)**

"Well that's bloody awful…" muttered Nicholas.

He drew one card.

"Here's a good card," he said, revealing it. "Pot of Avarice. Now I first get to take five Monsters from my Graveyard and shuffle them back into my deck. So I'll do that with the three Ojamas, my Morphing Jar, and a Man Thro-Tro that I discarded when Morphing Jar was flipped."

The cards slipped out of his discard slot, and he shuffled them into his deck.

"Then I get to draw twice…"

He drew two cards.

"And it seems I get three of those Monsters back. I play… Graceful Charity."

He played the card, and his deck glowed. He made three draws.

"Now, I'll discard my Front Change, and a second Ojamagic…"

He discarded two cards.

"…and you know what that means."

The three Ojama cards appeared in his hand.

"I suppose you're going to try to summon all three and then play Hurricane," said Felicia. "Guess again. I'll never give you three rounds to summon them all."

"I don't need three rounds," said Nicholas. "With the right planning and the right cards, I can summon all three of them in only _one_ round."

He played a Spell Card, showing the image of a burly biker crackling with electricity.

"It starts with this card… It's called Desperado Manager. You probably never even heard of it, because no sane duelist would use it, unless he was using the right kind of deck. It's highly situational.

"It works like this. I draw two cards from my deck, but then I have to place three cards from my hand on the top of my deck."

Felicia gave a strange look as Nicholas drew two cards and looked at them. Then he took the three Ojama cards and placed them on the top of his deck.

"Next up…" he continued, "another Spell Card. It's Enchanting Fitting Room."

"Wait… That card…" said Felicia.

"I pay 800 Life Points," said Nicholas, playing the card. "Then I look at the top four cards on my deck, and if any of them are Normal Monsters that are Level Three or less, I get to Special Summon them. Anything else is reshuffled back into my deck."

_It was the perfect combo…_ thought Felicia. _He's knows exactly what the top three cards are…_

A curtain appeared on Nicholas's side of the field, and four cards flew out. Three of them, of course, were the three Ojamas. The other was De-Fusion.

"Well, De-Fusion is certainly not a Monster," said Nicholas, as the Spell vanished, "but now I get to summon Larry, Moe, and Curly to my side of the field."

In three bursts of multicolored light, the three Ojamas reappeared in Defense Mode. (0/1,000 x3)

Felicia stepped back nervously…

"And about your assumption that I was going to play Hurricane," continued Nicholas, taking a card from his hand, "wrong. I have here a deadlier Ojama accessory…

"Ojama Delta Thunder!!"

The sky darkened, and thunder started to roll… The three Ojamas held hands, and leapt into the air. Electricity started to emit from the small creatures…

Then there was a colossal roar of thunder. Felicia screamed as she was struck by lightning.

"What… happened…" she gasped.

"Simple…" said Nicholas, as the three Ojamas alighted back on his side. "You lost 1,500 Life Points, 500 for each card you have on the field and in your hand."

"Such… power…" she muttered.

"And Thunder has another effect," said Nicholas, spreading his deck out. "I can take the aforementioned Ojama Delta Hurricane card from my deck, discard it, and its effect activates."

He discarded a card, and a fierce storm erupted around the field. The trees of Gaia power were uprooted and blown away, and Super War Lion shattered into bits.

**(F: 3,700) -------------------- (N: 3,100)**

"I'll get you yet, Nicholas," said Felicia, drawing a card. "A humorist a few decades ago once said that the biggest difference between men and women was that men think the Three Stooges are funny and women don't. I see his point.

"I play Pot of Greed."

The jar appeared in front of her, and she drew two cards.

"Now I'll play Stray Lambs, and that will do will do for now."

She played the card, and two Lamb Tokens appeared in puffs of smoke.

Nicholas drew a card.

He carefully considered his hand. Ojama Delta Thunder was an incredibly rare card, and he could never hope to have more than one in his deck. But there was no sense in telling her that.

He fit two cards into his Disk, and two facedown cards appeared.

"Your move…" he said.

Felicia drew a card.

"All right…" she said, "time to lose your gruesome threesome. I summon Lady Panther."

She played the card, and a new Beast-Warrior appeared in a burst of energy. It was a woman dressed in a toga, with a female panther's head. She carried a spear with a crescent blade in one hand, and a bronze shield in the other. (1,400/1,100)

"Now I'll give her an Equip Spell Card… Infernal Gauntlet!"

She threw the card into her Disk, and a glove that looked like it was made of red goo formed on Lady Panther's right hand. She snarled and bore her own fangs.

"This Equip lets my Monster make extra attacks, so long as I sacrifice a Monster for each one.

"So… I'll sacrifice one Lamb Token for one attack. Destroy the green one!"

One of the lambs vanished. Lady Panther rushed at Ojama Green and made a savage thrust, and the small Beast was thrown backwards before shattering.

"Now I'll sacrifice another Lamb Token for another go," she said, as the other token vanished. "Take out the yellow one!"

Lady Panther attacked again, eradicating Ojama Yellow.

"I still have her normal attack, and third time's the charm. Destroy the last one!"

Lady Panther stabbed with her spear, and Ojama Black was blown away.

"You were lucky they were in Defense Mode," she said. "Seems your luck has run out."

"No it hasn't," said Nicholas. "I activate a Trap Card."

One of his facedown cards lifted, showing a goofy picture of all three Ojamas stuffed into the same set of shorts.

"Ojama Delta Wear. Since my three Ojamas were destroyed in battle, they come right back."

The three Ojamas appeared again, in another flash of light. (0/1,000 x3)

"Does this ever end?" moaned Felicia.

Nicholas drew a card.

He smirked. This was what he was waiting for.

"Actually," he replied, "it's gonna end on this turn.

"I play Polymerization."

He played the card, and the three Ojamas merged into a swirl of multicolored light and an explosion of stars…

Then, a giant, egg-shaped creature crashed down on his side of the field. It was pale white, had eyes on stalks, wore trunks similar to the other Ojamas, with a small crown and a short cape. It let out a throaty laugh. (0/3,000)

"That's Ojama King, right?" asked Felicia. "I've heard of him…"

A card slipped out of Nicholas's deck and he took it.

"Maybe you have…" he said. "But not many people have heard of what I'm summoning next. I play this… Mecha Ojama King Transformation!"

Ojama King rose into the air, and glowed with blinding light…

After a few seconds, a transformation had indeed taken place. It had turned into a large, mechanical version of itself, made of shining metal. It laughed again, with a laugh that was deep and robotic. (0/3,000)

"What in the world…" muttered Felicia.

"As you can see…" said Nicholas, "this guy has exactly the same amount of Attack Points as the regular Ojama King – zero. But he does have the ability to summon an Ojamachine every round.

"What's an Ojamachine you may ask?"

He placed a card on his Disk.

"_This_ is an Ojamachine. Ojamachine Yellow to be precise."

The creature that appeared looked like a grinning, robotic version of Ojama Yellow, crouched down on all fours. (0/1,000)

"This is seriously weirding me out…" said Felicia.

"It's about to get weirder…" replied Nicholas. "This little dorkatron has a neat trick of its own."

Ojamachine Yellow's mouth opened wide, and a second Ojamachine Yellow popped out. Then that one's mouth opened, and third popped out. Then _that_ one's mouth opened, producing a fourth. (0/1,000 x4)

"See?" said Nicholas. "When it's summoned, I get to summon a token just like it on every free space I have.

"Now my Trap activates… Solar Ray."

His other facedown card lifted.

"This Trap blasts away 600 of your Life Points for every Light Monster I have, in other words, five."

Felicia's eyes opened wide.

_This is gonna sting…_ she thought.

A beam of light shot out of the Trap Card, and it hit her squarely. She screamed in pain.

**(F: 700) -------------------- (N: 3,100)**

She gasped for breath.

"I still have… Life Points… left…" she gasped.

"Not for long…" he replied. "Ojamachines… Attack Lady Panther!"

The four Ojamachines grinned even wider, and hopped towards the Beast-Warrior like frogs.

"What are you doing?" shouted Felicia. "They have zero Attack Points!"

The first one leapt at Lady Panther and exploded.

Then Felicia screamed as hot metal debris rained on her.

"True," said Nicholas. "But when they're destroyed in battle, my Life Points are safe. You, on the other hand, lose 300 for each one."

Three more exploded, and Felicia screamed as she was showered in the burning metal. She collapsed on her back and moaned.

**(F: 0) -------------------- (N: 3,100)**

Nicholas paused.

The Gale Shield on Felicia's wrist vanished, and then reappeared on his.

"Not bad…" he said, looking at it.

He took Bast, the Queen of Cats out of his pocket and walked up to Felicia, who was still moaning on the ground. He knelt over her.

"You fought well," he whispered. "I see bright things in your future…"

He playfully tucked the card into her cleavage.

"Keep dueling… That card will make you much stronger… I'll be back for you soon…"

Then he bent down and kissed her.

Felicia's eyes opened… And then she closed them. A few wisps of green mist escaped from where their lips met.

Nicholas got up and walked away.

Once he was out of sight, he growled and took out his cell phone.

"Rasputin?" he said angrily, speaking into it. "The Gale Shield is mine… I hope you're bloody happy…"

"And the pheromone solution?" asked Rasputin.

"It's been done…" he growled. "Thank you so much for making me feel like a total bastard."

"You make it sound like you raped her," replied Rasputin.

"I kinda feel like I did!" said Nicholas, through his teeth. "Isn't that what a rapist does after all? Make a woman helpless in front of him? Make her 'his'?"

"Don't concern yourself," said Rasputin. "She'll recover. It wasn't thrall powder after all…"

"If you even _think_ of ever telling me to use thrall powder…" snapped Nicholas.

"Calm down, Nicholas," said Rasputin. "That isn't a concoction that one uses frivolously. If it ever has to be used, and I doubt it will come to that, I will use it personally.

"We'll keep Felicia under watch. She may yet be of some use to us. If the problem we have escalates, then and only then will we make use of what you did.

"But anyway, you're at Violet now, right?"

Nicholas looked at his badge.

"Yeah," he replied.

"Then you're in good standing…" said Rasputin. "And we have plenty of time. Don't duel again until I say so. With Yumi possessing the Crown, you and Olga must stay at roughly the same rank as her in case I decide to have either of you challenge her.

"Until that becomes necessary… uhm… well… find something to do."

"Find something to do, he says," muttered Nicholas, turning off the cell. "Sure, I'll grab a beer and a pizza, take in a rugby game…"

He looked around.

"I wonder if Yumi is busy?"

He smirked. He thought of the Jacuzzi in his room, and wondered if Yumi would like to share it…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

One hour earlier…

The temporary truce between Yumi's group and Sam's group was still in effect, and the group of five were having milkshakes. They had decided to watch a few duels without actually getting involved in them.

From the pair of park benches they were on, they looked at the situation. On one side was a tough-looking kid wearing a gym t-shirt. His side had Battle Footballer in Defense Mode (1,000/2,100), and he had 4,000 Life Points.

On the other side was a geeky-looking kid with glasses. He had one Monster on his side of the field – a cartoonish Machine that looked like a steam locomotive. (1,800/1,800) He had 5,000 Life Points remaining.

He drew a card.

"I summon Cycroid…" he said.

He played the card, and a cartoonish bicycle with an eye between its handlebars and fists on the handlebars themselves appeared. (800/1,000)

"A bicycle?" laughed his opponent. "All it will get is a bad flat!"

"Yeah, yeah, laugh if you want, Norman…" said the smaller duelist, "but now I'm Equipping it with Training Wheels."

He played the card, and a pair of training wheels appeared on the Cycroid.

"This lets it attack you directly. Go!"

Cycroid's pedals spun, and it charged at the bigger duelist. He grunted as it slammed into him. His Life Points fell to 3,200.

"Now my Steamroid attacks your Monster," continued the Vehicroid duelist, "and it gains 500 Attack Points when it makes an attack."

Steam blew from Steamroid's stack, and it chugged forward, slamming into Battle Footballer and blowing it to pieces.

"My turn is over," he said, "and due to Training Wheels, my Cycroid goes away until my next turn."

Cycroid vanished, along with the Training Wheels card.

The tough-looking kid drew a card.

"Okay, Wendell…" he said. "I play… Pot of Greed."

He drew two cards.

"And fate is on my side," he said. "I summon Familiar-Possessed Hiita!"

In a burst of flame, a teenage girl with fiery-red hair wearing a halter, skirt, and cape appeared, holding a staff topped with a red ruby. A large fox with blazing fur was next to her. (1,850/1,500)

"She's strong enough to take down your Steamroid," he continued, "but I'm going to make her stronger… I play the Field Spell, Molten Destruction."

In an explosion of energy, the city street was turned into a volcanic wasteland. Fiery lava cascaded down slopes where buildings once were.

Hiita's stats changed to (2,350/1,100)

"Of all the Field Spells in the game…" said Ren, "I hate this one the worst."

"Worse than that Dark Arena?" asked Chelsea.

"I stand corrected…" he said.

"Hiita, break his toy train!" shouted the duelist.

Hiita twirled her staff, and fired a stream of flames at the Vehicroid. It exploded into scrap.

Wendell cringed as his Life Points fell to 3,950.

"Well, so much for that…" he muttered.

He drew a card. Then he looked at Hiita.

Cycroid reappeared, still Equipped with its Training Wheels.

"I summon Jetroid," he said.

In a sparkling light, another goofy machine appeared. This one resembled a fighter plane with an angry face, hovering over the ground. (1,200/1,800)

"Cycroid, go!" he shouted.

Cycroid sped forward, and slammed into Norman again. He grunted again as his Life Points fell to 2,400.

"I end my turn," said Wendell, as Cycroid vanished again.

"What the heck is he doing?" asked Erik. "Anyone can see that Hiita is far stronger than that toy plane…"

"Heh, heh…" chuckled Sam. "Not quite… Jetroid may look funny, but it's incredibly dangerous. If one of those two cards in Wendell's hand is a Trap Card, he can activate it from his hand as soon as Norman's Monster attacks it."

Norman drew a card. Then he looked hard at Jetroid.

"I summon Tenkabito Shien in Attack Mode," he said.

In another burst of flame, a noble-looking Samurai on a coal-black horse appeared. He was dressed in fine clothing, and held a razor-sharp nodachi. (1,500/1,000) –) (2,000/600)

"Looks like Norman is onto him," said Chelsea. "Shien there is immune to Traps."

"Shien, attack his Jetroid!" shouted Norman.

Shien galloped forward on his horse, and with one swipe, cut Jetroid cleanly in half. The pieces shattered.

"Hiita… roast him…"

Hiita aimed her staff. Wendell screamed as he was burned by her fiery spell.

"You can stick a fork in that guy," laughed Sam. "He's cooked!"

Wendell slowly got up, his Life Points having dropped to 900.

He drew a card. Cycroid appeared on the field again.

"All right!" he exclaimed. "Check out the card I just drew."

He held up the card, and Yumi and her friends looked up, startled.

It was Power Bond.

"Don't do it!" screamed Chelsea. "You're making a mistake!"

"She's right, you know…" said Norman. "That card has a nasty side effect. Unless the Monster you summon with it has a base Attack Score of at least… Let's see… 2,200, you'll lose when you end your turn!

"And, might I add, you have only two other cards in your hand, and one is obviously the Trap you were intending to use… Exactly what do you plan on fusing with that Cycroid?"

"Why, another Cycroid, of course," said Wendell with a smile. "I use Power Bond to fuse together my two Cycroids, to form my Pair Cycroid."

A second Cycroid appeared next to the first, and they faded into a blur.

The end result was a larger, two-seated version of Cycroid, with two eyes and a ten-speed wheel. It made a dinging sound as it looked at Norman. (1,600/2,000) –) (3,200/2,000)

"Not even close!" laughed Norman.

"Oh, really?" asked Wendell. "Two words: special ability. If I reduce its Attack Score by 500, it can attack you directly!"

"Hey, hold on!" shouted Norman.

"Attack him directly!" shouted Wendell. "Double cyclone!"

Pair Cycroid flew into the air, glowing with energy. Its attack fell to 2,700…

And then it slammed into Norman, knocking him over. He groaned as his Life Points hit zero.

The three Monsters and the fiery surroundings vanished.

"Next time, stop and think before you call someone a nerd," said Wendell.

"I've said it before, and I'll say it again," said Yumi. "This game never ceases to amaze me…

Sam sighed.

"He made a bicycle stronger than one of my dad's Dragons…" she muttered. "I don't know whether to laugh or cry…"

"Why don't one of you offer to duel him?" asked Yumi.

"Uh-uh…" said Chelsea, shivering.

"Not me!" shouted Ren.

Yumi sighed. She certainly wasn't going to, but it wasn't due to lack of confidence or courage.

She took off the Crown of Souls and looked at it. That Shadow Game had taken more out of her than she had let them all believe.

According to Anastasia, there were seven more of these things, and she needed them all. Would that mean seven more Shadow Games?

She considered all the variables.

First, her enemy. Rasputin was somewhere in this city. She assumed he was a legitimate tournament guest because he had a badge, but she didn't even know what hotel he was in.

Not that it mattered. She couldn't just go there and start leveling accusations. More than likely, he had hired Holly, but there was no proof at all. And Holly couldn't say anything until she woke up… If she ever did…

At this point she wondered if the coma Holly was in was simply a coma… Or if something horrible was happening to her right now, like what Marik did to poor Mai in Battle City… She shuddered at the thought of it. No one deserved that…

She thought about those two teenagers, Nicholas and Olga.

She frowned, and reached into her pocket.

He had actually given her his phone number. That was something… Was Nicholas going to attack her or ask her out?

She sighed… He was sort of handsome, actually… Such beautiful hair… That rolled-out-of-bed look…

She shook her head and came to her senses.

Then there was Olga. She knew even less about her…

A frightening thought came to her. Were Nicholas and Olga with Rasputin via their free will, or were they slaves? Anastasia said he was an alchemist… Could he have drugged them at some point? Forced them to serve him?

She knew a little bit about the ancient practice of alchemy. Most modern folks confused it with magic, but it wasn't. It was more or less the science (the term was used loosely – many modern-day scientists didn't accept it as a real science) of transmuting matter. Simply put, alchemists turned substances into other substances. Since everything that wasn't energy was made of matter, a true master of alchemy could pretty much do anything to anything.

That was the goal of alchemy… the Philosopher's Stone. An artifact that could literally do anything. Turn metal into gold, heal any illness, even grant the user true immortality…

Slowly, she came back to awareness.

She thought of a few other factors…

There was Maria. A duelist from her grandparents' time who was no slouch, with a rare card that could destroy an Egyptian God Monster. But it was strange… Three of her four grandparents were great duelists, and they had never met a duelist named Maria. At least if they had, they had never mentioned her. You'd think if she could defeat the God Cards, she would have sought Yugi Mouto out and challenged him for them, as so many duelists with dreams of glory did in those days…

Come to think of it, that card of hers would have also destroyed the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon pretty easily… So why wasn't Seto Kaiba ever bothered by a teenage girl who wanted to beat him to prove she could? Kaiba would never have refused a challenge. If anything, he _liked_ crushing gloryhounds who thought he wasn't as good as he really was.

Yumi had seen the card with her own eyes… But apparently, Maria had never used it for anything.

Then she thought of Maria's strange ally, Cassandra. She hadn't revealed anything about her own past. Those Arcana Force Monsters were downright creepy…

Why was she helping? She apparently worked for Arachne… Did that mean that Arachne knew something about this? Or did Sheena not know a few things about her own employees?

She heard a gurgling sound.

She noticed what it was – her stomach.

It was one o'clock, the time she usually had lunch.

She turned to her friends, but they had found something new to watch. Two new duelists were facing off.

"Game on!" they said.

Yumi sighed.

She could wait.

_Unbeknownst to Yumi, one of the Shadow Charms has fallen into the hands of her foes, even though the one in personal possession of it has some sort of crush on her. The danger has now increased, and the gap of power has now narrowed. The heroes had best widen it again soon…_

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**OJAMANDALA (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** The three Ojamas as figures on a Buddhist painted mandala.

**Card Description:** You may activate this card when you have one "Ojama Green", one "Ojama Yellow", and one "Ojama Black" in your Graveyard. Pay 1,000 Life Points. Special Summon the above-named Monsters from your Graveyard.

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**OJAMA RIDE (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** The three Ojamas riding on the front of a truck.

**Card Description:** Discard one "Ojama Green", one "Ojama Yellow", and one "Ojama Black" from your hand. Special Summon up to three Machine-Type Union Monsters that are Level Four or less from your hand or deck in face-up Defense Position. The battle position of these Monsters cannot switch.

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**0**

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**OJAMA DELTA WEAR (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image:** A goofy picture of the three Ojamas stuffed into the same pair of shorts.

**Card Description:** You may activate this card during a round that one "Ojama Green", one "Ojama Yellow", and one "Ojama Black" on your side of the field are destroyed as a result of battle. Special Summon the above-named Monsters from your Graveyard.

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**0**

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**MECHA OJAMA KING TRANSFORMATION (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** The image on this card was never shown.

**Card Description:** You may add this card to your hand from your deck when you Fusion Summon an "Ojama King". Offer one "Ojama King" as a Tribute to Special Summon one "Mecha Ojama King" from your hand or deck.

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**MECHA OJAMA KING (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Machine/Fusion/Effect  
**Attribute:** Light  
**Level:** 6  
**ATK:** 0  
**DEF:** 3,000

**Card Description:** This card cannot be Normal Summoned or set. This card can only be Special Summoned via the effect of "Mecha Ojama King Transformation". Once during each of your turns, you may Special Summon one "Ojamachine Yellow", one "Ojamachine Green", or one "Ojamachine Black" from your hand or deck.

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**OJAMACHINE YELLOW (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Machine/Effect  
**Attribute:** Light  
**Level:** 3  
**ATK:** 0  
**DEF:** 1,000

**Card Description:** When this card is Normal Summoned, Flip-Summoned, or Special Summoned, Special Summon one "Ojamachine Yellow Token" (Machine/Light/Level 2/0 ATK/1,000 DEF) on every available space in your Monster Zone. Battle Damage to you from a battle involving this card or an "Ojamachine Yellow Token" is reduced to zero. If this card or an "Ojamachine Yellow Token" is destroyed as a result of battle, inflict 300 points of direct damage to your opponent's Life Points.

_Note: The proceeding six cards were first used by Chazz in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Champion or Chazz-Been". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode. (It also should be noted that the effects of "Ojamachine Green" and "Ojamachine Black" are unknown.)_

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**BEETRON-1 BEETLETOPS (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Machine  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,700  
**DEF:** 1,400

**Flavor Text:** _A high-performance fighting droid. It is able to integrate with other machines for a variety of combat techniques._

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**BEETRON-2 BEETLE TURBO (Monster Card) **

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Machine/Union  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,500  
**DEF:** 1,800

**Card Description:** Once per turn, during your Main Phase, if you control this card on your side of the field, you may Equip it to your "Beetron-1 Beetletops" as an Equip Spell Card OR change it back to a Monster in face-up Attack Position. When Equipped to a Monster by this card's effect, increase the ATK/DEF of that Monster by 400 points. (One Monster can only be Equipped with one Union Monster at a time. If the Monster that this card is Equipped to is destroyed in battle, this card is destroyed instead.)

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**BEETRON-3 SPIDER BASE (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Machine/Union  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,000  
**DEF:** 2,000

**Card Description:** Once per turn, during your Main Phase, if you control this card on your side of the field, you may Equip it to your "Beetron-1 Beetletops" as an Equip Spell Card OR change it back to a Monster in face-up Attack Position. When Equipped to a Monster by this card's effect, increase the ATK/DEF of that Monster by 600 points. (One Monster can only be Equipped with one Union Monster at a time. If the Monster that this card is Equipped to is destroyed in battle, this card is destroyed instead.)

_Note: The effect of this Monster given here is an assumption, made by comparing it to "Z-Metal Tank". Its true effect is unknown._

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**ASSAULT CANNON BEETLE (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Machine/Fusion/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level:** 7  
**ATK:** 2,400  
**DEF:** 2,800

**Card Description:** _Beetron-1 Beetletops + Beetron-2 Beetle Turbo + Beetron-3 Spider Base_

This card cannot be Special Summoned except by returning the above-named cards from the field to your deck and reshuffling; then, Special Summon this card from your Fusion Deck. (You do not use "Polymerization") For each Monster you Tribute on your side of the field, inflict 800 points of damage to your opponent's Life Points.

_Note: "Beetron-1 Beetletops", "Beetron-2 Beetle Turbo", "Beetron-3 Spider Base", and "Assault Cannon Beetle" were first used by Chazz in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Magnetic Personality". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**DESPERADO MANAGER (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** A burly biker in a leather jacket, his body crackling with electricity.

**Card Description:** You can activate this card when you have at least one card in your hand other than this card. Draw two cards from your deck. Then, take any three cards from your hand and place them on the top of your deck in any order.

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**OJAMA DELTA THUNDER!! (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** The three Ojamas holding hands in a triangular pattern in a burst of electricity.

**Card Description:** You can only activate this card when you have one "Ojama Green", one "Ojama Yellow", and one "Ojama Black" face-up on your side of the field. Inflict 500 points of damage to your opponent for each card in your opponent's hand and on his/her side of the field. Then, you may send one "Ojama Delta Hurricane!!" from your hand or deck to the Graveyard to destroy all cards on your opponent's side of the field.

_Note: "Desperado Manager" and "Ojama Delta Thunder!!" were first used by Chazz in a third season episode of "Yu-Gi-Oh GX". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**INFERNAL GAUNTLET (Spell Card)**

**Equip Spell**

**Image:** A warrior with a flaming glove.

**Card Description:** During your Battle Phase, the Monster Equipped with this card can attack multiple times if you offer as a Tribute one other Monster for every attack it makes before its normal attack(s). The additional attacks this card allows cannot be used to attack your opponent directly.

_Note: "Infernal Gauntlet" was first used by Chazz in the two-part "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Blinded by the Light". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**TRAINING WHEELS (Spell Card)**

**Equip Spell**

**Image: **The rear wheel of a bicycle with a pair of training wheels.

**Card Description:** This card may only be Equipped to "Cycroid". The Monster Equipped with this card may attack your opponent directly. At the End Phase of a turn in which the Monster Equipped with this card has attacked directly, remove the Equipped Monster and this card from play. On your next Standby Phase, Special Summon the Monster back to your side of the field and Equip it with this card again.

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**PAIR CYCROID (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Machine/Fusion/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level:** 5  
**ATK:** 1,600  
**DEF:** 2,000

**Card Description:** _Cycroid + Cycroid_

This card can attack your opponent directly. In order to attack with this card directly by using its effect, reduce this card's ATK by 500 until the end of the Battle Phase.

_Note: "Training Wheels" and "Pair Cycroid" were first used by Syrus in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Tough Love". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**Chelsea: Well guys, I don't know about you, but I'm ready to start dueling again.**

**Ren: We're in Duelatopia, Chelsea. Challenges are everywhere.**

**Yumi: A challenge may be waiting for you Chelsea… But be calm, don't panic, and remember your skills. What comes next may be hard for you… Your next opponent intends to play rough…**

**Coming up next: "Terror Tactics; Fighting Fire With Ire!"**

**This one ain't gonna be a picnic…**


	17. Fighting Fire With Ire!

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**CHAPTER SIXTEEN**

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**Terror Tactics**

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**Fighting Fire With Ire!**

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Rasputin rubbed his forehead as he went over the files on his flash drive.

"Clearly, dealing with that masked lunatic was a mistake," he muttered. "If I want to scare them, I'm going to need someone more loyal…"

A face came up on the screen.

"Hmm, maybe he's a little too brutal…"

He stroked his beard.

"…but then again, this isn't the Good Ship Lollypop… Maybe Yumi will be shaken enough…

"…when she sees poor Chelsea burned on a pyre…"

He took out a cell phone…

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Ren was quick to remind Yumi of the promise to get fish and chips for lunch if she had won the Yami no Oujou. But Yumi wanted as little reminder of the painful duel as possible. So the five of them settled on a small Mexican place nearby.

Soon, Yumi and Sam were trying to show each other up again, with a very unique challenge…

"I can eat this burrito with _two_ squirts of hot sauce," said Yumi.

"I can eat my burrito with _three_ squirts of hot sauce," said Sam, smugly.

"Four squirts," dared Yumi.

"Five squirts," replied Sam.

"Six squirts," said Yumi grinning.

"SEVEN squirts!" dared Sam.

"Eat that burrito," said Yumi.

"Must they be competitive about everything?" asked Chelsea, watching the spectacle.

Ren didn't answer. He concentrated on his taco.

They watched as Sam's eyes bugged out, and then she swallowed her whole beverage in two gulps.

She glared at Yumi.

"You won that bet," she growled, "but when we duel, you're gonna lose, so it makes no difference!"

"Wanna duel now?" asked Yumi, with an evil grin. "I warn you, the Monsters in my deck are much spicier than any old beef and cheese burrito!"

"I warn you Yumi," she replied, getting in her face, "unlike Mexican food, if you bite me, I'll bite back!"

Chelsea looked up, and noticed someone standing behind her. It was a phantom dressed in expensive, outdated clothing, with long hair tied in a ponytail. He had apparently gotten his own lunch.

"This isn't bad, Chelsea," he said. "What is it?"

"A spicy chicken fajita, Dimitri," she replied. "I'll admit, they're weren't too many of them in Eighteenth Century Leningrad."

She looked at him and shrugged.

Most folks were a little surprised by the fact that ghosts could eat. They didn't have to, but they could, despite having no physical bodies and thus no digestive tracts. Exactly what happened to the food once they swallowed it was a mystery – their phantom forms certainly produced no waste.

It didn't matter much. Most ghosts didn't anyway, as being dead came with a loss of appetite. But some ghosts, particularly very old-fashioned ones like Dimitri (who had been a nobleman under some Czar when he was alive) were incredibly curious about the modern world, and liked trying every new thing they could.

"Did somebody mention spicy?" said a voice.

The man who said it was a handsome young man with Latino features in clothes that looked expensive, and were apparently custom-tailored. His most remarkable article of clothing was the stylish fedora on his head. He had black hair that had clearly been cut by a professional stylist, and boyish face.

"Heh…" he said. "Where I come from, seven dashes would have been considered downright bland. We tend to put that stuff on everything except ice cream."

"You like Tabasco sauce?" asked Sam.

"Like it?" asked the youth.

He reached into his pocket and palmed a bottle of hot sauce. He tossed it to Sam, who caught it.

The brand name was Lobo Gourmet Style Salsa.

"Everyone in Mexico and Southwest America knows that that's the best there is in hot sauce," said the youth. "And my padre started the company from a wooden shack where his folks lived."

He chuckled.

"We have more money than the Mexican government now…

"Keep the bottle, por favor… I always give out free samples…"

"And you are?" asked Sam.

"Enrique," he said. "Enrique Lobo. And I'm also one of the top duelists in Latin America."

"Care to prove it?" asked Sam.

"Nada, gracious," he replied. "I'd rather duel her."

He pointed to Chelsea.

"Me?" asked Chelsea. "Heh… How can I say no? I warn you though…

"My Monsters… They don't care for sauce. They prefer blood."

Enrique grinned.

Dimitri put his hand on Chelsea's shoulder as he swallowed the last of his fajita.

"Chelsea, be careful," he said. "If there's one thing I learned while I was alive, it was to be wary of rich merchants."

Chelsea gave him an odd look.

"Merchants are spoiled fops," said Dimitri, "and the richer they get, the more they want. I knew one who practically owned the salt trade in Russia. Salt was a precious commodity back then… It was the only way to preserve food. If the Czar did something that he didn't like, people could go without salt and let their stores rot until he got his way."

"Believe me, Dimitri," said Chelsea, "in the world of business, not much has changed since then…"

She got up.

"Let's duel," she said.

Enrique smirked.

Then his eyes narrowed.

_This is it, Rasputin,_ he thought. _The minute this duel is over, you and my padre are through… And he is never, EVER going to accept a favor from a jerk like you again…_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"So tell me…" said Chelsea, as she shuffled, "which goes better on nachos… salsa, or jalapeño?"

"Heh, heh," chuckled Enrique. "Señorita, several men in my country have gone mad trying to answer that question. My opinion is, why choose? They're both good."

"Ain't it the truth?" said Ren. "So what sort of deck do you think the heir to a condiment company uses?"

"I have no idea," said Yumi. "Mexico doesn't have all that many duelists. Most of them have to cross the border to find serious competition."

_Si,_ thought Enrique, loading his deck. _But with my padre's money, and a modern miracle called the internet, my deck is the envy of Latin America._

_Hot sauce is good, but if you aren't used to it, it burns your mouth badly…_

_And anyone meeting my cards unprepared…_

_Gets burned…_

Chelsea saw that Dimitri was standing behind her, and apparently he was still hungry. He had a taco with him now. She frowned.

Just how did he pay for it, anyway?

"I'd say you'd get the runs, if that were possible…" she muttered.

"Excusa?" asked Enrique.

"Nothing," said Chelsea.

The two Disks activated.

"Game on!" they both shouted.

**(Chelsea: 8,000) -------------------- (Enrique: 8,000)**

Enrique tilted his hat slightly. He drew his first card and looked over his hand.

"I'll start out slowly…" he said.

He placed a card on his Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared.

"That's it for now…" he said.

"Heh…" said Chelsea. "That wasn't much…"

She drew a card and looked over her hand. She smirked.

Then she noticed that Dimitri was looking at them closely.

"Do you mind?" whispered Chelsea.

"Sorry," he replied.

"I activate Call of the Mummy," she said, playing a Spell Card. "This lets me Special Summon a Zombie, so long as I have no Monsters on the field.

"And I'll use it to summon Zombie Werewolf."

In an eerie fog, the vicious werewolf appeared. He glared at Enrique and howled. (1,200/1,200)

"Now I can Normal Summon a Monster…" she said. "And I think I'll summon a second Zombie Werewolf! Double the pleasure, double the fun!"

With a howl and a burst of darkness, a second wolfman appeared next to the first. (1,200/1,200)

"I know that Día de los Muertos isn't until November," she said, "but these guys likely won't be able to make it to your party then. So…

"Zombie Werewolf number one, attack!"

Zombie Werewolf flew towards the facedown card. The creature that appeared on it looked like a boulder with a face on it, and arms and legs.

The werewolf swiped with his claw, and it was smashed to pieces.

"What was THAT?" asked Chelsea.

"A Galeb Duhr," replied Enrique. "A spirit of the land. And you activated its Flip-Effect. First, you get to draw once…"

Chelsea gave him a quizzical look. Then she drew one card. She glanced at it, and added it to her hand.

"Then…" he continued, "I get to take a Field Spell from my deck and activate it."

His Field Slot opened, and he placed a card in it.

"Welcome to… Volcanic Cavern!"

The air turned hot and hazy, and before everyone knew it, they were surrounded by stone walls. Then came the big shock… Everyone was standing on islands of stone in a lake of molten lava. Surrounding them was a huge cavern, with lava pouring into the lake through inlets.

Chelsea looked around nervously.

"Okay…" she said. "Interesting… But I'm not done with you…

"Second Zombie Werewolf, attack him directly!"

The other Zombie Werewolf pounced, and slashed at Enrique with a claw. He grunted and staggered backwards.

"I'll place this facedown," said Chelsea, "and that will be my turn."

A facedown card appeared on her side.

_As soon as he tries to attack,_ she thought, _unless the benefit this Field Spell gives his Monsters is immunity to Traps, my Widespread Ruin will blow his Monster to pieces._

**(C: 8,000) -------------------- (E: 6,800)**

She looked at Dimitri, who was looking very uncomfortable.

"You okay?" she asked.

"I lived in Russia all my life," he replied. "I prefer the weather on the cold side."

"My Spanish is a little rusty…" said Erik. "What exactly is Día de los Muertos?"

"The Day of the Dead," replied Sam. "It's kind of like Halloween."

"Tell me, Señorita…" asked Enrique, drawing a card. "Have you ever read _Interview With The Vampire_?"

"Yes," said Chelsea. "Yes I have, in fact."

"Then you might remember something that Louis said about vampires," continued Enrique. "He said that most of the things that legends stated could weaken or kill them meant nothing in reality. Garlic, mirrors, and even wooden stakes were worthless against real vampires.

"But he did admit that there were a few things that could kill him, like sunlight…

"And also…

"Fire…

"I use the effect of my Field Spell. Every round, a player can add a Fire Monster from his deck to his hand, so long as it's Level Three or less.

He took a card from his deck.

"And Volcanic Shell is only Level One."

"What good is a Level One Monster against my Level Four Zombies?" asked Chelsea.

"I'll show you…" said Enrique, fitting a card into his Disk. "I play a Spell Card, to fire up my Blaze Accelerator!"

The lava erupted in front of him, and a frightening-looking device rose out of the lava. It was a flamethrower of some sort, mounted on a tripod. It glowed with fiery energy.

"What on earth…" muttered Yumi.

"Blaze Accelerator is a powerful weapon that can reduce the most powerful Monster to ashes," said Enrique. "But as you see, it's a gun, and it can't do anything without ammunition. And the only ammunition it takes is Pyro-Type Monsters that have 500 Attack Points or less.

"So… I'll send Volcanic Shell to the grave, so it can fire!"

Blaze Accelerator glowed, and then it shot a stream of flames at the first Zombie Werewolf. He howled as he was covered by fire, and then exploded in a fiery burst.

"HEY!" shouted Chelsea. "That's playing dirty!"

"No, this is," said Enrique. "I have another Volcanic Shell right here, and I can use this thing more than once per round. I can't attack on a round that I use it, but I don't need to!"

The Blaze Accelerator blasted again, hitting the other Zombie Werewolf. He howled, and burst.

"You know…" said Dimitri, "a nobleman who was above me said that guns were a passing fad. He believed that right up to the day he was murdered… By an assassin using a gun."

"Uh huh…" said Chelsea. "That sounds… Quite ironic…"

"All right…" said Ren. "I knew that this game could get violent at times, but this is a little… What's the word I'm looking for?"

"I think it's passed the line from violent into gratuitous violence," said Yumi.

Enrique placed two cards into his Disk, and two facedown cards appeared.

"Your move," he said.

Chelsea looked at him funny.

"No Monsters?" she asked. "Are you sure?"

He just glared at her. She drew a card.

"I use the effect of Call of the Mummy," she said, "to summon Ryu Kokki!"

The lava pool burst in front of her, and the huge Bone Dragon Ogre rose out. (2,400/2,000)

"Next…" she said, "I Normal Summon Blood Sucker!"

She played the card, and Blood Sucker appeared, also leaping out of the fiery pit. It screeched. (1,300/1,500)

"Good, Chelsea!" shouted Ren. "Way to stack your side!"

"Ryu Kokki… attack him directly!" shouted Chelsea.

Ryu Kokki lumbered towards Enrique.

_I'm still protected by Widespread Ruin in case those facedown cards can kill my Monsters,_ she thought.

"Not so fast, Señorita," he said. "I activate… Firewall!"

One of his facedown cards lifted, and a wall of flames shot up, blocking Ryu Kokki's advance.

"What happened?" asked Chelsea.

"Firewall is a powerful Continuous Trap," answered Enrique, holding up one of the Volcanic Shell cards. "If you try to attack me directly, I merely have to remove a Pyro Monster in my Graveyard from play, and the attack is negated."

Chelsea looked at him.

"Then I'll just have to get you to use them up…" she said. "Blood Sucker, you attack him!"

Blood Sucker leapt up and flew at Enrique.

"Firewall, activate!" he shouted.

The wall of flames shot up, and Blood Sucker was thrown backwards.

"You know…" muttered Sam, "now that I see them, I remember reading about these cards somewhere…"

"Oh?" asked Yumi.

"Yeah…" replied Sam. "I think they were used a few decades ago by a guy who was the head student at West Duel Academy…

"What was his name again?

"Oh, he was some guy from Egypt who was known for having absolutely no sense of humor. Erik, you know who I'm talking about… He always wore that vest?"

Erik shrugged.

"Anyway, he used this Volcanic Burn Deck, as he called it, both in school, and later in the Pro League. These cards aren't exactly common…"

_True,_ thought Enrique, _but neither were your own padre's Dragons, Señorita Arachne! If there was a law against using rare cards, they'd have locked him up before he was half the duelist he was._

He drew a card.

"I pay 500 Life Points to keep Firewall…" he said. "Then I use the effect of my Field Spell…"

He took a card from his deck.

"Now I have my third Volcanic Shell.

"Fire!"

The Blaze Accelerator blasted, hitting Ryu Kokki. It groaned, and then burst into an explosion of flaming skulls.

"You know…" said Chelsea. "The name of this game is Duel Monsters… As in, you're supposed to fight using Monsters, not just Spells."

"I do use Monsters…" he said. "There are just other ways to use them besides attacking with them. I'll give you a sample…"

He placed a card into his Disk.

"First, I play Dark Room of Nightmare."

As the card appeared, the whole cavern grew dark, and creepy, shadowy shapes appeared on the walls.

"What does that do?" asked Ren.

"It isn't good…" replied Yumi. "With that card in play, every time Chelsea takes effect damage, she'll lose 300 extra Life Points."

"Now…" said Enrique, "I play Soul of Fire…"

A Spell Card appeared on his side of the field.

"I have to let you draw once to play this card," he said.

"No argument from me," replied Chelsea, making a draw.

"…but then I get to take a Pyro Monster in my deck," continued Enrique, "and remove it from play, and you lose Life Points equal to half of its Attack Score…"

He held up a card: Hino-Kagu-Tsuchi.

"This might hurt…"

A roaring column of flame rose in front of Chelsea, and a giant man with flaming hair and fire surrounding its fists stepped out of it…

The Spirit socked her in the stomach with its flaming fist, and she shrieked before she fell over.

Then the Dark Room of Nightmare card glowed, and she cringed as a shadowy aura covered her…

"Consider yourself lucky that you don't have Hino-Kagu-Tsuchi's effect to deal with," said Enrique.

**(C: 6,300) -------------------- (E: 6,300)**

"It's your move…" he said.

"The score is tied…" said Ren.

"Soon to change…" muttered Yumi.

Chelsea snarled at him as she got up. She drew a card.

Dimitri finished the taco and put his hands on Chelsea's shoulders.

"Chelsea," he said. "His Firewall may be a powerful defense, but he can't use it forever. If you want my advice, just keep slamming into that wall until it comes crashing down."

"Gotcha," she replied.

"I play Premature Burial," she said, playing the card. "Ryu Kokki, welcome back…"

Ryu Kokki burst out of the lava again. (2,400/2,000)

"Seems like you're up the creek without a paddle," said Chelsea, "because you have only one Pyro Monster left in your Graveyard, and I have two Monsters!

"Blood Sucker, attack!"

Blood Sucker flew at Enrique.

"Firewall, activate!" shouted Enrique.

The wall of flames shot up, and pushed Blood Sucker back.

"Bad choice…" said Chelsea. "Ryu Kokki, get him!"

Ryu Kokki leapt forward.

"Forgot about my other facedown card, did you?" asked Enrique.

His other facedown card activated.

"I activate Burial From a Different Dimension. Now those three Shells I removed from play go back to my grave…

"So my Firewall has something to work with again…"

The wall of flames leapt up again, and Ryu Kokki was thrown backwards.

"Fine!" shouted Chelsea, "I'll place one card facedown, and activate a nightmare of my own… Mirage of Nightmare."

The facedown card, and the Mirage card appeared.

"I end my turn… So what are you gonna do now? You have no Shells left, and there can't be THAT many Pyro-Type Monsters with Attack Scores that low."

**(C: 5,500) -------------------- (E: 6,300)**

Enrique drew a card. He smirked.

He showed it to her.

Jigen Bakudan.

"Me and my big mouth…" muttered Chelsea. "My Mirage card activates!"

She quickly drew four cards.

"As does my facedown card… And since it's obvious you're never going to attack…"

The Emergency Provisions card appeared, and consumed both Mirage of Nightmare, and the unused Widespread Ruin.

"Never going to attack?" he asked. "Maybe… Maybe not… You may yet regret doing that…

"I'll pay 500 Life Points to keep Firewall, and I think I'll use the effect of my Field Spell to get my other Jigen Bakudan."

He took a card from his deck.

"Fire uno!"

Blaze Accelerator blasted, blowing away Ryu Kokki for the second time.

"Fire dos!"

Again, the flames shot from the Accelerator. Blood Sucker screeched before it was incinerated.

**(C: 7,500) -------------------- (E: 5,800)**

"All right…" said Chelsea. "My move…"

She drew a card.

She smirked.

"I'll use Call of the Mummy first…" she said. "And summon Vampire Lord."

In a burst of shadow, the undead lord appeared. (2,000/1,500)

"Next, I'll play Book of Life," she continued. "I'll remove one of your Jigen Bakudans from play, to bring back Ryu Kokki again…"

Ryu Kokki appeared, for the third time. (2,400/2,000)

"Then, Monster Reborn! Zombie Werewolf, return!"

The ankh appeared on the field, and Zombie Werewolf appeared. (1,200/1,200)

"And finally…" she said, "I'll Normal Summon Pyramid Turtle."

She played a card, and in a burst of sand, dust, and grit, a large, brown, sandy turtle with a stone pyramid on its back and an Egyptian crown on its head appeared. (1,200/1,400)

"Four Monsters in one turn?" shouted Erik. "This is… wild…"

"Please…" said Enrique, casually. "None of them will get to me."

"Want to put money on that?" asked Chelsea. "Pyramid Turtle, attack with dust of decay."

Pyramid Turtle opened its jaws, and breathed a blast of dust and grit at Enrique. Once again, the Firewall sprang up, blocking it.

"Zombie Werewolf, your turn!"

Zombie Werewolf flew at him, and he was thrown back by the wall as well.

"Vampire Lord, attack!"

Vampire Lord lifted his cape, and a swarm of bats shot forward, only to be incinerated by the wall again.

Chelsea grinned.

"Check your Graveyard, amigo…" she said.

"Que?" said Enrique, looking at his Disk.

"Caramba!" he shouted. "I'm out of Pyro Monsters!"

"And I'm out of patience!" shouted Chelsea. "Ryu Kokki, attack him directly! Bone basher!"

Ryu Kokki lumbered forward, and this time, no wall of flames could impede it. Enrique screamed as it clobbered him with its powerful fist.

Everyone cheered as he fell to his knees… His hat fell off and fell to the ground.

Dimitri laughed.

"Wish I could have done that to that greedy salt merchant," he said with a chuckle.

**(C: 7,500) -------------------- (E: 3,400)**

"Your move…" said Chelsea. "Next round, my undead army is going straight for you..."

Enrique slowly picked up his hat and replaced it…

His hand shook and sweat as he drew a card. He was nervous now… It was a long time since he had taken a direct attack that strong…

"I pay… 500 Life Points… to keep Firewall…" he said.

"Then… I play… Pot of Greed…"

The laughing jar appeared in front of him. He drew two cards.

_Well,_ he thought, looking at them. _Time to bring this duel to the next level…_

"I use the effect of my Field Spell," he said, "to add Volcanic Scattershot to my hand…"

He took his deck, and took a card from it.

"Now…" he said, "I bid adios to my Blaze Accelerator…"

Blaze Accelerator vanished in a ripple of light.

"And I bring forth Tri-Blaze Accelerator!"

With a burst of lava, a new weapon rose in front of him. It was a nastier, bulkier, squat cannon, with three barrels.

"Let me explain the combo I'm about to use," he said with a frown. "This weapon is an upgraded version of the basic Blaze Accelerator. Not only can it destroy Monsters, but when it does, their owner of the destroyed Monster loses 500 Life Points.

"And this is the perfect ammunition… The Volcanic Scattershot. It has two effects.

"First, when it goes to the Graveyard, you lose 500 Life Points…

"Second, when I use it to fire my Trident, I can send two more of them from my deck to the Graveyard, and wipe out every Monster on the field in the process."

"That's 2,000 Life Points!" shouted Ren.

"No, actually, it's 3,200…" said Yumi, shaking her head. "Dark Room of Nightmare, remember?"

"CHELSEA!" screamed Ren.

The Tri-Blaze Accelerator fired…

What happened next was hard to watch. First Vampire Lord (clearly Enrique's target) went up in flames. Then Pyramid Turtle, Zombie Werewolf, and Ryu Kokki were consumed in flames as well. Then, most horribly, Chelsea erupted in fire too. She fell to her knees, and gasped for breath as the fire started to die away.

She couldn't help but check herself to make sure she wasn't really burned.

_Get a grip, Chelsea…_ she thought. _No matter how realistic it gets, it isn't real! Keep telling yourself that!_

"Feeling the heat yet, Señorita?" laughed Enrique.

"That's it, pal!" shouted Ren. "Once she's done with you, I'm gonna deal with you!"

"Not a wise choice…" said Yumi. "You have no luck with fire, Ren. Need I remind you of last year's attempt to barbecue hamburgers? It took a month for your eyebrows to grow back…"

"I thought we all agreed we'd never speak of that again…" said Ren, speaking out of the side of his mouth.

**(C: 4,300) -------------------- (E: 2,900)**

"I'll place this facedown, and let you go," said Enrique, as a facedown card appeared next to the Trident.

"This is bad…" muttered Ren. "She can't keep anything on the field for more than a round."

"Not only that," said Erik, "he just added three more Pyros to his Graveyard, so that annoying Firewall is a problem again."

Dimitri helped Chelsea to her feet. Not the first time one of these ghosts had done that.

"Thanks…" she muttered.

_Come on…_ she thought, drawing. _My Heavy Storm has gotta be somewhere in this deck…_

She looked at the card.

_Nuts. I'm just gonna have to take out his defense the hard way…_

She gestured, and a dark, mahogany coffin rose out of the lava.

"Que?" said Enrique.

"Fire might be lethal to Lestat and his ilk," said Chelsea, "but not Vampire Lord. When he's destroyed by _any_ card effect, he makes a quick recovery."

The coffin opened, and Vampire Lord emerged. (2,000/1,500)

"Now, I'll summon my third Zombie Werewolf."

Yet another Zombie Werewolf appeared, and he looked pissed. (1,200/1,200)

"Both of you, get him!" she shouted.

Vampire Lord and Zombie Werewolf leapt at Enrique, only to be thrown backwards as the Firewall activated twice.

"Coward…" muttered Sam.

Enrique stopped short. His hand trembled…

"Coward, Señorita Arachne?" he said.

He tensed. Clearly he was very angry now.

"Chelsea…" he muttered. "If you have no other moves to make, let me take my turn, so I may show your friend how much of a… coward I truly am!"

Chelsea fit her last card into her Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

"Be my guest," she said.

"Fine!" shouted Enrique. "I draw!"

He quickly drew a card.

"And I'm sick of paying for this Trap Card, so I'll destroy it! Begone!"

Everyone gasped as the Firewall card shattered into bits.

"Uh… oh…" said Dimitri. "I think your friend just hit a nerve…"

"You HAD to make him mad…" said Yumi to Sam.

"No more hiding behind a defense," growled Enrique. "I'm going on offense. I activate a Trap Card…"

His facedown card lifted.

"Forge of Hephaestus!" he exclaimed. "Now, I get to take from my deck or Graveyard, the Monster with the highest Attack Score, and my opponent gets the same benefit."

Chelsea was shocked to say the least. She took her deck, and leafed through it until she found Vampire Genesis.

"Who's Hephaestus?" asked Dimitri.

"The god of the forge…" muttered Chelsea.

"Whatever Monster he just pulled…" muttered Ren, "it's likely his best one…"

"Next…" said Enrique, playing a Spell Card, "I play Blasting Vein. I now have to destroy one Spell or Trap Card on my side of the field. So my Dark Room of Nightmare goes."

Glowing red cracks appeared over the Spell Card, and it shattered into flaming pieces. The spooky shadows on the walls of the cavern faded.

"In return, I get to draw two cards."

He made two draws.

"Excellente," he said. "Now I can summon my ultimate Monster… I destroy Tri-Blaze Accelerator…"

The three-barreled weapon exploded…

"And in return, I can summon a beast born in the fiery, molten core of the Earth…"

The lava around them started to boil uncontrollably. Then, geysers of lava shot up in flaming fountains.

"Hey, about that coward crack…" said Sam, nervously. "I take it back, okay?"

"Too late…" muttered Yumi. "I think this volcano is about to erupt…"

Then, a huge creature, twelve feet tall, burst out of the lava. It was a fiendish, reptilian creature, with huge claws, a tail, a carapace, and a mane of flames where one might expect it to have hair.

It roared in bloodlust… (3,000/1,800)

"Okay…" said Chelsea, with a nervous grin, "now that guy's cool!"

"Si…" said Enrique. "You say that my Volcanic Doomfire is 'cool'. But trust me, things are about to get very HOT!

"Attack her Vampire Lord! Volcanic blast!"

The Volcanic Doomfire blasted a breath weapon that looked, for all practical purposes, like a ten-foot-tall volcano erupting. As the blast hit Vampire Lord, Chelsea was knocked off her feet by a fiery explosion.

When she looked up, she noticed that the explosion had apparently taken Zombie Werewolf with it.

"What?" said Chelsea. "It can attack twice?"

"Nada…" said Enrique. "When it kills one of your Monsters, it kills all of them. And for each one that dies aside from the target, you lose 500 Life Points.

"It has another effect too, by the way… Any of your Monsters in Attack Mode _must_ attack it. Monsters are drawn to this creature like moths to a flame.

"And it's still my turn…"

**(C: 2,800) -------------------- (E: 2,900)**

_He was smart…_ thought Chelsea. _He could have done more damage by attacking Zombie Werewolf… But he attacked Vampire Lord so his effect wouldn't activate on my next turn…_

"First, I'll place a card facedown," said Enrique. "Then, I'll play another Blaze Accelerator."

A facedown card appeared, followed by a second of the original Blaze Accelerators.

"And finally, Chelsea…" he said, taking his last card, "I know that the Monster you got with my Forge is Vampire Genesis, a Monster who's Attack Score is equal to this one. So in case you somehow manage to summon it, I'm prepared…"

He fit a card into his Disk.

"I Equip my Doomfire with Kishido Spirit. Now, it will survive a battle with a Monster who has equal Attack Points."

Chelsea's eyes narrowed.

_Prepared?_ she thought. _He put a card in his deck so that his best Monster could defeat one of my best?_

_Is this guy… an assassin?_

"My move…" she said.

She drew a card.

She nodded.

"Now, Enrique…" she said. "I'm going to use the effect of your Field Spell."

"Que?" said Enrique, startled. "You play vampires! All your Monsters are Dark!"

"I have one Fire Monster…" said Chelsea, looking through her deck.

She held up a card.

"It's called a Pyre Ghost, and at Level Three exactly, I was able to use your Field to pull it.

"Now, I'll use Call of the Mummy once more, to summon my second Vampire Lord…"

She played the card, and Vampire Lord appeared again. (2,000/1,500)

"Now, I'll remove him from play, to summon Vampire Genesis."

Vampire Lord faded away, and Genesis arose, roaring with anger. (3,000/2,100)

"What are you planning?" said Enrique, nervously.

"I'll show you," said Chelsea. "I summon Pyre Ghost."

A flame erupted, this time on Chelsea's side of the field. The creature that appeared was a phantom made of blazing fire, with a burning skull for a head. (1,200/200)

"Now…" she said, "I activate its effect… I can sacrifice one Zombie, and then raise its Attack Points by that of the Zombie I'm sacrificing. At the end of my turn, it will burn out, but not until after it takes down your Doomfire.

"Because, the Zombie I'm sacrificing… is Vampire Genesis!"

Vampire Genesis shattered into pixels, and Pyre Ghost's Attack Score rose… (4,200/200)

"Erk!" gulped Enrique. "I'm not out of tricks yet Señorita! I didn't want to do this, but…

"I activate… _Feugo Loco_!"

His facedown card lifted.

"Excusa…" he said. "I meant, Wild Fire…"

"Huh?" said Chelsea.

What happened next fit the name of the card perfectly. It seemed that the whole arena erupted into wild, uncontrollable fire.

When Chelsea looked, both Pyre Ghost and Volcanic Doomfire had been wiped out.

"What happened?" asked Chelsea.

"It cost me 500 Life Points and my Blaze Accelerator," muttered Enrique, "but I destroyed every Monster on the field. And Wild Fire has another effect…"

A flame appeared in front of him, and it transformed into a large, flaming snake with claws. (1,000/1,000)

"It creates a Wild Fire Token."

"Indeed…" said Chelsea.

Her own facedown card lifted.

"Call of the Haunted?" gasped Enrique.

"That's right," said Chelsea. "There's someone here who wants a word with you…"

Ryu Kokki burst out of the lava for the umpteenth time, and roared with incredible anger… (2,400/2,000)

"Destroy his Wild Fire Token!" shouted Chelsea.

Ryu Kokki needed no prompting. It lunged forward and grabbed the fiery snake, and then slammed it against the ground, once, twice, and then three times, before it finally shattered into pieces.

**(C: 2,800) -------------------- (E: 1,000)**

"Your move…" said Chelsea.

Enrique gulped. He drew a card.

"Last chance…" he said. "I play Apollo's Blessing…"

In a beam of light, an imposing form appeared on the field. It was a blazing chariot, pulled by two fiery horses, ridden by a man in golden armor with a Spartan helmet.

_Apollo?_ thought Chelsea. _The god of the sun?_

Enrique looked through his deck and took a card out (it was a Monster called Volcanic Blaster). He pocketed it and quickly reshuffled.

Apollo vanished in a burst of fire.

"I just have to… remove one Fire Monster in my deck… from play…" he said, putting it back, "and then I get to make… three draws…"

He drew three cards from his already-thinning deck. The fiery deity vanished.

"Heh, heh…" he said, as he looked at them. "I'm not done yet, Chelsea…"

He played a Spell Card.

"I play my second Burial From a Different Dimension. You remember how that works, right?"

He slipped three cards into his discard slot (two Volcanic Scattershots and the Volcanic Blaster itself).

"What's the point?" asked Chelsea. "Your Firewall is gone."

"Firewall isn't the only benefit I get from having Monsters in my Graveyard," he replied, taking a second card. "Next, Monster Reborn. I'll summon a Volcanic Scattershot."

The ankh appeared on the field, and a small Monster appeared. Chelsea finally got a good look at the thing – it was a three-headed lizard made of metal. (500/0)

_There's only one reason he'd summon a Monster that pathetic…_ she thought. _Sacrifice…_

"Now," continued Enrique, "I'll sacrifice my Scattershot…"

The small Monster vanished.

"Uh, you remember what happens when it goes to the Graveyard, right?"

Chelsea cringed in pain as a fiery aura erupted over her skin.

"Hang in there, Chelsea!" shouted Ren.

"And now," said Enrique, "I summon Volcanic Hammerer!"

A new Monster leapt out of the magma. This one was bizarre – it looked like a fiery, bipedal dinosaur, with golden, metallic skin, and sharp claws. (2,400/1,500)

"Lovely…" said Chelsea, almost laughing (despite the burning feeling). "You attack with that, we'll both have nothing."

"It doesn't have to attack to make you sorry," replied Enrique. "In fact, I can only use its effect if I forfeit its attack. If I do, I can burn off 200 of your Life Points for each Monster in my Graveyard with the word 'Volcanic' in its name."

Chelsea paused.

She started counting on her fingers…

"Five," he said, before she could finish. "If you can't stand the heat…"

Volcanic Hammerer breathed a scorching stream of flames, and Chelsea hollered as it hit her.

"…stay out of the molten lava pit!"

Chelsea almost fell over. Luckily, Dimitri caught her.

Enrique looked at his deck.

_I'll be cutting it close,_ he thought, _but if I draw almost any Monster next turn, I can win… Volcanic Slicer, Volcanic Rocket, my other Volcanic Blaster… Anything capable of attacking…_

**(C: 1,300) -------------------- (E: 1,000)**

Chelsea panted for breath…

"So now what?" asked Ren.

"Chelsea has only one chance…" muttered Yumi. "No cards in her hand… If she doesn't draw a Monster on her next turn, her only chance will be to attack that thing with Ryu Kokki, and hope that he doesn't draw something that can attack on his turn…"

Chelsea nervously looked at her deck.

She paused.

_The duel isn't over until the last card is played,_ she thought.

She drew a card.

"Heh…" she said with a smirk. "You know, Enrique… I have to thank you for roasting so many of my Monsters…"

She fit a card into her Disk.

"This might have been a dead draw otherwise."

A Spell Card appeared on the field, showing the strange variation of the more common ankh.

"Symbol of Heritage?" he asked. "What does that do?"

"I can only use it when I have three of the same Monster in my Graveyard," said Chelsea. "When I do, it lets me summon one of them."

In a flash of light, Zombie Werewolf appeared on her side of the field. (1,200/1,200)

"Caramba…" muttered Enrique.

"Ryu Kokki…" ordered Chelsea. "Attack Volcanic Hammerer!"

Ryu Kokki roared. Volcanic Hammerer roared back at it…

The two Monsters raised their fists and rushed towards each other. Both of them punched, and an explosion erupted where the two blows made contact.

When the smoke cleared, both of them had been wiped out.

"Zombie Werewolf…" said Chelsea.

Zombie Werewolf turned to her and nodded.

He leapt up, and delivered a savage slash to Enrique's chest. He fell to his knees, his hat falling off again.

**(C: 1,300) -------------------- (E: 0)**

Chelsea gasped for breath. The lava-filled cavern vanished, and so did the Werewolf.

_At least I got something for my troubles,_ she thought, looking at her badge with its new Blue sheen.

"Chelsea!" shouted Ren.

He ran up to her.

"That was brutal," he said, holding her by the shoulders. "You okay?"

"I'm a little crispy, but nothing serious," she said.

Enrique was still on his knees. It looked like he was more upset over losing than he should have been.

"You want to tell me what all this was about?" asked Chelsea. "Someone sent you, right? And someone like you wouldn't be caught dead working for Edan. He never could have paid you enough."

Enrique stood up and looked around. He placed his hat back on.

He looked towards a coffee shop behind them.

"I'm going for coffee…" he muttered. "Anyone who wants to join me is free to do so…"

He walked towards the shop.

Chelsea looked at Yumi.

They followed him.

"If you need me," said Dimitri, "I'll be getting another taco."

"I won't need you, Dimitri," said Chelsea with a sigh.

"I'll still be getting another taco," he replied.

He vanished.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Enrique was quiet for a long time. He simply sipped black coffee and bowed his head.

He frowned as he looked at the coffee.

"Processed swill…" he muttered. "Can't begin to compare with the fresh Colombian brew we can get back home…"

"Are you gonna tell us what this is all about, Chico?" asked Sam.

"Sam!" snapped Yumi.

"Don't bother…" replied Enrique, "frankly, I deserve to be called that…"

He sighed.

"This is completely off the record," he said, "and if you tell anyone, especially the Centurions, I'll deny that I ever said it."

He sighed again.

"My padre… My… father… He's a very successful businessman… But up until about a year ago, he wasn't really a very honest one.

"He had a problem with taxes. He just didn't like to pay them. So he cheated on them whenever he could. He falsified documents, and made false statements that were pretty much perjury, so that he'd rarely owe the Mexican government a thing.

"He knew he'd never get in trouble. In Mexico, when you're as rich as he is, the government looks the other way. No one would have ever accused him… If they became suspicious, they wouldn't care…"

He sipped the coffee.

"But then, my padre got too greedy… He started to cheat on the importing tariffs he had to pay the United States government to sell his products there…"

"Ho boy…" said Ren.

"I don't want to call your dad stupid," said Erik, "but _that_ was pretty stupid!"

"I agree," said Enrique. "It was the height of stupidity. He soon found out that all his money and status in Mexico meant nada when dealing with the U.S. Commerce Department… They noticed, they investigated… And he was caught.

"All of a sudden, he turned from respectable businessman to corrupt, white-collar criminal. The Mexican government couldn't help him; in fact, they decided to help the Commerce Department that he had cheated. If there's one thing Mexico does NOT do, it's defy the country that they get their most imports and health aid from! Mexico would be nothing without America. Most of the folks I know back home would hate me for saying that, but they all know that it's true.

"My dad is facing incredible fines and jail time right now… All he has worked for could be lost…"

He paused to sip the coffee again.

"But we have a way out, one that involves a deal with the devil… Just a month ago, the devil showed up on our door. He came in the shape of a man named Rasputin… A businessman so corrupt, he makes my padre look like the Virgin of Guadalupe."

Everyone stared at him.

"Rasputin told my father that it will be an easy task to get a judge assigned to his case that was in his pocket, so to speak. The charges will be dismissed in a heartbeat, and the record will be wiped clean.

"But he had a condition…"

He paused again.

"It involved me.

"He knew I had been invited to this tournament. And he wanted me here on his behalf. I'd have to follow a lot of guidelines. I'd duel whoever Rasputin requested, throw a duel if he told me to…

"And worst of all, if I happened to win, my request… the big prize… would be dictated by him…"

"And your dad agreed to this?" asked Yumi.

"NO!" shouted Enrique, angrily. "He would not think of it! He got right in that bastard's face, and told him he would sooner rot in jail than let his son become some puppet!"

Enrique's face fell.

"I'm the one who agreed to it," he said sadly. "My dad made mistakes, he may have committed tax fraud, but… He was my father… I didn't want him to be ruined…

"I mean… what if it were your father?"

They all paused. He had a point.

"Rasputin said he'd make it easier for me…" he continued. "He could tell me in advance what I'd be facing. That's why I was prepared for Vampire Genesis. I was ready for Penelope too… I don't usually use Wild Fire…

"He called me an hour ago… He told me he was changing the deal in my favor. I just had to frighten all of you, and he wouldn't ask for anything else…"

"Hey, I was… pretty scared…" said Chelsea.

"Right…" muttered Enrique. "All I did was make you angry. My strategy either scares an opponent, or makes him angry. Unfortunately, you were one of the second group."

Yumi put a hand on his shoulder.

"Enrique…" she said. "See this?"

She pointed at the Crown of Souls.

"It could have been worse… One of his henchmen dueled me for this in a Shadow Game, and she's in a coma. She may never wake up. More Shadow Games might happen, and he might tell you to take part in one if you keep this up. Think of how your father would feel if you lost one…

"I assure you, Rasputin will get what's coming to him.

"As for your father, you'd best tell him that the best thing to do would be to tell Rasputin that the deal's off, and then plead guilty. Believe me, he's far from the only CEO who's committed tax evasion. He might even escape jail time, if he just doesn't make it worse…"

Enrique looked at her.

"I'll… think about it…" he muttered.

Yumi nodded.

"Let's go…" she said to everyone.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"You still think it's wise to let him alone?" asked Sam.

"What are we gonna do?" asked Yumi. "Turn him in? It's our word against his, and we don't have any proof."

"Mmm," muttered Sam. "Maybe we should start wearing wires… I find it hard to feel sorry for rich folks who think they're above the law and they can cheat on their taxes… History is full of jerks like that… Leona Helmsley, Willie Nelson…"

"Enrique didn't cheat on them," said Ren. "His dad did. Enrique is in this mess because his dad screwed up."

"Do you know that the commissioner of the IRS was once cited for tax evasion?" asked Erik. "It's true, I heard about this. It happened in 1945. Apparently, this guy won $18,000 in a wager, where he bet that Harry S. Truman would win the Presidential election. In 1945, that was a lot of money… But ironically, he failed to report those winnings when he filed his own taxes."

"Well, Enrique was pretty much blackmailed anyway," answered Yumi. "Maybe once we get the big fish, he can…"

Yumi was startled as she saw Anastasia appear in front of her.

"Bad news, Yumi," she said. "We have been set back. Another Shadow Charm has been claimed… By Nicholas."

"Nicholas?" replied Yumi. "Rasputin's henchman? Oh, that guy seems to have some sort of crush on me… This might be bad."

"Worse than you think," said Anastasia. "As I said, the only fast way to get a Shadow Charm that belongs to another is to win it. They cannot be stolen or given as gifts, unless the one who wants to give it away goes through the proper ritual.

"And the best way to win one, is to get one yourself, and challenge the owner of another, wagering yours against hers."

Yumi thought for a minute.

"Maybe…" she said. "Maybe Nicholas wants to duel me right now… Maybe he wants to make such a wager…

"Maybe I can win his Charm… And get an upgrade on my badge to boot!"

"Yumi…" warned Anastasia. "Tread with caution…"

Yumi looked for her cell phone, and then realized she had left it in her hotel room.

"Hey, guys…" said Yumi.

They all looked at her.

"I gotta go back to my hotel. I promised dad I'd call him in fifteen minutes local time. I'll be back soon."

"Okay," said Ren. "See you around."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Nicholas and Olga were in the penthouse suite watching Rasputin go over his private files on his flash drive. Nicholas had gone to Yumi's hotel room earlier, only to find, to his disappointment, that she wasn't there. Ah, well. He was sure their paths would cross soon…

"Two attempts to frighten Yumi didn't work…" he muttered. "So it's time to face her directly…"

He considered the names on the list.

"No, she'd beat him," he muttered. "No, too clichéd… Too risky… Too situational… Too 'Odion'…"

He looked at one file.

"Ah… The perfect assassin…"

He picked up his phone.

"Icarus?" he said as it was answered. "Listen… I'm going to send Yumi Mouto to meet with you in the arboretum. Duel her, and once you win, take the Crown of Souls.

"Sound simple enough?

"Good… Do it right, and you're getting a raise. I may even let you keep the Crown until we need it."

He hung up.

"Nicholas," he said, turning to the teens, "I need you to send Yumi a message. Olga, go and trail her to make sure she gets there."

"Oui, mon Capitan," said Olga, as the two saluted.

Olga left, and Nicholas took out his cell phone.

_Chelsea has achieved Blue status, but not without a grueling trial by fire. And trouble looms on the horizon as Rasputin begins another attempt, this time not an attempt to frighten, but to take Yumi's Charm. What is the nature of this plot?_

**0**

**0**

**0**

**BLASTING VEIN (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** A Duel Monsters card in the middle of a fire.

**Card Description:** Destroy one Spell or Trap Card on your side of the field. Draw two cards from your deck.

_Note: "Blasting Vein" was first used by __Axel in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Hanging With Axel (Part Two)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**GALEB DUHR (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Rock/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level:** 1  
**ATK:** 0  
**DEF:** 0

**Card Description:** Flip: Take one Field Spell from your deck and activate it. Your opponent draws one card.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**VOLCANIC CAVERN (Spell Card)**

**Field Spell**

**Image:** A cavern with boiling lava pits.

**Card Description:** During each player's Standby Phase, he/she may search his/her deck for a FIRE Monster that is Level Three or less and add it to his/her hand.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**FORGE OF HEPHAESTUS (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image:** A bearded deity pounding a sword into shape on an anvil.

**Card Description:** Both players select the Monster that has the highest base ATK from their respective decks or Graveyards and add them to their hands.

_Note: "Forge of Hephaestus" first appeared in "Thousand Year Door"._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**APOLLO'S BLESSING (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** Apollo flying through the sky on his solar chariot.

**Card Description:** Select one FIRE Monster in your deck and remove it from play. Then, reshuffle your deck, and draw three cards.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**PYRE GHOST (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Pyro/Effect  
**Attribute: **Fire  
**Level:** 3  
**ATK:** 1,200  
**DEF:** 200

**Card Description:** When this card is face-up on the field, you can offer one Zombie-Type Monster on your side of the field as a Tribute. Increase the ATK of this card by that of the Tributed Monster. At the End Phase of the turn you use this effect, destroy this card.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**Ren: Chelsea, you know, it was kind of strange how Yumi up and left like that…**

**Chelsea: Maybe she has a hot date with someone!**

**Sam: I don't think so. I think she wants to duel someone.**

**Maria: She will duel, but she must be warned. She faces a trap, and an ambush set by someone possessing a Monster whose power may well be limitless…**

**Coming up next: "Ambush! The Titan of Light". **

**Yumi has the Crown… Now she must work on keeping it…**


	18. Ambush! The Titan of Light

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**CHAPTER SEVENTEEN**

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**Ambush!**

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**The Titan of Light**

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Yumi walked into her hotel room. She stopped for a minute to take the chocolate mint that the chambermaid had put on the pillow, and ate it.

Then she picked up her cell phone which was on the bedside table, and turned it on. Sure enough, there was a text message for her. Her parents never used text messages – they called them "unnecessary".

She shrugged and hit the command to read the message.

It read as followed:

_Yumi,_

_Please meet me in the arboretum for a friendly duel. I desire to meet you on a personal level so much, and this will be the perfect opportunity._

_- Nicholas_

Yumi frowned…

"Well, he's asking for it," she muttered.

"Yumi, wait…" said a voice from the doorway.

Yumi turned towards the door, which she just realized she hadn't closed.

Maria was standing there.

"You…" said Yumi.

"I had to warn you, Yumi…" said Maria. "Nicholas will not be the one waiting for you at the arboretum. A trap has been set, and an assassin awaits…

"An assassin who holds the power of Slifer the Sky Dragon in his deck!"

Yumi drew back in shock…

Then she calmed a little.

"The Egyptian God Cards… are gone…" she muttered. "Some phoenix consumed them nineteen years ago."

"Nonetheless," said Maria, "if Slifer does not exist in this duelist's deck, a close facsimile of it does. Going there is walking into death…"

She took Divine Mallet Mjölnir from within her dress.

"I'd lend you this…" she said, looking at it, "but it only works in the hands of a Warrior, and your deck has only one, I believe. It would be nearly useless.

"My advice to you is simply not to go."

"That's okay…" muttered Yumi. "I'll think of something."

Maria stared at her, and then turned to leave.

"Anastasia?" said Yumi.

"Yes?" asked Anastasia softy, as she appeared next to her.

"The God Cards _are_ gone, aren't they?" asked Yumi, nervously.

"Uhm, well…" muttered Anastasia. "The real ones, yes. But, uhm… I never told anyone this, but when my dad was in charge, Industrial Illusions made copies of them for research purposes, with almost identical powers.

"There was an incident some years ago when one of dad's card designers stole the copy of The Winged Dragon of Ra… Nasty business… If this is the same thing…

"Oh, this never would have happened if I were still running the company… I meant to destroy the duplicates, but I really didn't know how to. They had traces of the spirits of the true God Cards in them… I couldn't simply tear them up…"

She sighed.

"I almost considered… Using the Devil Cards…"

"Devil Cards?" asked Yumi, sitting up straight.

Anastasia nodded.

"Dad was so afraid of the true God Cards, he crafted three incredibly powerful Monsters that he thought could defeat them if they ever raged out of control. They were sort of the anti-God Cards. But these Devil Cards… Fiends of incredible power… They were infused with spirits of pure evil, and they corrupted the souls of whoever tried to use them…

"First there was Wicked God Dreadroot. He was incredibly vicious. Not only did he have 4,000 Attack and Defense Points, but so long as he was on the field, he emitted an aura of terror, and all other Monsters lost half of their Attack and Defense Points.

"Then there was The Devil's Eraser. It had two powerful abilities – its Attack and Defense was 1,000 for every card on its opponent's field. And even if it was destroyed, it would take every card on the field to the grave with it…

"But those two were small potatoes compared to The Devil's Avatar… A creature of pure, shapeless, formless darkness. This thing simply couldn't be defeated in battle, because its Attack Score was always a single point more than the strongest Monster on the field. Add to that the fact that these cards were, like the God Cards, very resistant to Spells and Traps, and you had something that was nearly impossible to destroy."

"What… happened to these cards?" asked Yumi, getting scared.

"Someone actually did try to use them against the God Cards," muttered Anastasia. "And the God Cards won, thank goodness. This was truly a case where they were the lesser of the two evils. I assume the Devil Cards are still locked up in the company vaults…

"But if you have to face Slifer…"

Yumi sat on her bed and thought for a minute…

So many times, her grandpa had told her about the time he had fought Marik's mind-slave Strings, the first time he had encountered an Egyptian God Card… At that point, Marik's evil side had not fully blossomed (it would eventually), and he was little more than a manipulator who would not face his foes directly, always dealing with them from the shadows via minions and decoys. Strings was easy prey to the Millennium Rod. He had once been a mime who had gone insane after murdering his parents, so his almost catatonic mind was easy to manipulate, and Marik controlled him like a puppet.

Her grandfather had told her of the fear that both he and the Pharaoh had felt at the sight of the divine beast during that terrible duel… a Monster that seemed almost unstoppable.

He had won, and Slifer had become his, but it had been one of his closest calls.

The strategy that Marik had used in that duel wouldn't work with modern rules. You needed to pay Life Points to use Revival Jam's effect now, and Card of Safe Return only let you draw one card with its effect rather than three…

…but there were other strategies that someone using Slifer could use… Her grandfather knew that firsthand.

She didn't want to walk right into a trap…

…but she wasn't a coward.

She looked at her suitcase.

She opened it up, and took out a box. It had cards in it.

She had secrets of her own. She never told this to anyone, but she had also been afraid of the God Cards ever since she had been told about them, even though she knew they were gone. And since her grandpa had owned them, she knew their weaknesses, and had developed counter strategies against all of them…

…she never dreamed she would ever actually have to use one…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Nicholas's phone beeped.

He read the text message.

_You're on! _it said.

"She's coming," he sighed. "But don't you think Icarus plays a little rough?"

"What do you care?" asked Rasputin.

"I… I don't want her to be hurt…" muttered Nicholas.

Rasputin looked at him with a cold glare.

"Nicholas…" he said. "We are on the verge of discovering the secret of true immortality! And we are _not_ going to be sidetracked by some teenage girl in a belly-shirt with bad hair!

"Besides, Icarus's strategy has yet to… kill anybody. And I assure you, once we have the power of all eight Charms, you'll be able to have any girl you want. Could still be Yumi if you're still interested. Could be anyone… You could have a whole harem of supermodels if you wanted.

"Just do as you're told for now."

He speed-dialed his phone.

"Olga," he said into it, "has Yumi left yet?"

"Ten-four," said Olga's voice. "Mother bird has left the nest."

"Pardon?" asked Rasputin.

"She left the apartment…" sighed Olga.

Nicholas crossed his arms.

"Supermodels?" he muttered. "I have no interest in girls who are so thin that you can see though them…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Great trees forming an overhanging canopy created a thick forest that made up the huge greenhouse that was Duelatopia's arboretum. This place was good for picnics, walks, and whenever someone wanted to duel in a different type of atmosphere.

Yumi slowly walked down the pathways, just knowing that someone was watching her…

She finally came to a wide clearing. Her Puzzle glowed, and the change overtook her.

She realized something: She was breaking her own rule, in spades. A duelist with one of the most powerful cards in the game might be waiting, and she was alone, without anyone except her spiritual guide to lend support…

She took a deep breath.

"You might as well come out…" she called. "I know you're here…"

With a cry, a dark form leapt from the trees…

Yumi looked, and saw a tall form wearing the cloak of an Ascender. He had the strangest tattoo – that of a sunburst, done around his left eye.

"Hello, Ms. Mouto," he said, lowering his hood and revealing long, full, blonde hair. "Nicholas sends his regrets, but he couldn't make it. I am Icarus…"

"Icarus…" said Yumi, crossing her arms. "Quite a lofty name… He was the son of Daedalus, whom he shared the gift of flight with… Unfortunately, Icarus became drunk with the power, ignored his father's warnings, and flew too high, and the sun burned his wings off, causing him to fall to his doom."

She lifted the Crown of Souls off her head.

"I suppose you want this," she said. "Well, I don't see why I have to wager it… You have nothing to ante against it that's worth as much…"

"Do I?" asked Icarus. "Tell you what… If I lose, I'll turn myself in to the Centurions. Perhaps then, your problems will be over."

Yumi looked at him.

"Fine…" she said, slowly.

She placed it back on her head.

_Fool,_ thought Icarus. _Even if I have to, which I won't, I'll never tell them anything._

His Disk activated…

Yumi couldn't have noticed that his Disk had special microchips embedded in the casing…

…signs of special programming.

"Game on!" they both shouted at once.

**(Yumi: 8,000) -------------------- (Icarus: 8,000)**

"Let's get started!" shouted Icarus. "I draw!"

He dramatically whipped a card off of his Disk.

"And I'll have this defend me for now."

He placed a card on his Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared.

"Your move…"

Yumi nervously drew a card.

"Afraid?" asked Icarus. "Think there's a big surprise waiting? Afraid that my deck is full of the lofty powers that my name suggests?"

Yumi glared at him.

She saw the Pharaoh out of the corner of her eye.

"Yumi," he said, gently, "I know you're scared. But take comfort… This may be new to you, but it's hardly new to me. I've beaten God Cards before… I can do it again.

"And with the strategy we have, it will be easier than it was for me the first time…"

Yumi nodded.

She played a card.

"I summon Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer," she said.

Kycoo appeared in a shadowy aura. (1,800/500)

_If he does have Slifer,_ she thought, _he needs three sacrifices to summon it. I have to keep him from having that many Monsters on the field…_

"Kycoo, attack!" she shouted. "Spell of banishment!"

Kycoo cast his powerful spell, and lightning flashed. Shining Angel appeared on the card, and was blown to pieces.

"Thank you…" said Icarus, taking his deck. "Now I can Special Summon any Light Monster from my deck that I want, so long as it has 1,500 Attack Points or less.

"And Level doesn't matter. It can even be a Level Eight Monster if I want…"

"A Level Eight Monster with less than 1,500 Attack Points?" shouted Yumi. "There's no Level Eight Light Monster with an Attack Score that low!"

"I beg to differ…" replied Icarus. "I summon The Agent of Plenty – Gaea."

He placed the card on his Disk, and the figure that appeared was a tall, beautiful, buxom woman in a long, green gown, with long, golden hair, and beautiful, feathered wings. Her wings spread, and a beautiful light fell on her. (0/3,000)

"See?" asked Icarus. "She's Level Eight. And you can't get much lower than that."

"Uhm… That's… Interesting…" muttered Yumi. "I'll, uh… end my turn there…"

_She's got to have more to her than the Millennium Shield,_ thought Yumi. _That's only Level Five…_

"Then I draw…" said Icarus, drawing. "And then, due to her effect, Gaea lets me draw one card during my Standby Phase, so long as she's in Attack Mode."

The Agent of Plenty glowed and sang an enchanting melody, and Icarus drew again.

"Next…" continued Icarus, "I play Pot of Greed."

He played the card, and the jug appeared. He drew two cards.

"As you know, playing this card decreases my hand size by one, but then increases it by two, for a net gain of one, bringing my hand size up to eight…"

Yumi started to sweat…

_He's certainly doing what you should do if you use Slifer,_ thought Yumi, _making his hand bigger. But he needs three Monsters, and he only has one._

"Now…" continued Icarus, "I discard two of my cards to the Graveyard in order to summon Candellado the Beast of Light!"

"HUH?" exclaimed Yumi.

Icarus discarded two cards (they were Divine Wrath and Trojan Blast), and then threw another one on his Disk…

A fiery explosion erupted on his side of the field… A flock of birds flew from the trees in fear…

With a roar, a huge creature arose from out of the explosion. It was a Machine of some sort, resembling a two-headed dragon with bronze armor. Its torso was made up of a glowing energy core. It roared in rage. (0/0)

Yumi just stared for a second.

"It doesn't have a single Attack Point…" she said.

"Not quite…" said Icarus. "Candellado's Attack and Defense is 1,000 for each card in my hand. Since I have five… Well, see for yourself…"

(5,000/5,000)

"Good lord…" said Yumi. "It _is_ like Slifer!"

"Well, not truly…" replied Icarus. "It lacks Slifer's ability to blast off 2,000 Attack or Defense Points from any Monster you summon. But this kind of firepower is more than enough to take just about anything down…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

On the bridge of Duelatopia, Sheena Arachne watched the screens…

"Uh, Ms. Arachne," said the voice of one of the technicians. "We just got an alert. Seems someone is using an illegal card."

"What?" said Sheena in surprise. "Well, this is the first one this tournament… I guess it was only a matter of time. How's he trying to this time?"

"Same old story…" said the technician, as the duel appeared on the screen. "He's using a specially programmed Disk to try to fool our sensors."

Sheena held her head.

"When will they learn?" she mumbled. "When will they learn that they can't fool us that way?"

She looked at the duel in progress.

"Candellado?" she shouted. "Is he crazy?"

"Apparently," said the technician. "According to this, his deck has three copies, and none of them were crafted via the proper methods."

"The fool…" muttered Sheena.

She considered the situation.

"That guy is wearing the same cloak that the girl in the hospital was wearing when she was brought in…" she muttered. "And Yumi Mouto is dueling him… Hmm…"

She thought for a minute.

"Tell the Centurions to close in and hide, and wait for the duel to conclude. If Yumi loses, tell them to disqualify the guy, and arrest him. If Yumi wins, tell them to arrest him anyway."

"Will do," said the technician.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Don't worry, Yumi…" said Icarus, "Kycoo and your Life Points are safe for this turn. Candellado cannot attack on the round he is summoned…"

Candellado growled…

"Good to know…" said Yumi, sweating.

"For now, I will first place a card facedown…" said Icarus.

Candellado shrank to (4,000/4,000) as a facedown card appeared on Icarus's field.

"And then I play the Continuous Spell Card, Vow of Peace."

He played another card, and Candellado shrank to (3,000/3,000)

"Vow of Peace?" asked Yumi, looking at the card. "What does that do?"

She looked at the card. Its image was that of the monk on the Messenger of Peace card, kneeling before an altar.

"It's sort of like Messenger of Peace, Yumi," he replied, "but unlike that card, it costs me 300 Life Points per round. For as long as it's in effect, Monsters with a base Attack of 1,500 or more are forbidden to attack."

"Genius…" muttered Yumi. "That means your Beast can't attack."

"Excuse me, I said _base_ Attack," replied Icarus. "As in, its Attack as written on the card, before any modifications and bonuses. And in case you forgot, its base Attack is zero.

"So it's free to Attack, but my Agent is safe, unless you're willing to put a Monster that weak in Attack Mode.

"I end my turn…"

Yumi frowned. She made a draw.

And then she grinned, slightly…

"We can use this card, Yumi," said the Pharaoh, "It may have one of Slifer's powers, but it certainly is NOT Slifer, and that means that, unlike God Cards, it isn't immune to destruction via Spells, Traps, or Monster effects."

"Then it's time to bring this beastie down," she replied.

"I'll move Kycoo to Defense Mode…" she said out loud.

The Ghost Destroyer knelt in Defense Mode.

"And then set another Monster in Defense Mode."

A facedown Monster appeared.

"It's your move…"

"Very well, Yumi," replied Icarus. "I pay 300 Life Points. And when Candellado is on the field, I also must skip my Draw Phase…"

Gaea glowed and sang her melody.

"…but fortunately, Gaea is here, letting me draw once during my Standby Phase."

He whipped a card off his Disk, and Candellado rose to a score of (4,000/4,000).

"Now I play… Pot of Charity," he said, playing the card he had just drawn. "I'll remove Shining Angel from play to do so…"

Shining Angel slipped out of his discard slot, and he placed it inside his cloak.

"By doing this, I lose one card from my hand, but I then gain three," he said, drawing three cards, "for a net gain of two, giving my hand a total of six cards."

Candellado rose to (6,000/6,000).

Icarus looked at the three new cards.

He set one card in his Disk, and a facedown card appeared. Candellado was reduced to (5,000/5,000).

_What is he up to?_ thought Yumi._ Why would he intentionally weaken his Monster?_

"Candellado, attack Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer! Prism blast!"

Candellado opened its two jaws, and balls of energy formed in them. They both shot out a stream of pure, burning, multicolored light, and the two streams spiraled together into one large beam.

The beam struck Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer, incinerating him a huge explosion.

"So much for him," said Icarus with a chuckle. "I end my turn."

**(Y: 8,000) -------------------- (I: 7,700)**

"Indeed," said Yumi, drawing a card, "and it's time for your Beast of Light to go…

"I flip my facedown Monster into Attack Mode… My Old Vindictive Magician!"

Her facedown card flipped up, and the grizzled old witch doctor in colorful clothes appeared. (450/600)

"Now I can destroy one Monster," she said. "Guess you weren't expecting that…"

"Actually…" said Icarus, "it was exactly what I was expecting…"

One of his two facedown cards lifted, showing a Trap with the image of a luminous being amid the clouds.

"It's called Silver Spirit Redirection," he said. "I can use it whenever one of my Monsters is targeted by a Monster effect. It not only renders the effect invalid, but removes the offending Monster from play.

Old Vindictive Magician faced into a blur, and then vanished into thin air.

_Man, this guy is good,_ thought Yumi.

She took a card from her hand.

"I place a Monster in Defense Mode," she said.

A facedown Monster appeared.

"I end my turn…" growled Yumi.

"What more can you do?" asked Icarus with a laugh. "I pay 300 Life Points for Vow of Peace."

Gaea sang, and he snatched another card. Candellado rose to (6,000/6,000).

He looked at the card he had just drawn.

"And from now on, this Continuous Spell will be in effect."

He played a Spell Card. It bore the image of a demon bound with glowing shackles. Candellado fell to (5,000/5,000)

"It's called Chain Energy."

_Chain Energy?_ thought Yumi. _Wait a minute, I've heard of that one… It's a very old card…_

"It's a card that's seldom used," explained Icarus, "because it's only useful in certain decks. I'll explain… The effect of this Spell applies to both players. Now, if either of us plays or sets a card, in any way, it will cost us 500 Life Points apiece.

"I don't need to play many more than I already have… You, on the other hand…

"Now, on to business. Candellado, attack!"

An even more intense blast shot forth, and the cloaked mage on the card exploded in a fiery blast. Yumi braced herself from the impact.

"Guess your Skilled Dark Magician couldn't stand the heat!" laughed Icarus.

Yumi growled.

**(Y: 8,000) -------------------- (I: 7,400)**

She made a draw.

"I play my own Pot of Greed," she said, playing a card.

The evil jar appeared in front of her. She cringed as the Chain Energy card glowed, and a jolt of electricity shocked her.

"Oh no you don't," said Icarus. "I have a Quickplay that's been underrated since it was introduced…"

His last facedown card lifted, revealing Spell Card with the image of the Goblin of Greed stealing a Pot of Greed from a store.

"It's called Jar Robber," he said with a smirk. "First it negates your Pot of Greed…"

The Pot in front of Yumi exploded.

"Then, I get to draw one card…" he continued.

He drew a card, and Candellado rose to (6,000/6,000).

Yumi frowned again. She placed a card on her Disk, and yet another facedown Monster appeared. She cringed as she was shocked again.

**(Y: 7,000) -------------------- (I: 7,400)**

"Can it be?" asked Icarus. "My turn? I'll pay 300 Life Points again…"

Gaea glowed. He whipped a card off his Disk, and Candellado grew to (7,000/7,000)

"Hold it…" said Yumi. "There's a limit to how many cards a duelist can have in his hand at one time."

"I know the rules," said Icarus. "So why don't we fix that… Your grandfather would remember this card from the time he faced Slifer…"

He placed a card in his Disk, and Candellado fell to (6,000/6,000). He grunted a little as the Chain Energy card glowed.

"It's called Infinite Cards," he said. "Now, both duelists can ignore the six-card limit and hold as many cards as he desires.

"By the way, Yumi… Unlike that fool, Marik, I'm well aware that, despite what the name of this card suggests, the number of cards in my hand could not possibly be limitless, and that Candellado's Attack Score also has a limit. I made certain that my strategy does NOT have the fatal flaw that his did.

"Now, Candellado, attack!"

The Beast of Light fired its blast. Yumi's second Skilled Dark Magician appeared on the card and was atomized.

The huge Machine growled.

"It's frustrating, isn't it, Yumi?" he asked. "Setting your Monsters in Defense Mode is costing you precious Life Points, and I can just blow them to pieces on my turn."

"You're really enjoying this, aren't you?" asked Yumi with a sneer.

"Naturally," he replied. "So what now, Yumi? You can't defend forever. Even if you don't run out of Monsters, that's quite literally true… My Chain Energy will finish you off before Candellado does."

**(Y: 7,000) -------------------- (I: 6,600)**

Yumi looked at the field.

_He's right…_ she thought. _I've got to think of something…_

_I'm not about to lose the Crown… Not after what I did to get it…_

_Oh… Ren, Chelsea, where are you when I need you?_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Meanwhile, the aforementioned Ren and Chelsea were wandering around the Museum District again, under the looming shadow of Clock Tower Prison. Sam and Erik had left, claiming to "have more important things to do than hang around twerps", a comment that had irked them.

"Yumi's been gone a long time," said Chelsea. "What do you think she's doing?"

"Aw, she's probably pounding some duelist's face into the dirt right now!" laughed Ren. "And having a ball doing it…"

Then his own cell phone rang.

"Oh, excuse me…" he said.

_Hope it isn't that Phantom jerk again…_ he thought.

"Hello?" he said, answering it.

He paused.

"KENTA?" he shouted. "What a surprise! Really?"

Another pause.

"Oh really? Yes, of course I meant it…

"You're where? Great… I'll meet you there!"

"Who was that?" asked Chelsea, as he hung up. "Who is Kenta?"

"Someone you just gotta meet," said Ren, "and someone I just gotta duel. Come on… I'll tell you on the way."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Why don't you just give up?" said Icarus. "You can't win… It's impossible."

"Really?" replied Yumi, with an angry glare. "Then I'm lucky. When my grandparents and parents were my age, they often defeated _three_ impossible challenges before they had lunch. And _that_ was on a _good_ day!

"By the way, it's not impossible… You may think your strategy is foolproof, but it isn't without weaknesses…"

She smirked.

"See, your deck may not have the flaw that Marik's had, but it does have another major flaw. You've got almost no Monsters. Likely just three copies each of Gaea, Shining Angel, and Candellado. Everything else is geared towards summoning, strengthening, and protecting that four-eyed eyesore. You're a one-trick pony, and as long as I can set a Monster, you probably won't be able to attack me. The only way you have to damage me at this point is that Spell Card, which isn't indestructible, by the way."

Icarus glanced at his hand.

She wasn't far off… He did have three other Monsters in his deck, but Sangan, Mask of Darkness, and Magician of Faith weren't exactly the lords of offensive Monsters.

And they weren't even in his hand right now. As of right now, the only Monster he had was his second copy of Gaea. His five other cards were Fiend's Sanctuary, A Feather of the Phoenix, Monster Reincarnation, My Body As A Shield, and a second Infinite Cards.

"Perhaps…" he finally said. "But your luck won't hold out forever!"

"My move…" said Yumi.

She drew a card.

She quickly placed it on her Disk, and a new facedown Monster appeared.

She groaned again as Chain Energy kicked in.

**(Y: 6,500) -------------------- (I: 6,600)**

"Your move…" she muttered.

"Man, this is taking too long…" growled Icarus. "I'll pay 300 Life Points again…"

Gaea sang, and he drew a card. Candellado rose to (7,000/7,000)

"It's another card you can't use, I'll bet," said Yumi.

Icarus snarled. It was Premature Burial. The only Monster that had been in his Graveyard was the Shining Angel that he had removed from play.

_Where's my Nobleman of Crossout when I need it?_ he thought.

"It doesn't matter!" he shouted. "Attack!"

The Beast of Light fired its prism blast. Magician of Faith appeared on the card, and was blown to nothing.

"Thank you…" said Yumi. "I'll use her effect to get back my Pot of Greed…"

The card slipped out of her discard slot. Icarus growled again.

"Make… your… move…" he muttered.

**(Y: 6,500) -------------------- (I: 6,300)**

Yumi drew a card.

"I think I'll save Pot of Greed for later," she said. "Instead, I'll play Graceful Charity…"

She played the card, groaning again as she was shocked by the Spell Card, and in a flash of light, the angel appeared. She drew back in fright at the sight of Candellado.

"Easy…" said Yumi, drawing three cards.

"See?" she said, speaking up. "All my cards are _quite_ useful."

_I drew one of my anti-Slifer cards!_ she thought, looking at them._ It will work on this guy too, but… The problem is, I can't use it right now…_

She carefully considered the rest of her cards, and then made two discards. Then she placed a Monster in Defense Mode. She cringed again as the card glowed.

**(Y: 5,500) -------------------- (I: 6,300)**

"I end my turn," she said.

Icarus frowned as his Life Points dipped again.

Gaea sang again, and he drew one card. Candellado grew to (8,000/8,000).

"Attack her Monster!" he shouted.

Candellado blasted its breath weapon. Magician's Valkyria appeared on the card, and was burned to ashes.

"A wise man once said that God doesn't roll dice, Yumi. Pretty soon, your luck will run out. You'll run out of Monsters you can defend yourself with, and then it will be all over!"

**(Y: 5,500) -------------------- (I: 6,000)**

Yumi drew a card.

"I'll play that Pot of Greed now," she said. "And you don't have any facedown cards this time."

She played the card, cringing again, and drew twice.

She looked them over.

"I throw… four cards facedown," she said.

She fit four cards into her Disk, and in four flashes of light, four facedown cards appeared. She screamed as a massive jolt of electricity struck her.

"And then…" she said, panting for breath, "since I'm sick of defending, I summon Gemini Elf in Attack Mode."

She played the card, and the two elf twins appeared. They held each other in fright at the sight of the two-headed Machine. (1,900/900)

Yumi grit her teeth as the Spell Card shocked her again.

"End… turn," said Yumi.

**(Y: 3,000) -------------------- (I: 6,000)**

"HA, HA, HA, HA, HA!" laughed Icarus. "Yumi, that may well be the most obvious trap I have ever seen! Did you actually think I would fall for it? I wasn't chosen to join the Ascenders by being stupid, you know.

"I'll pay 300 Life Points…"

Gaea sang, and he drew another card, bringing Candellado up to (9,000/9,000)

Ironically, the card was Nobleman of Crossout. He couldn't use it this turn.

"No attack this turn… I'll merely set one card facedown, and that will be all. If you want to shift Gemini Elf to Defense Mode, I'll give you that chance."

A facedown card appeared, and Candellado fell to (8,000/8,000). He grunted a little as Chain Energy glowed again.

_My facedown card is My Body As A Shield,_ he thought. _One of her facedown cards is obviously her Mirror Force, so it will be no problem to negate it. Sure, it will cost 1,500 Life Points, but one attack, and she'll be wiped out._

**(Y: 3,000) -------------------- (I: 5,200)**

"I draw…" said Yumi.

She drew a card.

She looked at the powerful Monster…

"Pass…" she said, adding it to her hand.

Icarus looked at her strangely.

His Life Points fell slightly again. Gaea chanted, and he drew another card. Candellado again rose to (9,000/9,000).

"Well, if that's how it's gonna be…" he said. "Candellado, destroy Gemini Elf, and win me this duel!"

Candellado roared…

"I activate… A Hero Emerges!" shouted Yumi, as a Trap lifted.

"Say what?" asked Icarus.

Yumi held up her hand of three cards.

"Now you've gotta choose a card in my hand," she said. "If it's a Monster, I get to Special Summon it."

"Humph, as if it will matter!" said Icarus with a scowl.

"You have to," said Yumi. "That's the rule. So choose."

"Oh, all right…" muttered Icarus. "For the Crown of Souls, I might as well humor you. The middle card…"

"Ooh…" said Yumi. "You picked a good one…"

She threw the card on her Disk.

"I summon Buster Blader in Attack Mode!"

In a flash of energy, the hulking Warrior in violet armor holding a huge sword appeared with a roar. (2,600/2,300)

Yumi grunted a little as Chain Energy shocked her again.

"Oh, ho!" laughed Icarus. "One of your family's signature cards, huh? Well, since that triggered a replay, I think I'll kill him instead!

"Candellado, annihilate the Buster Blader!"

Candellado roared again.

"Time to end this!" shouted Yumi. "I activate… Heavy Slump!"

Another facedown card lifted, showing the Goblin of Greed panicking amid falling stock prices.

"Heavy Slump?" shouted Icarus. "What the heck does that do?"

Yumi made a sinister grin.

"It's your deck's worst nightmare," she said. "I can only activate it when you have eight or more cards in your hand. It sends all of those cards back to your deck, and then makes you draw a new hand… of two cards."

Icarus gasped as all the cards in his hand vanished, and then two cards flew off his Disk. Candellado fell to only (2,000/2,000).

"And by the way…" said Yumi, "this does _not_ trigger a replay, and it's too late for you to call off your attack. And since _you_ declared the attack, your Vow of Peace can't do squat. So double-ugly just got a one-way trip to the scrap heap."

Candellado the Beast of Light shot its prism blast at the Buster Blader, but he leapt over it, and slashed his sword into the thing's core with a shower of sparks. It roared, and then an explosion of fiery pyrotechnics lit up the whole arboretum.

**(Y: 2,500) -------------------- (I: 4,300)**

Icarus shielded himself as flaming debris and slag showered around him…

"You… you destroyed it!" he shouted.

"Yep…" said Yumi. "So what are you gonna do now?"

Icarus shivered and looked at the two cards he had just drawn…

They were, ironically, a second Candellado, and a second Gaea. He couldn't even use them as bluffs.

"I'm not done yet!" he shouted, shaking his fist.

He turned a card on his Disk.

"I move Gaea to Defense Mode."

The Agent of Plenty knelt in Defense and covered herself with her wings.

"I may not be able to use her effect now," he continued, "but my Vow of Peace is still in effect, and she has 3,000 Defense Points. You'll never get to me!"

_If I can stall until I draw my Card of Sanctity, I still might have a chance,_ he thought.

"We will see…" said Yumi. "We will see…"

She drew a card.

"First," she said, "I summon Blast Magician."

She played the card, and in a burst of flames, the mage in the red robe and hat with the scythe-like staff appeared. (1,400/1,700) She grunted again as Chain Energy glowed.

"Now…" she continued, "let's take care of that annoying card. I play Heavy Storm!"

She held up the card, and a fierce wind blew about the arboretum. She didn't even flinch as the Spell shocked her again, because she knew it would be the last time. The My Body as a Shield card, Chain Energy, Vow of Peace, Infinite Cards, and Yumi's own Rush Recklessly and Seven Tools of the Bandit all shattered.

_She had it planned out perfectly…_ thought Icarus, in panic. _If I had chosen to attack Gemini Elf anyway, she would have used Rush Recklessly… If my facedown card had been Seven Tools, she would have countered it with her own…_

"And now," said Yumi, "since I just played one Spell Card, Blast Magician gains a counter, and he is now able to destroy one Monster that has 700 Attack Points or fewer.

"And your Agent has zero.

"Blast Magician, blast Gaea!"

Blast Magician twirled his staff, and shot a stream of fire. The Agent of Plenty – Gaea screamed as she was roasted alive. In a few seconds, all that was left was ashes.

"Time to finish this…" said Yumi. "Buster Blader, you first. Direct attack! Buster sword!"

Icarus gulped as Buster Blader leapt towards him. Then he screamed as the sword slashed into him.

"Gemini Elf, finish him off! Dual magic!"

The two elves raised their hands, and shot twin bolts of lightning. Icarus screamed again.

**(Y: 1,500) -------------------- (I: 0)**

The holograms vanished, and Yumi walked up to Icarus.

"Well, Icarus…" she said, "consider yourself crashed. I'll be calling the Centurions now."

Icarus coughed and held his chest.

"You wish…" he said, getting to his feet. "I lied… I'll be long gone before they get here, and if you think you can stop me…"

He pulled a switchblade out of his robe, and the blade flicked open…

"Oh no you don't," shouted a voice. "Ms. Mouto, get away from him!"

Yumi backed up, as three Centurions sprang out of nowhere and tackled the Ascender to the ground. The knife flew from his hand quickly. He tried to struggle, but they were far too strong for him, and quickly cuffed his hands.

A fourth Centurion – obviously the one in authority – walked up.

"All right, Icarus was it?" he said. "If that's your real name, which I doubt… You're under arrest for use of illegal cards, not to mention assault with a deadly weapon due to that last stunt."

"What?" asked Yumi. "Candellado is illegal?"

The Centurion turned to her.

"Yeah, it's a custom card," he said. "The original Candellado was a card made by…"

He paused.

"Well, let's just say it was made by an evil force that you'd never want to mess with. Making copies of this entity's handiwork without the proper safety measures is not only illegal in tournaments, but a very serious crime otherwise.

"And once we check out his tournament status, we think we can add a few more charges to what we already have.

"Anyway Ms. Mouto, we're sorry if he caused you any pain. But you won the duel, and due to orders from Ms. Arachne, this will count as an official duel, and your upgrade will stand."

Yumi smiled and looked at her badge, which was now at Violet.

"I gotta find Ren and Chelsea," she said, taking out her cell phone. "Wonder where they are?"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Meanwhile, Rasputin was sitting in an armchair, sulking. Olga and Nicholas were sitting nearby, while Louis stood next to him.

"Heavy Slump…" he muttered, brooding. "She actually had Heavy Slump in her deck?"

His fist hit the armrest.

"No member of her family, not her parents, nor any of her grandparents, Rebecca Hawkins included, _ever_ had a use for that card. It doesn't fit a Spellcaster Beatdown strategy at all. There was no way it would ever have benefited her…

"Unless…

"…unless she knew beforehand what she was about to face…"

He paused.

"Icarus's strategy was sound… He would have won… But no strategy is foolproof, especially if your opponent knows what you're using…

"There's only one plausible explanation…

"One member of my organization… Is a traitor…"

There was dead silence in the room.

"It ain't me, boss," said Louis.

"I know it ain't you, Louis!" shouted Rasputin. "You're too dumb to be a traitor!"

"Uh, thanks…" he replied. "I think…"

"But when I find out who it is…" growled Rasputin, clenching his fist, "he or she will suffer the pain of a thousand deaths…"

There was a long silence again…

"Is this the point where you need a martini?" asked Olga.

"Yes, please," he replied with a sigh. "Extra dry…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

A short time later.

Icarus sat at a table, his hands cuffed, and a Centurion at either side. Sheena stood in front of him.

"Looks like you've been thrown in the discard pile, Icarus," she said. "Your boss did nothing to help you once you lost."

"Lady…" he replied, "if you're asking me to fold, you're going to be waiting a long time."

"No mourning for Holly?" asked Sheena. "She's in a coma… She may never wake up."

"I'm wearing black, aren't I?" asked Icarus.

Sheena put her hand on her hip.

"Listen, 'Icarus'," she said, "or should I said, Michael James Dogson…"

Icarus glared at her at the mention of his real name…

"Seto Kaiba eventually became a great man. The key word there is _eventually_. At first, he was a man blinded by greed.

"He started Battle City because he wanted all three of the Egyptian God Cards. If he had them, he'd have been the world's greatest duelist. Since the Rare Hunters had Slifer and Ra, he welcomed them.

"They caused a great deal of trouble. If Kaiba had done what he should have done and had them locked up, so many people wouldn't have been hurt…

"If you ask me, the reason he lost his duel to Yugi in the finals, ruining his plans entirely, was due in part to divine justice. It was a punishment for his greed and his utter disregard for the safety of others, for practically inviting those criminals.

"Anyway…

"I'm not like Seto Kaiba. I don't welcome crooks who come to my tournament without being invited. I didn't start this tournament to get any God Cards or some other greedy purpose like he did at Battle City… I started it so honest duelists could have fun. So you Ascenders will NOT be tolerated as he did with the Rare Hunters. I intend to root you out like the weeds you are.

"First of all, you are not here on the true guest list, meaning that the trust fund we were supplying you with was illegally obtained, making you and your Ascender allies thieves. How much you are costing me I don't know – it's exactly four hundred dollars for each one of you that's out there, and I don't like it when my money is stolen. If your boss does not pay it, I'll make sure his individual henchmen will.

"Second, I looked up your name, and it turns out that you are wanted by both Interpol and Scotland Yard for international smuggling and fencing, most likely dealing with Duel Monsters cards. Industrial Illusions is also after you for forging counterfeit cards…

"Speaking of which, we checked the cards in your deck carefully. Many of the apparent rarer ones are counterfeits, not worth the cardboard they're printed on. Yet, my computers were fooled by them…

"That means that whoever made them knew how KaibaCorp's holographic technology worked, making that person or someone who worked for him guilty of the _very_ serious crime known as corporate espionage.

"Speaking of which…"

She slammed her hand down on the table.

"Dear God, man, what the Hell were you _thinking_ using Candellado? In case you didn't know, it is _forbidden_ to duplicate cards made by the Light of Ruin unless you use the proper purification process, and clearly the one who made your slop-job copies didn't even follow step one of that process.

"The Light of Ruin may have been banished, but it might not be dead… If duelists like you do things like this, using unsafe copies of its cards, it might eventually gather enough strength to return…

"You are in a load of trouble, mister…"

She bent down until her face was next to his. He flinched a little.

"Trust me…" she said, softly, "your life is gonna be a whole lot more pleasant from this point on, if you tell us who hired you…"

Icarus looked down for a minute.

"Lady…" he said, "as miserable as my current situation looks, I'd rather live it out. If I were to rat on my boss, I wouldn't.

"All I'll say is, he's a very powerful individual with connections everywhere, and he does not like employees who snitch. I should know – I saw what happened to the last one who tried to.

"So excuse me if I focus on self-preservation and keep my mouth shut.

"Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to be shown to my cell. It's been a long day, after all…"

"All right…" said Sheena, "get him out of here..."

As Icarus was led away, she motioned to a Centurion, an important-looking one wearing a purple sash over his armor.

"Someone is out there," she said. "Most likely it's a legitimate tournament guest directing these rogues.

"Give an order to all Centurions on patrol. Anyone wearing a black cloak is to be stopped, and his badge is to be scanned and compared to a list I will compose myself. If he isn't on it, that person is to be arrested without question, regardless of whatever excuse he gives.

"That one may have been too afraid to snitch, but someone else might. We are going to stop this problem at the source…"

"Yes ma'am," he replied. "By the way, did you, uh, mean what you said, in that Kaiba losing the finals of Battle City was divine justice?"

Sheena paused before she answered.

"There was a little divine intervention involved…" she replied, "but it wasn't truly a punishment…

"It was an attempt to cleanse him of both greed and pride… And it wouldn't be the first time…

"And eventually… It worked…"

_Having beaten an Ascender with a dangerous weapon, Yumi has defended her Shadow Charm and advanced to Violet. Now she must rush to lend support to her friend, as he anxiously rushes to a duel he has apparently wanted for a long time. What is the origin behind this long-awaited meeting?_

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**CANDELLADO THE BEAST OF LIGHT (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Machine/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level:** 12  
**ATK:** 0  
**DEF:** 0

**Card Description:** This card cannot be Normal Summoned or set. This card can only be Special Summoned by discarding two cards from your hand to the Graveyard. This card cannot attack on the round it is summoned. When this card is face-up on your side of the field, skip your Draw Phase. This card gains 1,000 points to its ATK and DEF for every card in your hand.

_Note: "Candellado the Beast of Light" was first used by the android in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "A Greater Porpoise". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**THE AGENT OF PLENTY – GAEA (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fairy/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level:** 8  
**ATK:** 0  
**DEF:** 3,000

**Card Description:** During each of your Standby Phases that this card is in Attack Position, draw one card from your deck.

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**SILVER SPIRIT REDIRECTION (Trap Card)**

**Counter Trap**

**Image:** A giant, luminous being amid the clouds.

**Card Description: **You may activate this card when one of your Monsters is targeted by the effect of an opposing Monster. Negate the effect and remove the opposing Monster from play.

_Note: "Silver Spirit Redirection" was first used by Sarina in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Mirror, Mirror (Part One)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**VOW OF PEACE (Spell Card)**

**Continuous Spell**

**Image:** The holy man from the "Messenger of Peace" card kneeling before an altar.

**Card Description:** Neither player can declare attacks with face-up Monsters with base ATKs of 1500 or more. Pay 300 Life Points during each of your Standby Phases. If you do not, destroy this card.

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**Chelsea: So, Ren, you gonna tell me who we're running to see?**

**Ren: Someone I've never met in person… But I promised to duel him if I ever did… I knew he'd be here…**

**Chelsea: You want to run that by me again?**

**Yumi: Wait up for me guys! I've got to see this!**

**Coming up next, "Invincible Duelist! Ren versus the Dark One".**

**It's gonna be a smash…**


	19. Ren versus the Dark One

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**CHAPTER EIGHTEEN**

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**Invincible Duelist!**

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**Ren versus the Dark One**

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Cassandra was meditating…

She opened her eyes…

"Still safe…" she whispered. "Still safely locked away…"

She sighed, and looked at her own dueling deck. She looked through the cards.

When Neos had defeated the Light Ruler in Jaden's final battle with Sartorious, the Light of Ruin had been sealed away…

Making sure it _stayed_ gone was something Jaden couldn't do. That task fell upon others.

How Cassandra got appointed to the task, and how she did so was complicated to say the least. But being a duelist helped a great deal. After a few years at her task, the source of her precognitive abilities – which was a much more benign source of light – gave her these cards. Sartorious's evil Tarot Monsters had been reborn as benign creatures who would now work to make sure the Dark Light stayed sealed away.

After all… The Light of Ruin had given most powers of light a bad name.

Cassandra was glad that Icarus's slop-job copies of Candellado had been confiscated. Without the proper protection, custom copies of cards that the Light had made sent out a beacon, reaching to the Light's prison, slowly eroding at its chains…

Fortunately, only minute damage had been done by Icarus. He had absolutely no loyalty to the Light. He used the cards because they were powerful, simply put. There was no danger of any new cult starting, or the cards would have been made with the _intent_ to weaken the bindings.

Still…

She'd be on guard… Obviously, these Ascenders schemed carelessly with total disregard for the possible consequences.

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Yumi ran through the streets of Duelatopia towards the Entertainment District.

According to Chelsea when she had called her, Ren had received a challenge he had been waiting for, and the least she could do was lend support.

She just hoped she could spot them. Duels were happening everywhere.

She passed by just as a Warrior Lady of the Wasteland slammed her sword into one hapless duelist. Yumi always had one thought whenever she saw a direct attack occur in a duel that she wasn't involved in:

_Glad that wasn't me!_

She passed by a few odd sights. In one spot, a duelist was facing an opponent with five multicolored Kuribohs.

She knew that strategy… Her grandfather had used it.

She passed by another duel. A duelist was behind a Neo Aqua Madoor Equipped with a Ring of Magnetism, with a Cannon Soldier right next to it. Yumi slowed down and saw the duelist activate Stray Lambs and fire two shots at his opponent.

She smirked. Her grandmother had used that sort of strategy before changing to a Gain/Burn Deck. Except her Wall Monster was the Millennium Shield.

As she ran on, she thought of that card, the Millennium Shield. Her grandmother had given it to her, and it was now in her second deck, the one she had yet to even test.

She sighed… She didn't know if she ever would use it at all. Maybe she'd come back here during Christmas vacation when there wasn't a tournament involved to break it in, and if it was successful, it would be her weapon if she got invited to next year's tournament.

She ran past a theater and saw Chelsea sitting on a park bench. She was holding Ren's guitar in front of her.

"Chelsea…" gasped Yumi, panting for breath. "What did I miss?"

"Not much," said Chelsea, pointing.

Yumi looked. In front of them, Ren and a boy around his age were shuffling each other's decks.

The other boy didn't exactly stand out. He had short, neatly cut blonde hair and a boyish face. He wore a white shirt, blue jeans, and a jean jacket that had the sleeves torn off.

"Who is that?" asked Chelsea.

"Kenta," answered Chelsea. "Daikato Kenta. Apparently, he's Ren's pen pal…"

"Ren has a pen pal?" asked Yumi.

"Yeah, he never mentioned him to me either," replied Chelsea. "But apparently, at some point, they promised to duel each other if they ever met at a tournament where an open challenge could be made."

"And now is the time…" said Yumi, sitting down. "So is this an official duel?"

"Oh yeah…" answered Chelsea. "You bet. They insisted."

Yumi thought for a minute…

"Daikato…" she muttered, as she sat down. "Where have I heard that name before?"

She shook her head. She was sure it would come to her soon…

Ren and Kenta stood apart from each other.

"So Kenta…" asked Ren. "Any chance I can get a hint as what's in this deck of yours you've been harping about?"

"Get real, Ren…" answered Kenta. "Remember the deal… We each keep it a secret until we duel."

"Then now's the time…" said Ren, as the two Disks activated.

"Game on!" they shouted.

**(Ren: 8,000) -------------------- (Kenta: 8,000)**

"After you…" said Ren.

"Oh, no," said Kenta, "I insist, after you…"

Ren paused, and then made his first draw.

_Best start out slow…_ he thought. _I haven't got a clue what his strategy is, but it's likely an unusual one…_

"I summon Chthonian Soldier in Attack Mode," he said.

He placed a card on his Disk, and in a burst of darkness, the infernal infantryman appeared, holding his wicked blade. (1,200/1,400)

"Not bad…" said Kenta.

"Now I'll place this facedown, for later…" continued Ren.

He fit a card into his Disk, and a facedown card materialized.

"Now let's see what you've got," he said.

"All right, watch out!" said Kenta, drawing a card.

He looked over his hand.

"I'll start by setting this in Defense Mode," he said. "And that's all for now."

A facedown Monster appeared, and Kenta smirked slightly.

Ren paused, and drew a card.

_My Chthonian isn't exactly the best Monster Attack-wise…_ he thought. _But I might be able to get in a lead if I took a chance…_

"Chthonian Soldier, attack!" he shouted. "Berserker blade!"

The Chthonian charged, swinging his sword…

…and then, his sword was halted by another blade.

Ren looked, and saw a Spirit Reaper kneeling on the card. (300/200)

"Super…" muttered Ren. "Your move…"

_That won't shield him for long,_ he thought. _As soon as I draw Getsu, it'll be gone._

Kenta drew a card.

"I'll play this Spell Card…" he said, holding it up. "It's called Goblin Charlatan."

As he played the card, a figure materialized in front of him. It was the Goblin of Greed, wearing an expensive-looking Italian suit, with shifty eyes.

Kenta took his deck and spread out the cards.

"When I play this card, I have to take any six cards in my deck, and remove them from play…"

He quickly chose six cards and then handed them to the Goblin, who placed them inside the suit.

"…but in return, I get to add to my hand any one Monster that I want."

The Goblin handed him a card, and he took it, adding it to his hand. Then the Goblin vanished.

"By the way, if you think I'm planning to use Dimension Fusion, don't worry. I can't Special Summon those cards while they remain removed from play.

"Sure, it seems like a rip-off, but it will all come into place soon. I'll show you right now…"

He chose another card.

"I sacrifice my Spirit Reaper… to summon my Dark Cultist."

He placed the card on his Disk, and Spirit Reaper faded away. In a shadowy aura, a new Monster appeared. It was a cloaked, hooded figure in black, its face completely concealed behind the hood. Its hands were gaunt, and it drifted off the ground, rather than walked on it. It let out a chilling moan. (1,000/1,000)

"I activate my Trap!" shouted Ren, as his facedown card lifted.

"Hidden Soldiers. Since you summoned a Monster, now I can Special Summon one Dark Monster from my hand, Like Zombyra the Dark."

In a burst of energy, Zombyra flew out onto the field. (2,100/500)

"Cool Monster…" said Kenta. "But Dark Cultist also has a cool ability."

He raised his hand, and six cards appeared in it.

"When it's summoned, all cards that have been removed from play go to their owners' Graveyards…"

He discarded the cards.

"I thought he said he couldn't bring them back," said Chelsea.

"He said he couldn't Special Summon them," corrected Yumi. "That wasn't a summoning at all."

"…and even better," continued Kenta, "for each one sent there this way, Dark Cultist gains 100 more Attack Points."

Dark Cultist glowed, and rose to (1,600/1,000)

_This is interesting…_ thought Yumi. _But I can't help but think that this Dark Cultist plays a part of some larger strategy…_

"Dark Cultist," said Kenta, "attack the Chthonian Soldier! Dark curse!"

Dark Cultist put its hands together, and formed a ball of crackling, dark energy between them. It hurled a blast of black magic at Chthonian Soldier. The Warrior groaned, and then exploded.

"Uh, Kenta?" said Ren. "You might want to… look up."

"Huh?" asked Kenta, looking up.

Then he saw that Chthonian Soldier's sword was flying towards him. He yelped in pain as it hit him.

"You obviously didn't know…" said Ren, "when Chthonian Soldiers die in battle, they curse the ones who land the killing blows. This is translated by the fact that you lose as many Life Points as I do."

_Actually, I did know…_ thought Kenta. _But I didn't have any other way to get rid of him…_

**(R: 7,600) -------------------- (K: 7,600)**

"I'll set a card of my own facedown," said Kenta, as a facedown card appeared, "and that's all for my turn."

Ren drew a card.

He smirked.

"I'll place another card facedown to start…" he said.

A facedown card appeared behind Zombyra.

"And then…" he continued, "I summon a Warrior whose name is known and feared throughout the East as… Mataza the Zapper!"

With a battle cry, a new Warrior somersaulted onto Ren's side of the field. It was a dark ronin, with black hair tied in a ponytail, wearing green leather armor. He wore a lethal-looking katana at his side. (1,300/800)

"He's called the Zapper because he's very fast. So fast, that he gets two attacks in the same round. But first…

"Zombyra, attack the Dark Cultist! Super-powered punch attack!"

Zombyra leapt forward and clocked the Dark Cultist. It let out another chilling moan, and was blasted into shreds of cloth.

Zombyra moaned a little, as his Attack Score fell to 1,900.

"Mataza…" ordered Ren, "attack directly! Zapping blade!"

Mataza the Zapper leapt up and drew his katana in mid-air…

_This is gonna sting…_ thought Kenta.

He grunted, and stumbled backwards as Mataza slammed his blade into his chest.

"And again!" ordered Ren.

Mataza followed through with another slash, upward, and this time, Kenta screamed. He fell to one knee.

**(R: 7,600) -------------------- (K: 4,500)**

"Huh…" said Chelsea, putting her hand on her chin. "I was expecting Kenta to put up more of a fight… Ren is going to chew him up and spit him out if this keeps up…"

"I'm worried…" said Yumi. "This looks a little _too_ easy…"

"Your move…" said Ren, crossing his arms.

Kenta took some deep breaths, and got up. He drew a card.

_Perfect…_ he thought, looking at it. _Now I have all I need to bring out my star…_

He opened his Field Slot and placed a card in it.

"I play… Necrovalley!" he shouted.

In a blur, the city street faded away, and the buildings were replaced by rocky cliff walls, with ominous caves in the sides. Ren and Kenta were now facing each other from opposite sides of a deep canyon.

"What is he up to?" asked Chelsea. "Is he going to use Gravekeepers?"

"Ordinarily, I'd assume he was…" answered Yumi. "But that Goblin Charlatan card and the Dark Cultist didn't exactly fit into a Gravekeeper theme…"

"Continuing…" said Kenta. "Now I play a Spell Card… Magic Reflector."

He played the card, and a large, robot spider-like thing appeared on the field.

The card shattered, but the spider remained. It scurried up the cliff wall, and then embedded its legs in the stone.

"See that?" asked Kenta. "That's a counter, technically. It's there to protect my Field Spell. If you do anything that would destroy Necrovalley, the counter will be destroyed instead, leaving Necrovalley itself safe. In other words, to take out this Field, you have to destroy it _twice_."

"I see…" muttered Ren.

"Now we get to the fun part…" said Kenta, with a sinister grin.

He held aloft a Spell Card.

"I play… _Contract With Exodia_!"

Yumi stood up in surprise.

"It can't be…" she muttered.

As Kenta played the Spell Card, the gargantuan form of Exodia the Forbidden One rose behind Kenta, and his eyes glowed with fiery light… Terrible storm clouds formed over Necrovalley, and wind howled.

"You see, Ren…" said Kenta, "the six cards I removed from play and then sent to my Graveyard… One was a second Goblin Charlatan, which I didn't need anymore… But the other five… They were the five pieces of Exodia the Forbidden One! And since they're in my Graveyard, I can use this card to summon the Dark One… Arise, Exodia Necross!"

Exodia's eyes flashed with energy, and fiery beams shot from them. Where they landed, a dark portal opened…

The Forbidden One slowly vanished, and an arm emerged from the portal, followed by a second arm. The rest of the colossal creature slowly emerged. It resembled Exodia at first glance, but its skin was black and dull, and its face was skull-like. It was surrounded by an aura of evil, dark energy. (1,800/0)

Ren sweat nervously.

_He actually built a deck designed to summon Necross?_ he thought. _This is… is…_

…_well, it would be kind of cool, actually, if I wasn't the one facing it…_

He looked at his facedown card.

_My facedown card is Rising Energy. When he attacks, I'll trigger it, and Mataza will gain 1,500 Attack Points for one round. He won't be able to destroy Necross, but at least he'll be safe for now._

"Exodia Necross…" ordered Kenta, "attack Mataza the Zapper with your mighty fist!"

Exodia Necross bellowed an inhuman roar, and lunged at Mataza the Zapper…

"I activate… Rising Energy!" shouted Ren, as his Trap Card lifted.

He quickly discarded a card.

"Did you forget I had a facedown card too?" asked Kenta. "I activate Royal Decree."

His own Trap lifted.

"And so long as this decree is enforced, no Traps are allowed except this one."

The Rising Energy card shattered.

Necross's fist struck Mataza, and the ronin was thrown back. He shattered into black shards.

**(R: 7,100) -------------------- (K: 4,500)**

"This looks bad…" said Chelsea.

"Tell me about it…" said Yumi.

"I don't know who first proposed that Contract, or who wrote it up, or who got Exodia to agree to it, but the creature that it summons is not one to fool around with.

"You see… Exodia Necross is dead. And I don't mean undead like your vampires. Simply dead. And since it's already dead, it's incredibly hard to destroy. Attacks can't do it, and neither can Spells or Traps…

"It only has two basic weaknesses. One way is to destroy it with Monster effects, and I don't even know if Ren has a Monster that fits the bill.

"The other way is to somehow move one or more pieces of Exodia out of the owner's Graveyard. But as you can see, Kenta thought ahead and made doing that all but impossible. Unless Ren can get rid of Necrovalley, Kenta's Graveyard is completely off-limits."

Ren drew a card.

_She's right…_ he thought, looking at the machine embedded in the cliff wall. _And so long as that thing is there, it would take two anti-Spell cards to destroy this Field. And as for Monsters who can destroy other Monsters… Well, if Necross were a Fiend or a Zombie, Getsu Fuhma could do it, but it's a Spellcaster…_

_Sure doesn't look like one, but it is._

"I move Zombyra to Defense Mode…" he said.

Zombyra knelt and shielded himself.

"Next, I summon Dark Squire."

A new figure appeared on his side of the field. It was a young girl, dressed in the clothing of nobility, with a formal coat and a beret, but while her clothes were fancy, they were all black and grey (300/300)

"Don't worry, she's not the attacking type," said Ren. "In fact, when I summon her, she moves into Defense Mode quickly."

Dark Squire crouched in Defense Mode.

"That's all I can do…"

Kenta drew a card.

"In case you didn't know, Ren," he said, "Necross gets stronger with each passing round…"

With a creaking, cracking noise, Necross grew slightly, and rose to (2,300/0).

"Now to wipe out your side of the field. This next guy isn't the strongest Monster, but he'll do. I summon Plague Wolf."

The ground on his side of the field cracked, and a small figure burst out. It was rotting, decaying, Zombie wolf, its skin pulled taunt across its bones and its fur falling off. (1,000/1,000)

"Plague Wolf, attack his Squire! Breath of pestilence!"

The Plague Wolf belched a cloud of black gas from its jowls. Dark Squire coughed, and then was literally decayed alive, rotting before collapsing into dust.

"Looks like she just bit the dust," said Kenta.

"Eww…" muttered Ren. "Well, Dark Squire has another special ability. When she dies in battle, we each get to draw two cards."

"You don't hear me complaining…" said Kenta.

They each drew twice.

"Exodia Necross, your turn," he continued. "Flatten Zombyra the Dark!"

Necross threw a punch, and Zombyra shattered into pixels.

"Any questions?" asked Kenta.

"Only the obvious," replied Ren. "Why on earth did you decide to build a deck based on Exodia Necross?"

"Heh, heh, heh…" chuckled Kenta. "That's quite a story, Ren… But I have nowhere to go…"

He paused.

"My mother Genki was a great Pro League duelist… She played a standard Exodia Deck, and she won most of the time…"

"That's where I heard the name before!" exclaimed Yumi. "Daikato Genki… She was known as the Exodia Empress…"

"Indeed…" said Kenta. "I watched her duel so many times… I was so excited every time she summoned the almighty Exodia and blasted her opponent into next week… The thrill was almost intoxicating.

"Eventually, she retired, and I was overjoyed when she gave her deck to me…

"But the thrill, sadly, didn't last…

"I soon found that I wasn't as good at it as she was. I didn't win nearly as often. And even when I did win, even when I managed to summon Exodia, it seemed so… empty. There was no thrill when I did it. In my hands, Exodia wasn't the same.

"Then, somebody told me what the problem was. He told me that reason I couldn't use the deck with as much skill and as much satisfaction was simple – it wasn't mine. As long as I used my mother's deck, I was copying someone else. To be a true duelist, I had to find my own calling.

"It made sense… But what was I to do? Sell my mother's priceless Exodia cards? I could not, would not, should not do such a thing…

"Then it happened… I was browsing in a card store, when I saw it… Exodia Necross. My heart leapt… This was it! A new way to use Exodia!

"The deck took a full year to design and build. Finding all the cards for it was a tedious and arduous task…

"But I succeeded. I created my Exodia Necross Deck! And the thrill is back!"

"Swell…" said Ren. "But, uh… You realize I'm still going to try to beat it…"

"By all means…" said Kenta. "I believe it's your move."

Ren looked at the four cards in his hand.

Polymerization, Frontline Base, Final Attack Orders, and Penumbral Soldier Lady.

_If this next draw isn't a Monster I can summon,_ he thought, _I'll be wide open… Bluffing likely won't work against something that can't be killed by Traps._

_Not only that, I've heard of Plague Wolf… He can double its Attack Score if he's willing to destroy it at the end of his turn…_

He nervously looked at Exodia Necross…

He drew.

_Well, that's halfway there…_ he thought.

"I play Pot of Greed…" he said, playing the card.

He drew two cards.

He smirked.

"Okay, Kenta…" he said. "First thing's first… Your canyon is coming down…"

"Oh, come on…" said Kenta. "No one could have been lucky enough to draw Heavy Storm AND Mystical Space Typhoon at the same time!"

"Actually…" said Ren, "I'm gonna do it with only _one_ card."

"What?" said Kenta. "You can't!"

"Yes I can," replied Ren. "Magic Reflector may be powerful, but it has one weakness.

"You see, when it's used to protect a Field Spell, which is what it's doing right now, it can NOT prevent the Field's destruction if a second Field Spell is played."

"Ren is right…" said Yumi, in surprise. "That thing can't prevent Necrovalley from being displaced by another Field."

"So…" said Ren, opening his own Field Slot. "I play Mystic Plasma Zone."

The cliffs of Necrovalley crumbled to dust, taking the Magic Reflector with them, the ground solidified, and the dark fog, with crackling energy coursing in the sky, covered the arena.

"You'd better hope you can make use of that," said Kenta. "Because Necross happens to be a Dark Monster."

Necross rose to (2,800/0), and Plague Wolf rose to (1,500/600)

"He won't be around much longer," said Ren, taking the other card he had drawn. "I play Monster Reborn!"

He played the card, and the ankh glowed with golden light in the darkness. Kenta's discard slot glowed as well…

The disembodied head of Exodia the Forbidden One appeared in front of Ren. (1,000/1,000) –) (1,500/600)

Exodia Necross moaned. Its skin shriveled, and then its left arm fell off and crashed to the ground. Then its right arm followed, then its head. Then what was left of it shattered into pixels.

"Very clever…" muttered Kenta.

"Oh, I'm not done…" said Ren. "I sacrifice this guy…"

Exodia's head vanished.

"To summon Penumbral Soldier Lady!"

From out of the darkness, the tall, female Warrior appeared, holding her sword and shield. (2,100/1,400) –) (2,600/1,000)

"Attack his Plague Wolf!" shouted Ren. "Sword of shadows!"

Penumbral Soldier Lady charged forward and slashed at Plague Wolf with her blade. It was blown to pieces.

**(R: 7,100) -------------------- (K: 3,400)**

"Not bad…" muttered Kenta.

He paused for a minute.

"I believe it's my move…"

He drew a card.

"I'll place this in Defense Mode, and that will be all."

A facedown Monster appeared.

Ren drew a card.

Pitch-Dark Dragon. He figured he'd save it for later.

"Penumbral Soldier Lady, attack!"

The Warrior charged again. Sangan appeared on the card, and she cleaved it in half.

"I'm sure you know what Sangan's effect is," said Kenta, taking his deck.

"Yeah, yeah…" said Ren.

Kenta got what he wanted, and then reshuffled.

"My turn is over, Kenta…" said Ren. "But why don't you just give up? Your key card has been destroyed, and Exodia Necross is a NOMI, whatever the heck that means."

Kenta laughed as he made his next draw.

He laughed even harder when he saw what it was.

"Ren, you are so naïve!" he said. "I'm playing a Necross Deck! Do you honestly believe that this deck has only _one_ copy of Necross?"

Ren stared at him.

"Your deck has… two copies of Exodia Necross?" he asked.

"Nope," replied Kenta. "Three."

"THREE?" shouted Yumi. "But… Wha… Exodia Necross is even rarer than the pieces of Exodia!"

"Having a mom who had celebrity status in the Pro League helped a great deal," said Kenta. "And now you've foolishly put Exodia's head back in my Graveyard, and used your only copy of Monster Reborn. Unless you also have Autonomous Action Unit in your deck, you won't be able to destroy it that way again…

"Speaking of which…

"I play my second copy of Contract With Exodia."

The storm raged, this one different than last time, given the different Field. A fiery circle appeared, and Exodia Necross appeared again. But this time, it knelt, and crossed its arms in Defense Mode. (1,800/0) –) (2,300/0)

"I'll put it in Defense Mode for this round," said Kenta. "But next round, it will be strong enough to kill her, and then… watch out!"

Ren nervously drew a card.

_ARGH! Call of the Haunted?_ he thought. _Even if I had something in my Graveyard that could stand up to Necross – and I don't – I can't use it. His Royal Decree is still on the field!_

He turned the card on his Disk, and Penumbral Soldier Lady knelt in Defense Mode.

"I can't do anything else…" he muttered.

"Then I draw…" said Kenta, drawing.

Necross rose to (2,800/0)

"I'll move it into Attack Mode…"

Necross stood up…

"Then I'll summon the guy I got from Sangan. My Shadow Cultist."

He played the card, and in another low moan, another cloaked figure appeared. It looked much like Dark Cultist, except with a midnight blue robe. (1,200/800) –) (1,700/400)

Ren gulped.

"By the way…" said Kenta. "When Shadow Cultist is on the field, all Spellcasters on my side of the field except this one are immune to Spells, Traps, and Monster effects that target.

"Get the idea? I have cards in my deck to eliminate both of Necross's weaknesses."

Yumi looked at Shadow Cultist.

_Interesting…_ she thought. _I should look into that card…_

"Shadow Cultist," ordered Kenta, "attack Penumbral Soldier Lady with shadow flux!"

Shadow Cultist fired a blast of shadowy energy at the Warrior. Penumbral Soldier Lady gasped, and was literally consumed by the darkness.

"Exodia Necross, attack Ren directly!"

"Watch out, Ren!" shouted Chelsea, as Necross lunged for him.

"Sit down!" said Yumi.

Necross slugged Ren in the stomach, and he was thrown backwards. He skidded ten feet across the pavement.

"Ow… ow… ow…" he muttered.

**(R: 4,300) -------------------- (K: 3,400)**

"Heh, heh…" said Kenta. "Your move…"

Ren slowly got up. He walked back to his position.

He looked at the four cards in his hand again.

_Only one guy can do it,_ he thought. _And I have to draw him NOW._

He drew a card.

_YES!_ he thought, looking at it. _Lady Luck is truly on my side!_

"I play Polymerization!" he shouted. "And I'll fuse together Dark Blade, and Pitch-Dark Dragon…"

The two Monsters appeared on the field, and then swirled into a dark blur.

"Come forth, Dark Blade the Dragon Knight!"

From out of the blur, Dark Blade flew, riding the Pitch-Dark Dragon, his sword held high. (2,200/1,500) –) (2,700/1,100)

"Are you kidding?" asked Kenta. "Necross will flatten him."

"He doesn't need to mess with Necross," said Ren. "Dark Blade, attack the Shadow Cultist!"

Dark Blade the Dragon Knight took to the air. He swooped down, and swiped at the Spellcaster with his sword. Shadow Cultist groaned, and burst into an explosion of cloth.

**(R: 4,300) -------------------- (K: 2,400)**

"And now…" said Ren, "since he inflicted battle damage, I get to remove from play three Monsters in your Graveyard. So, let's see…"

The images of the Monster Cards in Kenta's Graveyard appeared in front of him. He quickly touched Exodia the Forbidden One, Left Leg of the Forbidden One, and Right Leg of the Forbidden One, and they vanished.

Exodia Necross groaned again. This time, it turned to stone, and then cracks appeared all over it. It fell into a pile of rubble.

Kenta coughed as dust rose from the pile before it vanished.

"Not bad…" he muttered.

"Your move…" said Ren. "This is getting fun."

"Indeed…" said Kenta, drawing a card.

"I play… Card of Demise," he said, playing the card. "Now I get to draw five cards."

He made five draws.

"Yeah…" said Ren, as five lit candles appeared in front of Kenta, "but after five rounds, you lose your whole hand."

"I'm thinking more about the immediate future," said Kenta, looking at the eight cards in his hand. "As for this round, I play Heavy Storm."

He played the card, and the fierce wind erupted over the field, clearing away the dark fog of the field card, and shattering his own Royal Decree. Dark Blade the Dragon Knight fell to (2,200/1,500).

"Nice…" said Chelsea. "Now Ren can use his Traps again… Although if Kenta somehow summons his third Necross, it might not matter…"

"Next…" said Kenta. "I play my own Monster Reborn."

The ankh appeared on his side of the field.

"I'll use it to bring back my Dark Cultist, in Defense Mode."

Dark Cultist reappeared, now crouching and shielding itself in defense. (1,000/1,000)

"I'm sure you remember how Dark Cultist works, right?" asked Kenta. "All cards that have been removed from play now go back to our Graveyards, and it gains 100 Attack Points for each one."

Kenta slipped three cards into his discard slot, and Dark Cultist rose to (1,300/1,000)

"Nuts…" said Chelsea. "Now all five pieces of Exodia are in his Graveyard again…"

"I'll place a second Monster in Defense Mode, and that will end my turn," said Kenta.

A concealed Monster appeared.

One of the five candles blew out.

Ren made one draw.

He played the card.

"I summon Getsu Fuhma," he said.

The lovely, redheaded ronin in armor appeared, holding aloft her katana. (1,700/1,200)

"Getsu Fuhma, attack his Dark Cultist!"

Getsu Fuhma made a slash with her blade, and the Spellcaster burst, just like he had before.

"Dark Blade, take out that mystery Monster."

Dark Blade swooped towards the facedown card.

Magician of Faith appeared kneeling on the card, just seconds before she was blown to pieces.

"Nuts…" muttered Ren, rolling his eyes.

"Thank you…" said Kenta. "Now I get to reclaim one Spell Card from my Graveyard…"

He took a card from his discard slot.

"Give you one guess what it is," he said, showing him the Contract With Exodia card.

He added it to his hand.

"I have to end my turn," muttered Ren. "So why stall? Bring out the big guy again…"

Kenta made a draw.

He looked closely at the card.

"I will…" he said. "Let's play Contract With Exodia once more…"

He played the card, and once again, lightning flashed…

Kenta placed his third and last copy of Exodia Necross on his Disk, and for the third time, Exodia's evil twin arose. (1,800/0)

"Come on Ren…" muttered Chelsea. "Just once more… You can take it down just once more…"

"Necross…" ordered Kenta, "attack Getsu Fuhma!"

Necross punched with its mighty fist. Getsu cried out in pain as it struck her, and she shattered.

**(R: 4,200) -------------------- (K: 2,400)**

"I'll end with this facedown…" said Kenta, placing a card in a slot.

The second candle blew out.

Ren slowly drew a card.

It was The Fiend Megacyber, not someone he could use right now.

_He seems to have made a fatal mistake,_ he thought. _Dark Blade the Dragon Knight doesn't need to destroy a Monster to use his effect… He just has to inflict battle damage. His Attack Score is higher than Necross's right now, and Kenta will still take battle damage if I attack it…_

_And then, Necross will be gone again._

"Dark Blade… Attack Exodia Necross!"

Dark Blade flew at Exodia Necross.

"You took the bait!" shouted Kenta. "I activate Rush Recklessly!"

His facedown card lifted.

Ren's eyes widened as Necross grew to an Attack of 2,500…

It threw a punch, and Dark Blade the Dragon Knight shattered into bits.

**(R: 3,900) -------------------- (K: 2,400)**

"So Ren…" said Kenta with a smile. "What are you gonna do now?"

Ren placed one of his cards into his Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

"That's it for me…" he said.

Kenta drew a card. Exodia Necross grew to an Attack of 2,300.

"Well…" he said, "I don't usually attack with this guy, but…

"I summon Des Feral Imp in Attack Mode."

He played the card, and a fiendish-looking, reptilian, humanoid creature with sharp claws appeared. (1,600/1,800)

"No…" groaned Chelsea. "If both those attacks go through, Ren loses…"

"Necross, attack Ren directly!" ordered Kenta.

"I activate… Call of the Haunted!" shouted Ren.

His Trap Card lifted, and a tombstone rose on his side of the field…

Dark Blade the Dragon Knight burst out of the ground, facing Necross again. (2,200/1,500)

"Oh, you are good!" said Kenta with a laugh. "Necross, attack that Knight."

Exodia Necross threw his fist, and Dark Blade shattered again.

"Des Feral Imp, you attack directly. Jagged claw."

The Reptile lunged at Ren and slashed with its talons. He grunted, and staggered backwards.

**(R: 2,200) -------------------- (K: 2,400)**

"That's all for my turn," said Kenta. "I'll turn it over to you for now…"

The third candle blew out.

Ren drew a card.

_This will cost me,_ he thought, _but at least I can take down his Imp…_

"I Special Summon The Fiend Megacyber," he said, playing a card.

In a burst of dark energy, the powerful, cybernetic Warrior arose. (2,200/1,200)

"Attack his Des Feral Imp!" he shouted. "Mega slash!"

The Megacyber swiped at the Reptile with its talons, and the smaller Monster shattered into bits. Kenta cringed a little.

**(R: 2,200) -------------------- (K: 1,800)**

"Your move…" said Ren, nervously.

Kenta drew a card. Necross grew to (2,800/0)

_Burial From a Different Dimension?_ he thought, looking at it. _Nuts… I was hoping for a Monster…_

"Necross, attack his Fiend Megacyber!"

Exodia Necross lunged forward and punched The Fiend Megacyber. It shattered into pieces.

**(R: 1,600) -------------------- (K: 1,800)**

"So what now, Ren?" he asked. "Next round, it will be strong enough to take down Kaiba's Blue-Eyes. You'll never stand up to it."

The fourth candle went out.

Ren looked at the three cards in his hand, which were Bait Doll, Final Attack Orders, and Frontline Base. Not exactly the most useful cards right now.

He drew.

"I play… Graceful Charity!" he said, playing the card.

In a flash of light, the beautiful angel appeared, and her feathers fell on his deck.

Ren drew three cards and looked at them.

One of them was Crescent Moon Queen.

A tear fell out of his eye.

_Sorry Queenie…_ he thought, _but I can't use you this time… You'd be no help. Maybe next time…_

He discarded her and Final Attack Orders.

"I play… Double Spell!" he shouted. "Now, I'll discard my Frontline Base…"

He discarded a card.

"…and I get to use any Spell Card in your Graveyard, Kenta. And the card I choose…

"Monster Reborn!"

The ankh appeared, and the head of Exodia appeared again, floating in mid-air. (1,000/1,000)

Exodia Necross groaned again, and this time burst into pieces of black rubble. Then the rubble vanished.

"Now uhm…" said Ren. "Sheesh, I can't believe I'm attacking with this… Attack directly!"

The eyes of the disembodied head glowed, and fired two beams of energy, striking Kenta in the chest. He grunted and staggered backwards.

"I'll end my turn with that," said Ren. "And I learned my lesson, Kenta… This time, I'm keeping this Monster on the field if I can help it.

"I'll place this facedown, and end my turn."

He fit a card into his Disk, and a facedown card appeared in front of him.

**(R: 1,600) -------------------- (K: 800)**

Kenta nervously drew a card.

He looked at it strangely.

"Are you now?" he said, adding it to his hand. "Sorry, Ren, but I was prepared in case the pieces of Exodia wound up stuck on the field."

He took a card.

"See this card?" he said. "It's a Spell Card called Last Day of Witch, and when it's played, all Spellcasters on the field are destroyed. Fortunately for me, the pieces of Exodia fall into that category."

He played the card, and the head of Exodia shattered into bits.

"Glad I'm not dueling him…" said Yumi.

_Man, this guy is serious!_ thought Ren. _Last Day of Witch isn't a card you can simply buy at a card store!_

_Never before have I seen someone put so much dedication into a deck… I'd like to let you win, Kenta, but… The thing is…_

_I've put a lot of dedication into my deck too, and I'm going to try my hardest to win._

"Now…" said Kenta, "I'm going to beat you, Ren, and I'm gonna do it using my backup plan…"

He placed a card on his Disk.

"I summon Prometheus, King of the Shadows."

A dark fog rose on Kenta's side of the field, and a tall, fiendish form stepped out of it. It was a muscular man in black, his face hidden under an orange hood, also wearing a red cape and clawed gauntlets. His eyes glowed with pinpoints of light, and a shadowy aura was around him. (1,200/800)

"He may not seem very strong, but he has a powerful ability if I use him late in the duel. I can remove any number of Dark Monsters in my Graveyard from play, and for each one I get rid of, he gains 400 Attack Points for one turn.

"I really only have to remove one in order to make him strong enough to beat you… But I promised I'd give you my all…

"So… I think I'll toss my Spirit Reaper, Dark Cultist, Shadow Cultist, Des Feral Imp, Sangan, and Plague Wolf."

The six cards slipped out of his discard slot, and he placed them inside his jacket. Prometheus glowed, and rose to (3,600/800).

"Hold on one second!" shouted Ren.

"Yes?" asked Kenta.

"Uhm…" said Ren. "This really doesn't make any sense. If I remember my mythology correctly, Prometheus was the Titan who stole fire from the gods in order to give to humanity. So why the heck is he a Dark Fiend? Wouldn't something along the lines of Fire/Pyro be more appropriate?"

Kenta looked dumbfounded.

"Dunno…" he said with a shrug. "I guess it doesn't make much sense to me either now that I think about it… Eh, blame the designers.

"Anyway… Prometheus… Attack Ren directly with shadow blast!"

Prometheus, King of the Shadows raised his claws, and started to conjure up an evil spell of darkness…

"You almost had me," said Ren. "But unlike Necross, that guy isn't immune to Traps."

His facedown card flipped up, revealing Sakuretsu Armor.

Kenta gasped, as Prometheus cast his lethal hex, but a shimmering wall of energy formed around Ren, and it backfired, blowing the King of the Shadows to pieces.

Kenta sighed.

"In that case," he said, taking another card from his hand, "I play Burial From a Different Dimension."

He played the card, and then took three cards from his pocket.

"Now, three Monsters that I just removed from play go back to my Graveyard – Plague Wolf, Des Feral Imp, and Dark Cultist."

He slipped the three cards into his discard slot.

Kenta fit two cards into his Disk, and two facedown cards appeared.

"That ends my turn," he said, "and since five turns have now passed…"

The final candle went out. He discarded the last card in his hand.

_I've still got a chance,_ he thought. _There's still one more copy of Contract With Exodia in my deck, and one of my facedown cards is Jar of Greed, which will give me two chances to get it. _

_And my other facedown card is Monster Reincarnation. Since I'll have two cards next turn, I'll be able to use it with one to spare. I can get back Exodia Necross._

_And even if I don't draw the Contract, I can use Monster Reincarnation to get back Prometheus. Counting the five pieces of Exodia, I still have ten Dark Monsters to remove from play._

_He has one card in his hand right now, and if it were a Monster, he would have summoned it last turn. It all depends on whether or not my luck is better than his._

Ren drew a card.

"I activate Jar of Greed," exclaimed Kenta, as one of his facedown cards lifted. "Now I get one draw…"

He drew a card.

He gave it a look, and then looked at Ren.

"Heh…" chuckled Ren. "Sorry, Kenta, but this duel is over…

"I summon Familiar Knight."

He played the card, and in a dark aura, a knight in shining armor and a red cape, holding a longsword and a large shield, appeared in a fighting stance. (1,200/1,400)

Kenta sighed…

"Attack directly!" shouted Ren.

Dark Blade charged, and slashed at Kenta with his two swords. Kenta fell over on his behind.

**(R: 1,600) -------------------- (K: 0)**

The holograms vanished, and the next thing Kenta saw was Ren holding out his hand.

"Need help getting up?" he asked.

Kenta took the hand, and got up.

"Uhm, Kenta…" said Ren, "I kind of figured out what that other facedown card was… Monster Reincarnation, right?"

"Maybe…" said Kenta.

"Well…" asked Ren, "may I ask, what did you draw with Jar of Greed? Because that was a very close duel."

"Ah, it was this," said Kenta, showing him the card. "My other Royal Decree. Wouldn't have done much good…"

"Oh?" asked Ren. "Well, for the sake of novelty, why don't you see what your next draw would have been?"

Kenta looked at Ren…

He slowly drew the top card from his deck, and looked at it.

He showed it to Ren.

"Mmm-hmm…" said Ren, with a smile. "Well, it was nice to meet you, Kenta. If you ever want a rematch, just call."

"I will," said Kenta, shuffling his deck. "And next time, it will be different!"

Ren walked up to where Chelsea and Yumi were sitting and checked his badge, which was now at Violet.

"So… what was the card?" asked Chelsea, as Ren took back his guitar.

"Lets just say I see good things in Kenta's future," said Ren. "He's found his call as a duelist, and it will take him far."

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Ren never realized, of course, that someone was watching the duel that he would rather have not.

In his penthouse apartment, Rasputin had been watching the duel live on the internet, with a sulk on his face.

Exodia Necross… A card that reminded him of Gozaburo Kaiba.

Rasputin never forgave Seto Kaiba from wresting control of KaibaCorp from his stepfather. Not that he cared much for Gozaburo, mind you. The man was a snake with moral standards that were worse than his. Rasputin had big plans, and had intended to seize KaibaCorp in a hostile takeover himself…

At first, he was pleased when Seto beat him to it. He thought that the adolescent boy would be far easier to overcome than the ruthless tycoon…

But then, Seto quickly destroyed the military firm that Gozaburo had built, and remade KaibaCorp as a gaming company. The company was of no use to Rasputin any more, or so he thought. Even if he could take it over, he doubted some toy company would profit him at all.

He was even angrier years later, when the company became more successful as a gaming company than it ever had been as a military firm, becoming one of the two pillars in Duel Monsters along with Industrial Illusions, not to mention becoming the most successful gaming company in the world, edging out even Nintendo and Electronic Arts. Rasputin would have gladly tried to seize the company at that point… But by then, Seto Kaiba was far too powerful for him to challenge from a business standpoint. He had planned to crush him via Kaiba's chosen method – in a duel – once he had won the Egyptian God Cards, but that plan had been ruined by his failure to do so.

Still… Watching the duel, Rasputin couldn't help but be a little impressed. Ren had defeated that Monster three times. Kaiba struggled to do so _once_ in his final confrontation with his hated stepfather…

This was saying something…

Clearly, Yumi wasn't the only one he should keep his eye on…

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"So what time is it?" asked Chelsea.

Yumi looked at her watch.

"Four o'clock," she said. "We're all pretty tired… Maybe we'd better spend what's left of the day sightseeing rather than…"

"Oh, Yumi!" said a cheery voice from behind them.

Yumi grimaced.

Sam…

She turned to face her rival, who seemed in a pretty good mood for a change. Erik was with her.

Yumi didn't like this. Whenever Sam was happy, it often meant that someone else was unhappy. Or was going to be.

"Doing good, Yumi," said Sam, with a chuckle. "Violet, I see…"

"What do you want, Sam?" asked Yumi. "I've really had enough dueling today… Just an hour ago, I was up against a Monster that had 9,000 Attack Points, and…"

"Wouldn't think of it, Yumi," said Sam, with a pleasant smile. "I was wondering if you were up for a different challenge…"

She handed her a scroll made of cloth parchment.

Yumi gave her a strange look, and unfolded it.

"Sam…" she muttered, "this is the map to an Eliminator!"

"Uh huh…" said Sam. "I don't care for such things myself. Not like I need to make risky wagers for rare cards…"

Yumi looked at the map. It showed the Museum District, and a circle was drawn around the Kaiba Memorial Library.

Script was written at the bottom:

_Seek the inner sanctum of the tomb where the three brothers sleep in eternal hibernation, where their Guardians maintain their vigil. Triumph, and emerge with greater vision. Fail, and face the same fate that the brothers willingly accepted._

"Interesting…" muttered Yumi.

"Well…" said Sam, "let me know how it turns out, kay?"

As they left, Erik spoke to her.

"Sam, I don't get it," he said, "I thought you didn't believe in the Eliminators' powers."

"I don't," said Sam. "I just want to give Yumi the scare of her life, and hand her the worst defeat ever…

"You see… The Eliminator that map leads to…

"…she's my aunt. And she's _really_ good!"

Meanwhile, Yumi was studying the map.

"You aren't really gonna…" said Ren.

"Dunno…" muttered Yumi, as she folded it up, and put it in her satchel, "but it might be a good opportunity. Who knows, I might be able to…"

"Yumi!" said a voice.

Yumi turned, and saw Anastasia standing by her.

"Sorry to interrupt," said Anastasia, "but I'm certain now. Another Shadow Charm has surfaced."

"Which one this time?" asked Yumi, anxiously.

"Who is she talking to?" asked Ren.

"It's called the Sword of Tsunami," answered Anastasia, "and it's a very powerful one. It was forged by Salla the Warrior Queen, the most martial of all the Sorcerer Kings. It is said that whoever wields this weapon cannot be bested in physical combat."

"Good lord…" said Yumi. "We have to find it before Rasputin does. Where is it?"

"The zoo," said Anastasia. "Hurry!"

"Come on guys!" shouted Yumi. "We have to get to the zoo!"

"Why?" shouted Chelsea, as they started to run.

"I'll tell you on the way!" answered Yumi.

_After a friendly duel, Ren has advanced to Violet, and is well on his way to the top. But now, a new Shadow Charm is in sight, and the heroes must race to get it before their foes do. Who will claim the Sword of Tsunami?_

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**DARK CULTIST (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Spellcaster/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level:** 5  
**ATK:** 1,000  
**DEF:** 1,000

**Card Description:** When this card is Normal Summoned, Flip-Summoned, or Special Summoned, all cards that have been removed from play go to their respective owners' Graveyards. For each card that goes to the Graveyards in this manner, increase the ATK of this card by 100.

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**SHADOW CULTIST (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Spellcaster/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,200  
**DEF:** 800

**Card Description:** All Spellcaster-Type Monsters on your side of the field except this one cannot be targeted by Magic Cards, Trap Cards, or Monster effects that specifically designate a target while this card is face-up on the field.

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**GOBLIN CHARLATAN (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** The Goblin of Greed dressed in an expensive Italian suit.

**Card Description:** Remove any six cards in your deck from play. Then, add any Monster Card in your deck to your hand. Monster Cards removed from play by this effect cannot be Special Summoned while they remain removed from play.

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**CARD OF DEMISE (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** An executioner about to chop a deck of cards in half with a guillotine.

**Card Description:** Draw five cards from your deck. At your fifth End Phase after playing this card, discard your whole hand to the Graveyard.

_Note: "Card of Demise" was used by Kaiba several times in the original anime series, originally in "Clash in the Coliseum"._

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**DARK SQUIRE (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level:** 2  
**ATK:** 300  
**DEF:** 300

**Card Description:** When this card is Normal Summoned, move it into face-up Defense Position. If this card is destroyed as a result of battle while in a face-up position, both players draw two cards from their decks.

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**Ren: I gotta tell you, Yumi, ever since this thing started, it's gotten… Interesting…**

**Yumi: It might get more so… I fear a new Yami no Oujou might start, and the loser might not be so lucky this time.**

**Chelsea: You're still spent from the last one, Yumi. I might have to do it this time.**

**Ren: Chelsea, no! Don't do it!**

**Anastasia: She may not have a choice Ren…**

**Coming up next, "Chelsea's Challenge; The Sword of Tsunami".**

**As Chelsea pits her Zombies of Darkness against the Light of Ruin…**


	20. Chelsea's Challenge

_I'd like to make a statement before I start this chapter._

_A lot of people are comparing this story to _Xiaolin Showdown_. Well, I'd like to tell everyone, I don't watch that show. I watched it once, and I really wasn't impressed. So this fic is not based on it._

_Now that that's out of the way…_

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**CHAPTER NINETEEN**

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**Chelsea's Challenge**

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**The Sword of Tsunami**

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Cassandra shuffled the Tarot deck again. This was the complete deck. She needed a larger insight again.

She drew a card, and it was revealed to be The Strength.

"Chelsea…" she muttered, placing it on the table. "Something pertaining to her is about to happen…"

She carefully took another card, and flipped it over.

It wasn't the most pleasant-looking card. The scene was dominated by a woman who looked helpless. Not only was she tied up and blindfolded, but a cage of sharp swords surrounded her, threatening to cut her if she tried to free herself.

"The Eight of Swords…" mumbled Cassandra. "Clearly, Chelsea is about to enter a situation where she will experience pain…

"But she must accept it. She must endure it. If she does not, she will not succeed. Just as this woman must endure pain to escape the cage of swords, victory will be won through pain…

"Good luck, Chelsea…"

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The Duelatopia Zoo wasn't very big as far as zoos went. It could best be compared to the Central Park Zoo. It had several monkeys and apes, some great cats, one elephant, and a small collection of other exotic creatures.

Yumi, Ren, and Chelsea rushed through the gates, and looked around. The gorilla pit was to their left, and an enclosure for two llamas was to their right.

"That Charm could be hidden anywhere," said Yumi. "We'll cover more ground if we split up."

"You got it," said Chelsea.

They all ran off in separate directions.

"All right…" muttered Chelsea. "If I were a magical sword, where would I be? Besides lying at the bottom of some lake in Britain…"

"Looking for a magical sword, you say?" asked a voice.

Chelsea turned, and saw another of the ghosts she knew. This one was a woman dressed in an Elizabethan-style dress, albeit one that was ragged and torn.

The Baroness. She had been a sad case who had come to a violent end – murdered by a jealous husband who thought she had been unfaithful, which she hadn't been. By all rights, his soul was the one that should have been cursed and bound to the world of the living, but hers was instead for some reason. Chelsea wished she could help her, but she didn't know how.

"Baroness…" she said, "I don't have time to talk. I'm looking for something important."

"Well, I dare say I saw an odd sword over there," said the Baroness. "In that big pit with the striped cats."

Chelsea stopped short.

"I'd hug you if you had a body!" she exclaimed.

She rushed over to the tiger pit and looked down.

Three large, African tigers prowled below, and lying half-hidden under a bush, was a short sword made of what appeared to be bronze.

"REN! YUMI!" shouted Chelsea.

She didn't know if they had heard her or not, so she started to think of what to do…

The Sword was there in plain sight, but she'd be a fool to jump into that pit with three tigers there. She didn't even know if they had been fed yet. The Charm was important, but she had no desire to become a cat-snack.

As she considered, she noticed a man walk up beside her…

She was shocked to see that he was wearing a black cloak and hood.

He was also carrying a portable cooler which he quickly opened.

"He who hesitates is lost," he said, taking three huge, raw steaks out of the cooler.

He threw them as far away from the Sword as possible, and the tigers rushed for them.

"Now, if you'll excuse me…" he said, dropping the cooler.

He leapt over the railing.

"Oh no you don't!" shouted Chelsea, leaping over the railing herself. "Can't you read? You aren't allowed to feed the animals!"

At that moment, Ren and Yumi rushed up.

"CHELSEA!" shouted Ren. "DON'T! PLEASE!"

Chelsea grabbed the Ascender from behind and tackled him.

"Domino City High lady's track and field captain, past two years," said Chelsea, with a grin. "And damn proud of it!"

Then the Ascender punched her in the face.

"I'm not afraid to hit girls, by the way…" he said.

Then Chelsea punched him back.

"And I just _love_ to hit _boys_!" she replied, angrily.

Anastasia appeared next to Yumi.

"Anastasia…" said Yumi. "We have to stop her…"

Lightning flashed. The tigers looked up from their meal and cowered in fright.

The Sword of Tsunami floated off the ground, and started to glow.

"It's too late…" said Anastasia. "This is my fault… I couldn't pinpoint its location better…

"Chelsea found it first… And it's her battle now…"

"No…" said Yumi, as the darkness started to overwhelm the area.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

When the gloom cleared, Yumi saw that they were in an even more threatening spot than that beach. They were now in a clearing surrounded by a thick jungle, choked with thorny vines and deadly-looking plants. A large snake slithered from the branches of one of the trees. Once again, the sky was thick and cloudy.

Chelsea was facing her opponent, a serious look on her face.

"No!" cried Yumi. "She can't take a Shadow Game! She has no experience, no Millennium Item… It will be too much!"

"Don't worry…" said Anastasia. "Chelsea does have a little support. You can't see her, but I can…"

Chelsea looked over her shoulder. The Baroness was standing beside her, having followed her somehow.

"So…" she said to the Ascender, "just who are you?"

The Ascender lowered his hood, revealing a surprise. He looked to be in his early twenties, and while he had no beard, his hairstyle and facial expression was very similar to that of Rasputin.

"You may call me Ferdinand," he replied.

"What are you?" asked Chelsea, lifting an eyebrow. "Rasputin's son?"

"No…" replied Ferdinand. "Rasputin doesn't have any children. He is unable to. But thanks for the compliment."

"Compliment?" asked Chelsea. "There's some benefit to looking like him that we don't know about?"

"There's a reason I look like him," replied Ferdinand, "but it will have to remain a mystery…"

Yumi's eyes narrowed.

A voice came from the clouds. It was definitely a different voice than last time – it was female.

"_Chelsea… Ferdinand…"_ said the voice. _"Like before, a rule is being added to this duel, but it's a different one than last time."_

"Who the devil are you?" shouted Chelsea.

There was a long pause.

"_You are addressing none other than Salla the Warrior Queen,"_ replied the voice.

Yumi opened her eyes wide.

The Sorcerer Kings… They were the ones in charge of this… They were alive, and they weren't in any prison…

Questions started to run through Yumi's mind. If they were still alive, why would they let others take their Charms? Weren't these things the source of their power?

Before she could question this, the voice of the Sorcerer King continued.

"_The Sword of Tsunami used to be mine,"_ said Salla's voice,_ "and I will decide how you will earn it._

"_The rule is called the Draw Shield. I will explain. If you would ever take battle damage, you have the option of drawing one card from your deck. If it is a Monster Card, you don't lose any Life Points, and you gain whatever Life Points you would have lost. If it is a Spell Card, there is no effect. You lose Life Points as you normally would._

"_But if it is a Trap Card, the battle damage is doubled._

"_No matter what card you draw when you use the Draw Shield, that card must then be sent to the Graveyard._

"_Understand? Good. Begin. Honor goes to Ferdinand."_

"Oh, giving the first turn to the other guy again?" groaned Ren. "These guys hate us…"

"Having the first turn isn't always the best idea," said Anastasia. "going second lets you see what you're up against. Most of the time."

Chelsea and Ferdinand drew five cards off their decks.

"Game on!" they both shouted.

A loud horn echoed from deep within the dark jungle…

"Sounds like the natives are restless…" muttered Yumi. "If you'll pardon the cliché."

**(Chelsea: 8,000) -------------------- (Ferdinand: 8,000)**

Ferdinand drew his first card and looked over his hand.

"I'll win this duel," he said. "My strategy was designed with utmost precision and care.

"To start off, I'll play the Spell Card, Different Dimension Capsule."

As he played the card, a glowing, blue sarcophagus rose out of the ground.

"Now I can take any card I want from my deck, and seal it in the Capsule, and in just two short turns, I can add it to my hand."

Then images of all the cards in his deck appeared in front of him.

He pointed to one, and it vanished. Then the other cards did as well. Then the Capsule sunk into the ground.

"That card is likely something very important…" said the Baroness.

"Yeah, but using that Spell is always risky," replied Chelsea. "If I can use a card that can destroy that Capsule before the two turns are up, that card is gone for good."

She looked at her hand.

"Only problem is… I don't have one right now…"

Ferdinand placed a card on his Disk, and a defensive Monster appeared.

"That will be all for my turn," he said.

"Then watch out!" shouted Chelsea, drawing a card.

She added it to her hand.

"I play Call of the Mummy," she said, playing a Spell Card. "Now I can Special Summon a Zombie from my hand, so long as I have no Monsters on my side of the field. Like my Zombie Werewolf!"

In a burst of darkness, Zombie Werewolf appeared. (1,200/1,200)

"Next, I'll Normal Summon Vampire Lady!"

She played another card, and in another burst of darkness, Vampire Lady appeared. (1,550/1,550)

"A little early for Halloween, isn't it?" asked Ferdinand.

Chelsea smirked.

Then the two Zombies turned towards her…

"Huh?" she said.

"Don't worry, child," said Vampire Lady's sultry voice. "We'll handle this cretin…"

Zombie Werewolf growled and nodded.

"A game of shadows couldn't have come at a better time…" continued Vampire Lady. "We're all hungry, and your opponent looks delectable!"

"Okay…" muttered Chelsea. "Let's do it…

"Zombie Werewolf, attack his Monster!"

Zombie Werewolf lunged. Sangan appeared on the card, and was torn in half.

"I'm sure you know what Sangan's effect is," said Ferdinand, taking his deck. "I now get to search for any Monster with 1,500 Attack Points or less…"

He took a card and put his deck back.

"My Mystical Elf should do…"

"Mystical Elf?" said Yumi. "Aw, why do the bad guys have to use the cards that my family used to use?"

"I'm not done with you," said Chelsea. "Vampire Lady…"

"With pleasure…" said the vampire.

Vampire Lady hissed and bore her fangs. She leapt at Ferdinand and then vanished…

Ferdinand looked around, not knowing that she was behind him and grinning…

She grabbed hold of him and sank her fangs into his neck. He screamed…

She vanished again, and reappeared on Chelsea's side.

"Your vampire is a real pain in the… well, you know…" he said.

**(C: 8,000) -------------------- (F: 6,450)**

Vampire Lady gave a look of disgust.

"That tasted terrible…" she muttered.

Chelsea looked at Ferdinand strangely. Apparently he wasn't as delectable as they had thought… But what about his blood could disgust a vampire?

"Don't forget her effect," said Chelsea. "I think I'll have you discard a Spell Card."

Ferdinand grimaced and took a card from his deck. He discarded a copy of Terraforming.

"That's it for my turn, so I'll turn it over to you," she said.

Ferdinand drew a card.

He frowned at Chelsea, and placed a card on his Disk. A new defensive Monster appeared.

He waved his hand.

Chelsea drew a card. It was Vampire Lord.

_That facedown Monster is most likely Mystical Elf…_ she thought.

"I sacrifice Zombie Werewolf, to summon Vampire Lord!" she shouted.

Zombie Werewolf vanished in a burst of darkness, and the imposing vampire appeared. He turned to Vampire Lady, and they nodded to each other. (2,000/1,500)

_Now what to do…_ she thought.

Then a voice came from the stronger Monster.

"Let me attack, child," he said. "If it is Mystical Elf, it will be no harm, no foul."

_I'm getting coached by my own Monsters…_ thought Chelsea. _This is too weird…_

"Okay, attack!" she ordered. "Children of the night!"

Vampire Lord's eyes glowed red. He lifted his cloak, and a swarm of bats flew at the facedown card…

Mystical Elf appeared, kneeling on the card. (800/2,000) A dome of energy surrounded her, and the bats turned to dust upon hitting it.

"So now what?" asked Ferdinand.

Chelsea fit a card into her Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

"That's all for now…" she said.

Vampire Lord nodded to her.

"All right," said Ferdinand, drawing a card. "Now the real fun starts! First, I'll recover the card I put in that Capsule."

The Different Dimension Capsule rose out of the ground, and opened. A card appeared in his hand.

"Great…" said Ren. "That card can literally be anything…"

"Next…" said Ferdinand, opening his Field Slot, "I play Luminous Spark."

He played the Field Spell, and a wash of light covered the whole field. The two vampires covered their eyes, as if the light was hurting them.

"You two okay?" asked Chelsea.

"Ugh… It hurts…" said Vampire Lady. "But we'll be fine for now…"

"Now, all Light Monsters gain 500 Attack Points," said Ferdinand, as Mystical Elf grew to 1,300 Attack.

"Yeah, but she loses 400 Defense Points!" replied Chelsea. "She dies next turn!"

"Trust me…" said Ferdinand. "You won't be putting Monsters in Attack Mode after this turn. I switch her to Attack Mode…"

Mystical Elf stood up, and opened her eyes. Chelsea didn't like the look in her eyes…

"Continuing…" he said, "I play a Spell Card called Advanced Ritual Art.

"It works like this… I get to substitute this card for any Ritual Spell Card, and instead of sacrificing Monsters from the field or my hand, I sacrifice them from my deck. However, they have to be Normal Monsters.

He took his deck, and picked out two more Mystical Elves. He quickly discarded them.

"Four plus four equals eight…" he said. "Just the number I need…"

Lightning flashed, and dark, ominous shapes appeared in the sky. Glowing eyes flashed from within the jungle…

"By the way…" he said, "the Ritual Spell that I'd normally use in this case is called End of the World…"

"End of the World?" asked Ren. "I don't like the sound of that… What does that summon?"

"Someone bad…" said Anastasia. "That card can summon one of two Monsters, and given his Field Spell…"

"Descend, harbinger of doom…" said Ferdinand, ominously.

The clouds churned and undulated. Slowly, a tall form floated down from above…

It was a tall woman of sinister beauty, with white hair down to her waist, dressed in a maroon, black, and white dress, a fancy tiara, and holding a metal staff that was pointed on the end with two blades.

"I give you… Ruin, Queen of Oblivion!"

The creature smiled an evil smile, looking at Chelsea as if she wanted to eat her… And perhaps she did.

(2,300/2,000) – (2,800/1,600)

"Now to work…" said Ferdinand. "Ruin, smite her Vampire Lord! Rod of Ragnarok!"

Ruin laughed, and thrust her staff forward, as the tip glowed with energy. She shot a blast of fiery, burning light that lit up the whole clearing. Vampire Lord screamed before being reduced to dust.

"And by the way…" continued Ferdinand. "When Ruin kills one Monster, she gets to attack a second time. Ruin, kill the Vampire Lady!"

Ruin cast her fiery spell again, and Vampire Lady was incinerated.

"Mystical Elf… Direct attack!"

Mystical Elf smirked as she looked at Chelsea. She threw her hands forward, throwing a blast of sparkling energy. Chelsea shrieked as it hit her.

Yumi's eyes narrowed. This certainly was NOT the Mystical Elf that she knew… It was as if this Queen of Oblivion had corrupted her with her very presence.

"Make your move, Chelsea," said Ferdinand. "Next round, my Queen is coming after you."

**(C: 4,650) -------------------- (F: 6,450)**

Chelsea paused. After her Monsters had spoken to her, seeing them die hurt more than a little. She nervously looked at her deck.

"Don't worry, Chelsea," said the Baroness. "I'm still here… I'll give you support until I can give no more…"

She touched her right hand. Chelsea smiled.

Maybe having these ghosts follow her around wasn't so bad…

She drew a card.

…unfortunately, she didn't have anything that could defeat his Queen of Oblivion. She remembered the house rule… She might have to depend on a little luck.

She placed a card on her Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared.

"That'll do it…" she said.

"Then I draw…" said Ferdinand.

He looked at the powerful Monster.

_Can't use this guy just yet_, he thought.

"Ruin, destroy her facedown Monster!"

Ruin shot her evil blast of light. Blood Sucker appeared on the card, and was blown to pieces.

"Now, attack directly!" he shouted.

Ruin grinned at Chelsea again. She aimed her weapon at her…

"Not so fast!" shouted Chelsea. "I'm using the Draw Shield!"

As Ruin fired her blast, Chelsea whipped a card off of her deck…

She was relieved to glance at it and see that it was another Vampire Lady.

In a flash of light, Vampire Lady appeared in front of Chelsea. She looked over her shoulder at Chelsea, grinned, and gave a thumb's up…

Then she caught the blast, and it was deflected. Chelsea felt energy start to flow into her.

Then the vampire faded away. Chelsea sighed in relief, and discarded the card.

Ferdinand frowned.

"Mystical Elf, attack her again!" he ordered.

Chelsea hollered as the Elf cast her spell, hitting her a second time.

"You lucked out that time," said Ferdinand. "But next time will be different."

**(C: 6,150) -------------------- (F: 6,450)**

"My move…" muttered Chelsea.

She drew a card.

She smirked. She took another card from her hand.

"I summon Soul-Absorbing Bone Tower," she said, playing a card.

With a rumble, the enormous tower of skulls and bones sprouted out of the ground. (400/1,500)

"Now I activate my facedown card," she continued. "Call of the Haunted."

The card lifted, and a fancy coffin appeared on her side of the field. It creaked open, and Vampire Lord crawled out of it. (2,000/1,500)

"And since I just Special Summoned a Zombie, my Tower's effect activates, and you lose the top two cards from your deck."

Ferdinand frowned. He took the two cards from the top of his deck, and tossed them.

"Good going, Chelsea," said Vampire Lord. "Now, let's take this to the next level!"

"You got it!" continued Chelsea. "Now, I remove my Vampire Lord from play, to summon Vampire Genesis!"

Vampire Lord vanished, and the hulking vampire deity appeared in a burst of shadow.

"Ah…" he said, looking at his hands. "Now we're talkin'…" (3,000/2,100)

"And that counts as another Special Summon…" said Chelsea, as the Bone Tower glowed.

Ferdinand snarled, and discarded his next two cards.

"Now, Vampire Genesis…" ordered Chelsea, "destroy Ruin! Crimson shroud!"

Ren and Yumi cheered as Vampire Genesis burst into his destructive red mist, and plowed into the Queen of Oblivion, throwing her backwards and then blowing her to pieces.

**(C: 6,150) -------------------- (F: 6,250)**

"This might actually work…" said Yumi. "She's not doing half-bad…"

Ren looked at Chelsea.

_Oh, Chelsea, please don't lose…_ he thought. _I'd never be able to live with myself…_

"My draw…" said Ferdinand, drawing a card.

He growled a little.

I'll move Mystical Elf into Defense Mode, and place one card facedown."

Mystical Elf knelt and shielded herself. Then a facedown card appeared behind her.

He waved his hand.

Chelsea drew a card. She looked at it and her other card.

"I'll move Soul-Absorbing Bone Tower to Defense Mode, just in case…" she said, turning the card on her Disk.

"Then I'll attack with Vampire Genesis!"

Vampire Genesis charged again. Mystical Elf screamed before she exploded into shards.

"So much for her," said Chelsea. "That's all I can do…"

"Take heart, Chelsea," said the Baroness. "The score is close. You can defeat this cur."

"My move again…" said Ferdinand, drawing a card.

He grinned when he saw what he had drawn.

"I play a second Advanced Ritual Art," he said, playing the card. "And I'm gonna summon someone new…

"You thought Ruin was a nasty Monster… She was just a preview to a much nastier beast waiting in my deck… One that proves that Light isn't always the benign, nourishing force it usually is…"

He took his deck, and chose two Neo the Magic Swordsman cards. He discarded both of them.

"Once again…" he said, "four plus four equals eight…"

"I know how to add, pal!" shouted Chelsea.

"There's a legend behind this next Monster," said Ferdinand, ignoring her. "They say it was summoned by an ancient race, and it repaid them by enslaving them and then consuming them, leading to that race's extinction…

"The normal Ritual that summons this creature has a fitting name… Final Ritual of the Ancients!"

"Oh… no…" muttered Anastasia.

An ominous stone altar with a strange, glowing symbol on it appeared behind him.

"Come forth, Lord of Evil…" shouted Ferdinand. "Come to flood the world in your relentless, burning light! I summon you… Reshef the Dark Being!"

The altar shattered, and a huge, hulking form materialized, looming over Ferdinand. It looked like a huge, crouching statue with a horned head, huge forelegs, and five stone spires on its back. Orbs of light orbited it like moons. It radiated a golden aura, but an air of pure malice hung about it.

"And naturally, my Field Spell gives it a boost," continued Ferdinand.

(2,500/1,500) – (3,000/1,100)

"That… thing is a Light Monster?" asked Ren, shivering. "I thought he said it was a… Dark Being…"

Anastasia shook her head.

"This is Light…" she said, "but it is evil Light…

"This is the Light of Ruin…"

"Chelsea!" shouted Ren. "Don't give up! That thing's Attack Score is exactly the same as Genesis's! It can't beat him without dying itself!"

"Your friend is right," said Ferdinand. "But whoever said I wanted to destroy your vampire? Reshef has a very powerful effect, that I can use every round by discarding a Spell Card, like this second Luminous Spark…"

He discarded the card.

Reshef's eyes glowed, with fiery light.

"NO!" growled the vampire. "Stay away!

"My apologies… in advance… Chelsea…"

He vanished, and reappeared next to Reshef.

"Hey!" shouted Chelsea.

"As you can see…" said Ferdinand, "your Monster becomes mine for the rest of this turn. It's like a Monster version of Change of Heart that I can use every round, so long as I have a Spell Card to discard."

"No fair!" shouted Chelsea.

"Blame whoever designed the card," said Ferdinand with a laugh. "It certainly wasn't me. Now, let's see… I could attack your Bone Tower with this vampire, and then attack you with Reshef…

"Or vice-versa. The effect would be the same, so it doesn't matter…

"Eh… Just so you don't think of me as some sort of barbarian… I won't attack you with your own Monster."

"How thoughtful…" growled Chelsea.

"Vampire Genesis," ordered Ferdinand, "attack the Soul-Absorbing Bone Tower! Crimson shroud!"

Genesis burst into the red cloud. He slammed into the Bone Tower, and it exploded into shards of bone.

"Reshef, attack Chelsea directly!" he ordered. "Scorching blast!"

Reshef the Dark Being glowed with an aura of bright flames that turned the dim jungle brighter than daylight. It opened its mouth, and bright, blue flames appeared in its jowls…

"I'll use the Draw Shield again!" shouted Chelsea.

She yanked a card off her Disk.

"No…" she gasped, looking at it.

The sinister image of Red Ghost Moon appeared behind Chelsea, burning with black fire.

Chelsea heard Yumi and Ren screaming her name as Reshef breathed a blast of scorching blue fire, striking Chelsea dead-center. Chelsea screamed as what seemed to be the heat of the sun itself burned at her skin…

**(C: 150) -------------------- (F: 6,250)**

"No…" moaned Ren. "She took a gamble, and she lost…"

"Even worse…" said Yumi, "that was her Red Ghost Moon. She wasted a very powerful Trap Card…"

Chelsea lay on the ground, stunned, her eyes wide open. Smoke rose from her prone form…

"I end my turn," said Ferdinand, "which means Vampire Genesis returns to your control."

Vampire Genesis reappeared on Chelsea's side. He snarled, and shook his clawed fist at Reshef the Dark Being…

"Bastard!" he ranted. "I'll drain the marrow from your smallest bones…"

Chelsea didn't respond for a minute.

Then Salla's voice came out of the clouds again.

"_Chelsea…"_ said Salla. _"It is your move. If you do not make it in one minute, you will be disqualified."_

"Hey, cut her some slack!" shouted Ren.

There was no answer.

The Baroness knelt over Chelsea and pulled a small fan from her dress. She started to fan her face.

Chelsea's eyes slowly closed, and then opened again. She groaned and sat up.

"Ouch…" she muttered. "Somehow, I think being attacked by Genesis would have hurt less…"

She looked at Genesis.

"No offense…"

"None taken," replied the Monster.

She discarded the Red Ghost Moon card, and then picked up her other cards. She stood up.

"Anastasia…" muttered Ren. "Did your dad actually approve of these Monsters?"

Anastasia gave a sad look.

"Actually…" she said, "those two Ritual Monsters… he designed them himself…"

"WHAT?" shouted Ren.

"Let me explain…" replied Anastasia. "My dad made a lot of mistakes during the time he was producing the cards for the game, but maybe the biggest mistake of all was designing the game in the first place. You see, by immortalizing the ancient Shadow Beasts in card form, he was unleashing powers that he couldn't begin to comprehend.

"Throughout his career, he had… visions… Visions of powerful creatures. These beings wouldn't leave him alone. They pestered him until he designed and printed them on cards.

"It seemed these powerful shadow creatures wanted their influence in the mortal world badly, and they saw Duel Monsters as their ticket to fame, so to speak.

"Not all of these creatures were evil… Shinato and Zerato were designed this way. In fact, Archlord Zerato is the image of a real archangel that used to exist, as your father found out, Yumi.

"But others… Like Ruin and Reshef… There were sinister things…

"But dad had no choice. He was afraid of what they might do if he simply refused…"

"Lovely…" muttered Ren.

Meanwhile, Chelsea was taking some deep breaths. She looked at her deck.

"All right…" she said. "Here goes…"

_Come on, give me something…_ she thought, as she drew.

"All right, Ferd," he said, "time to send your Dark Being back to where it's dark. I play Rush Recklessly!"

"I activate my facedown card," replied Ferdinand, as his Trap Card lifted. "Magic Drain. Unless you can discard another Spell Card, there'll be no rushing, reckless or otherwise."

Chelsea grit her teeth.

"I can't…" she muttered.

Her Spell Card shattered.

"I'll place this facedown, and end my turn…"

She fit one of her two remaining cards into her Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

"Heh, heh, heh…" chuckled Ferdinand. "Seems all I have to do is draw a Spell Card, and I'll finish you.

"I draw!"

He drew a card.

He gave it a strange look.

"Disappointed?" asked Chelsea, with a grin. "No Spell Cards to discard, huh?"

"I place one card facedown…" muttered Ferdinand, "and end my turn."

A facedown card appeared in front of him.

"This is dangerous…" said Anastasia. "Both of them have very powerful Monsters with equal Attack Points. Ferdinand knows that if he sets another Monster, Chelsea will just destroy it…

"On the other hand, Chelsea has to get another Monster in this situation, because it might provide a shield if Ferdinand uses that effect.

"And Chelsea can't simply kamikaze Genesis against Reshef! It's too risky… Genesis is a NOMI, and Reshef isn't… And Chelsea only has 150 Life Points left!"

_She's right…_ thought Chelsea. _There has to be some other way…_

She drew a card.

"I play Pot of Greed…" she said.

She played the card, and drew two cards.

"Time to take that thing down," she said. "I play Mystical Space Typhoon. And the target will be…

"My own facedown card!"

"Huh?" said Ferdinand.

She played the card, and her facedown card was swept up and shattered.

A stone coffin appeared on the field. It opened, and Vampire Lady crawled out. She grinned wickedly. (1,550/1,550)

"What on earth…" muttered Ferdinand.

"It was a special Trap called Zombie Bed," said Chelsea. "It can only be activated when it's destroyed. When it is, I get to summon a Zombie from my Graveyard."

"Yeah?" asked Ferdinand. "I still say it was a dumb move. If you had any sense, you would have destroyed my Field Spell. Then Reshef would have been weaker than your Genesis.

"I don't even have to use Reshef's effect now… I simply have to attack Vampire Lady, and…"

"Sorry, but it isn't going to get a chance," said Chelsea, playing another card. "I summon Vampire Bat!"

A swarm of bats flew out of the dense jungle, and grouped together on Chelsea's side of the field, turning into one giant bat. (800/800)

Vampire Genesis rose to an Attack of 3,200, Vampire Lady rose to 1,750, and Vampire Bat itself rose to 1,000.

"Uh oh…" said Ferdinand.

"Vampire Genesis…" shouted Chelsea, "attack Reshef the Dark Being!"

"My pleasure…" growled Genesis.

Genesis burst into his crimson shroud. He plowed into Reshef, and the Lord of Evil Light exploded in a burst of fiery pyrotechnics.

"Now, a direct attack!" continued Chelsea. "Vampire Bat, nightmare scourge!"

The Bat burst into a swarm again, and flew at Ferdinand. He shielded himself as he was assaulted by a multitude of tiny bites.

"Vampire Lady, you too!" ordered Chelsea.

Vampire Lady gave a look of disgust. She lunged at Ferdinand.

"Not so fast, Chelsea!" shouted Ferdinand. "I too can use the Draw Shield, and I think I will!"

He snatched a card from the top of his deck.

A glowing light appeared in front of him, and Ruin appeared in the light (clearly a second copy), blocking Vampire Lady's advance. Vampire Lady scowled at the evil Fairy, only to be shoved back. Ferdinand glowed with energy.

**(C: 150) -------------------- (F: 6,800)**

"This could take all night…" muttered Ren.

"Look on the bright side," said Yumi. "Chelsea has three Monsters now, and Ferdinand has none."

"Unless you can do something with that last card in your hand," said Ferdinand, discarding Ruin, "I'll move."

Chelsea looked at the card, which was Mirage of Nightmare.

"Go ahead…" she said.

Ferdinand drew a card.

"I play… Pot of Avarice," he said, holding up the card.

The goofy, pink jar appeared on his side of the field. He took one Ruin, all three Mystical Elves, and one Neo from his Graveyard, reshuffled, and drew twice.

"Heh, heh…" he said. "Now to finish you off!

"I play Fulfillment of the Contract. Now, for the mere price of 800 Life Points, I can bring Reshef back from the Graveyard, so long as I Equip it with this card."

He fit the card into his Disk, and Reshef rose out of the ground with a grating rumble. (2,500/1,500) – (3,000/1,100)

"It's back, and it's angry," continued Ferdinand. "Next, I'll activate my Trap Card…"

His facedown card lifted.

"Curse of the Ancient One," he said. "Since Reshef is on the field, I get to take the top two cards from my Graveyard and add them to my hand, so long as I don't play them…"

Two cards slipped out of his discard slot.

"And by the way," he said, showing her Magic Drain and Pot of Avarice, "one of them is a Spell Card.

"So, now I'll discard my Pot of Avarice, to activate Reshef's effect again."

"Not again…" moaned Genesis.

He discarded the card, and Vampire Genesis vanished, reappearing on Chelsea's side again.

"No…" muttered Chelsea.

"Don't give up hope, Chelsea…" said the Baroness.

"Well, let's consider…" said Ferdinand. "I could win this duel by attacking either of your Monsters with either of these.

"But I have another way that's more fun…"

He played another card in his hand.

"I play Gift of the Martyr," he said. "Now I can sacrifice your vampire, and his Attack Score is added to Reshef's for one turn."

Vampire Genesis glared at Reshef with a look of pure hate. He vanished, and Reshef grew to an Attack Score of 6,000.

"No…" gasped Ren.

Chelsea looked at her deck.

_The Draw Shield is my only chance…_ she thought. _If this doesn't work, I'm dead meat…_

"Reshef…" ordered Ferdinand, "attack her Vampire Lady! Scorching blast!"

Reshef glowed with blue fire again. It blasted its energy…

"I use the Draw Shield!" shouted Chelsea.

She closed her eyes and drew a card.

She kept them closed. She didn't feel any pain when the blast would have hit…

She opened her eyes. Vampire Lady was gone, obviously having been eradicated by the attack, and Penelope was in front of her, glowing with energy.

Chelsea looked at the card, which was indeed Penelope.

"Thank you…" she said to the Monster.

"You're welcome…" said a wispy female voice.

Penelope smiled, and then vanished into mist. Chelsea slowly discarded the card.

**(C: 4,600) -------------------- (F: 6,000)**

"I'm getting tired of this…" muttered Ferdinand. "This jungle is making my allergies act up, and I never wanted to duel tonight anyway. You just lost Genesis, and it was the only Monster that could stand up to Reshef, and I already have a Spell Card that I can use next turn. So why don't you just surrender?"

"Not on your life," said Chelsea, drawing a card.

"I play Graceful Charity…"

The card glowed, and she drew three cards.

She smirked, and discarded two of the cards she had just drawn, Ryu Kokki and a second Zombie Werewolf.

"I play… Book of Life," she said. "Also known as the Book of Forbidden Magic. It's a two-step process. First, I remove one of your Monsters in your Graveyard from play. So just in case this doesn't work, I'll remove your first Queen of Oblivion in case you have plans to use her again."

Ruin fell out of Ferdinand's discard slot.

"Then I get to Special Summon a Zombie from my Graveyard," she continued, "and I know just who I want… Come on out, Penelope, Lady of the Night!"

In a burst of light, Penelope appeared, thrusting her scepter forward. (1,000/200)

"She's worthless!" laughed Ferdinand.

Penelope gave him a dirty look.

"Oh, really?" asked Chelsea. "Well just by summoning her, all Spell and Trap Cards on the field are destroyed."

"Oh, I'm so scared…" said Ferdinand, sarcastically.

Then his eyes opened as he realized something…

"Wait…" he said. "That means…"

"That's right…" said Chelsea. "That includes Fulfillment of the Contract, and when that goes, the contract is null and void, and Reshef is removed from play."

The Equip Spell shattered, and Reshef the Dark Being rippled before fading into nothing. Then Luminous Spark and Chelsea's Call of the Mummy, which had been forgotten about, shattered into pieces.

"And next…" continued Chelsea, "for every Zombie that's rotting in my Graveyard right now, Penelope gains 400 points added to her Attack Score. And there are seven right now. Plus there's the bonus she gets from Vampire Bat."

Penelope grew to an Attack of 4,000.

"Four grand?" gasped Ferdinand.

"That's right," said Chelsea. "Vampire Bat, you attack first..."

Vampire Bat swarmed at Ferdinand, and he tried to shield himself again, as they bit and clawed at him.

**(C: 4,600) -------------------- (F: 5,000)**

"Penelope…" ordered Chelsea, "direct attack! Light of Vengeance!"

Penelope powered up her mighty spell…

"Take this, villain!" she shouted, aiming her scepter.

"I can still use the Draw Shield!" shouted Ferdinand.

He snatched a card off his Disk.

"Oh no…" he gasped, looking at it.

Penelope's blast shot forward, and Ferdinand let out a bloodcurdling scream as it hit him.

He fell to the ground, and the card he had drawn, Mirror Force, fell out of his hand.

Chelsea's two friends cheered… The Baroness sighed with relief.

**(C: 4,600) -------------------- (F: 0)**

The air started to blur, and the scenery started to shift…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Chelsea, Ren, and Yumi were back in the Duelatopia Zoo, and the prone body of Chelsea's opponent was in front of her.

Chelsea sighed and bowed her head. There was no way he could have survived this time… Not after taking an 8,000-point hit. Besides, Erik wasn't here, and none of them knew CPR.

"To think…" said Ren, "if he hadn't used that Draw Shield, he'd have still had Life Points left, and the card he'd have drawn on his next turn would have been Mirror Force… He might have won…"

"Ren…" said Yumi, "I try hard not to think of such things…"

Chelsea paused.

Then she noticed something. A sheath was now strapped around her waist, and the Sword of Tsunami was inside it.

She pulled it halfway out of the sheath and looked at it.

"Well, Yumi…" she said. "It's mine, I guess… But…"

Then laughter started coming from Ferdinand's body. They all looked in fear as he sat up.

"Impossible!" shouted Ren. "He _can't_ be alive."

"No, Ren, he's quite dead," said Ferdinand, in a voice that wasn't his. "But then, was his life ever anything but artificial in the first place? I'm afraid not…"

"That's Rasputin's voice!" exclaimed Yumi.

Ferdinand's eyes glowed.

"Indeed, Yumi, it is I," said the voice coming from him. "How perceptive of you. I'll explain. Ferdinand wasn't human. He was something that we alchemists like to call a homunculus. A form of artificial life created through alchemy. That's why he looked like a younger version of myself. I used my own blood as the base for his creation.

"I was watching through his eyes the whole time. I couldn't actually control him until now, but I could give him advice when he needed it."

"Cheater…" muttered Yumi.

"Homunculi are the best servants," continued Rasputin, ignoring the remark. "They don't eat, they don't sleep, they don't mind working overtime, they obey without question, and best of all, they work for free. And as you can see, I can take complete control of them under certain conditions.

"But the reason I created Ferdinand was simple. He reminded me of the time I was a young and handsome man, and he encouraged me to find the secret that would restore me to that state.

"But don't think you'll gain anything from this… Once the last ounce of life slips from his corpse, it will disintegrate, leaving nothing for Duelatopia's morgue to study.

"Do you begin to see one of the reasons why I stumbled onto the fact that the so-called higher powers were frauds, Yumi? The so-called gods can do things you can't… I can do things you can't, like create artificial life… Does that make me a god? Does it make me better than you? I think not…"

"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard…" answered Yumi.

"So you say…" he replied. "You know, if I could, I would sue you for this, Chelsea. Creating a homunculus costs a great deal of money, time, and resources. But seeing as creating clones of humans, which this would fall under, is very much illegal, I'll let it go for now."

"Oh, I'm so sorry…" said Chelsea, sarcastically.

"You all will be sorrier," said Rasputin. "You may have won the Sword of Tsunami, it may be yours for now, but the Ascenders are still many in number. Not all of them can be identified by those dark cloaks… Some are undercover."

"Why do they always make speeches?" asked Ren.

"You won't get away with this Rasputin," said Yumi. "Sheena will…"

"What? Arrest me?" he asked. "Other people in power have tried to do so, and have always regretted it. No one has ever proven a thing, and my lawyers just love filing false arrest suits. I'm pleased to say Yumi, that I have no criminal record anywhere.

"And that's not the only risk involved if you challenge me on that front. I keep informed, Yumi, and I know how to twist the truth. If a politician even smiles at a woman who isn't his wife, I can make everyone in his government think he's an adulterer.

"I'll have you know that one of the best lawyers in the business is currently on the outside, searching dear Sheena's history. Eventually, he'll find all of her dirty little secrets. One simply can't run a business as big as KaibaCorp without doing something illegal or immoral. This lawyer is an expert at making small things look bigger than they actually are, by the way. And if Sheena tries to arrest me, I'll force her to think otherwise, unless she wants scandals about her spread worldwide."

"You son of a bitch…" muttered Yumi.

"You can insult me all you like," said Rasputin. "Better people than you have done so, and it falls off me like water off a duck's back. I look forward to our eventual confrontation, Yumi… If you want to be Queen of Games, you're going to have to earn that title like never before…"

And then Ferdinand's body simply crumbled into dust.

Yumi went over and looked through the pile of clothes.

Nothing. Just the Disk, the cards, and clothes. She tossed them aside.

The three of them stared at the pile of clothes for a while.

"We should report this to Sheena anyway…" muttered Ren.

"Oh, right…" replied Yumi. "Sure, we tell Sheena that Rasputin is the head of the Ascenders AND he's a mad alchemist who's trying to uncover the secret of immortality. That's a real good excuse to search his hotel room…"

She sighed.

"Besides… I believe him when he said that others have tried to arrest him and regretted it. He's likely covered his tracks… If Sheena arrests him, and finds no proof that he's connected to the Ascenders, Sheena is not only looking at scandals, KaibaCorp is looking at a very big lawsuit… Rasputin is just the kind of guy who would do it…

"It's ironic, but maybe fighting demons and evil sorcerers is easier than fighting corrupt businessmen.

"Do you know how they eventually caught Al Capone? Tax fraud. That's the only crime anybody was ever able to pin on him…"

"It isn't fair…" muttered Ren.

"True, it isn't…" replied Yumi. "In a fair world, there wouldn't _be_ any crime."

She sighed.

Chelsea took off the sheath holding the Sword of Tsunami.

"Here, Yumi…" she said. "If what you said is true about these things, you're gonna need this more than I ever will…"

She tried to hand it to Yumi…

But she was surprised when her arms didn't obey her.

"Yumi…" she said, nervously. "I… I can't give it to you! My arms aren't letting me!"

Yumi thought back. She remembered what Anastasia had said.

"I'm not sure if you can," she replied. "I think Anastasia told me that the Charms _can't_ be given as gifts, Chelsea. It rightfully belongs to you, and the only fast way for someone else to get it is for it to be won."

Chelsea looked at the sword.

"Okay then…" she said, putting it back on. "Turn off your badge and we'll duel right now. I've never been able to beat you anyway. Then you can…"

"Chelsea, no…" said Yumi. "I think you'd better hold onto it for a while…"

"Pardon?" asked Chelsea.

"Chelsea, look…" said Yumi. "Those Ascender creeps are all over the place. And Rasputin won't be taken down so easily. A challenge might come from these goons at any time. Just like that jerk Icarus.

"If I were to lose while holding two Charms, I might _lose_ two Charms. Then Rasputin would get much stronger, and we'd get much weaker.

"With the two of us holding on to one apiece, the risk is lessened, and Rasputin's job is harder. We'll find a way to transfer ownership once we've truly won.

"And in the meantime, please, try not to rush into a Yami no Oujou until you know what you're up against. That was a close call."

The three extended their hands, and clasped them together.

"The Three Musketeers?" asked Ren.

"All for one, and one for all," said Yumi with a smile.

Yumi looked at her watch.

"Five-thirty…" she said. "Anybody hungry?"

"I saw an Italian place on the way here that I feel like trying…" replied Chelsea.

"Why not?" said Ren. "I could go for pasta."

"And tomorrow…" continued Yumi, as she took the parchment out of her satchel, "I'm gonna find this Eliminator…"

Her two friends looked at her in fright.

"Yumi, you've got to be kidding…" said Chelsea.

"Hey…" said Yumi. "I'm no coward. My parents both stood up to these guys. Your fathers too.

"And I'm gonna see just how tough they really are."

_Chelsea has survived the dreaded Yami no Oujou, and the powerful Sword of Tsunami is now hers. Two Charms are now in the hands of the heroes, making their collection one more than that of their foes. Yumi starts to make new plans, but Rasputin is undoubtedly making his own. What will his next move be?_

**0**

**0**

**0**

**CURSE OF THE ANCIENT ONE (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image:** The shadowy form of Reshef the Dark Being looming over a cultist casting a spell.

**Card Description:** You may only activate this card when you have a "Reshef the Dark Being" face-up on your side of the field. Add the top two cards on your Graveyard pile to your hand. Cards added to your hand by this card's effect cannot be summoned, set, or activated.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**ZOMBIE BED (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image:** A sinister-looking coffin made of green stone.

**Card Description:** This card can only be activated when it is destroyed by a card effect and sent to the Graveyard while facedown on your side of the field. Special Summon one Zombie-Type Monster from your Graveyard.

_Note: "Zombie Bed" was first used by Camula in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Field of Screams (Part One)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**Yumi: I'm worried. I think Nicholas might be the biggest threat at this point. After all, he has a Charm of his own.**

**Chelsea: I'm wondering more about Olga. I wonder what her stake in this is?**

**Ren: She is kind of cute. Those braids and those dimples…**

**Yumi: Be careful Ren. I have a feeling that if you bite this girl, she'll bite back.**

**Coming up next, "Olga's Power; Lucky Goddesses". **

**As Rasputin's plans continue to take hold.**


	21. Olga's Power, Lucky Goddesses

_Before I start this chapter, to avoid the risk of offending anyone from Chicago, I'd like to say I have nothing against that city, or their two baseball teams. The views of the characters in this fic are not mine._

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**CHAPTER TWENTY**

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**Olga's Power**

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**Lucky Goddesses**

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Cassandra spread her cards on the table, once again shuffling the twenty-two-card deck.

She slowly lifted a new card off the top.

It bore the image of a crescent moon inside a full moon with a face, looking down from the night sky onto a dark countryside. Ominous shapes prowled below.

"The Moon…" she said, scratching her chin. "A card representing a person who holds secrets and unexpected possibilities. Not quite what I expected from Olga.

"What dark secrets do you hide, child? What lurks in the far corners of your mind?"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Six PM.

Rasputin had made a threat, and he had every intention of making good on it if Sheena Arachne ever became a problem. As Olga watched from a couch, he contacted his lawyer via the video phone in the hotel penthouse.

The image of a man who looked to be in his late thirties with a short goatee appeared on the screen.

"Good evening, Julius," he said. "Or whatever time it is there. I trust you're doing what I told you to do."

"Well, I'm trying to…" answered Julius.

"Trying to?" asked Rasputin. "What have you discovered about Sheena Arachne?"

"Rasputin…" answered Julius, "as hard as you may find this to believe, nothing. Nothing that is not well known. I have not found anything incriminating."

"Oh please, Julius," said Rasputin. "You were able to dig up dirt on the Pope."

Julius sighed.

"For the last time," he replied, "the 'dirt' I got on the Pope was that his grandfather was a successful gambler who frequented respectable casinos and quit when he was twenty-five. Not exactly something I could use to shake up the papacy. Gambling is rather common in Europe, as you no-doubt know."

"Julius, you must have found something we can use against Arachne…" said Rasputin.

"I tried!" protested Julius. "Not a thing. She's a saint! The only crime I could find out about that she's ever committed was a parking violation for having her car next to a meter that expired. And for that, she paid the fine herself rather than let her company pay for it, I might add."

"Julius, there must be something…" replied Rasputin.

Julius held his head.

"Well, maybe one thing…" he replied. "I might, just might mind you, have uncovered a small rumor. I heard from a questionable source that her very first position at KaibaCorp was one of… Questionable nature.

"But more than that, I don't know. If she was a corporate spy or something, that might be a smoking gun. But I haven't found anything solid."

"Then try harder," demanded Rasputin. "Get into her personal files if you have to…"

Julius sighed.

"Well, that is much, _much_ easier said than done…" he replied. "From what I've heard, those files are protected from online intrusion in an incredibly simple way – no online connection for that computer. There's no outside line that connects to those files – no modem at all. The computer that holds them isn't even plugged in – it uses an internal battery. The only way to view them is to be at the actual console. So I'd have to break into KaibaCorp's offices and hack into the system there. I might have to bribe a few folks…"

"Do it…" said Rasputin. "We must find something…"

"I'll do more research first," said Julius. "Maybe I can follow up on this rumor a little further."

"Then do so…" said Rasputin.

He hung up.

He crossed his arms.

"Not quite going according to plan, is it?" asked Olga.

"An honest CEO?" muttered Rasputin. "That's about as believable as that Light Attribute Zombie that Chelsea has…"

"Spirit of the Pharaoh…" said Chelsea with a sigh.

"What?" asked Rasputin.

The talisman next to him started to glow.

He picked it up. He concentrated.

"More bad news…" he said with a growl. "Someone has found the Cat's Cradle Comb… That crude, lewd Leroy Brown character…

"I never liked Chicago… City thinks it's so special because it has two baseball teams, even though both of them stink…"

He had a point with that last comment. Neither the Cubs nor the White Sox had come close to winning the Pennant for the past forty years. Even the Red Sox were doing better, having won four World Series in that time.

"The Cat's Cradle Comb?" asked Olga. "Which one is that again?"

"The Charm crafted by Narma the Seducer," he replied. "A playful flirt among the Sorcerer Kings, known for toying with men, promising them near-infinite pleasures in exchange for power… And then making them her slaves after she got it. Her comb was like the mythical Girdle of Aphrodite… It made her irresistible, and even in the hands of another, it can heighten charisma."

"That Leroy likely already hawked it," said Olga.

"He won't find any third-rate pawn shop on this island," replied Rasputin. "And even if he found a jewelry store willing to buy it, he wouldn't be able to give it to the clerk. The only way to voluntarily relinquish possession of a Charm is with a complex ritual that he couldn't learn how to do on his own if his life depended on it."

He looked at Olga.

"Olga, my dear…" he said. "I'm going to need you to confront him… And use the same strategy you did with that guy on Malta."

Olga frowned. She turned her back to him and crossed her arms.

"He won't defeat you…" said Rasputin, getting up.

"I felt like a common whore after I did that…" muttered Olga.

Rasputin got up and started stroking her hair.

"Olga…" he said softly. "Ever since the terrible night when I took you in, you've been like a daughter to me. I've tried hard to be a father to you, even though I could never replace him…

"You're still young, still beautiful…

"And when all the Charms are ours, that youth and beauty will become eternal. Sacrifices must be made. This is nothing compared to what I must do…

"Besides, Narma did this sort of thing all the time. And when she finally got her power, men groveled at her feet, and she became nearly immortal.

"Help me gain that power, Olga… Make your father proud…"

Olga closed her eyes and nodded. A tear fell down her cheek.

Rasputin handed her a vial of the strange, green liquid.

"Use this too…" he said. "He may yet be of some use later.

"Now go get him…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Leroy Brown was back in good standing, having advanced back to Blue.

Right now, he was enjoying the nightlife. The outdoor bar at the beach was a place where he could watch the girls go by and relax with a drink. There was even live music, and a singer wearing a skimpy outfit was performing up on the stage in front of him. He watched and listened, as he fingered the strange comb in his hand…

_**Whenever, wherever,**_

_**We're meant to be together,**_

_**I'll be there and you'll be near,**_

_**And that's the deal my dear,**_

_**Thereover, hereunder,**_

_**You'll never have to wonder,**_

_**We can always play by ear,**_

_**But that's the deal my dear.**_

As everyone applauded, Leroy considered the comb again.

He didn't know what any of the symbols on it meant, but he knew gold and emeralds when he saw them. Why on Earth would someone leave this lying in an ashtray?

Well, finders keepers, losers weepers…

As he considered this, he was startled as he saw Olga walk up to him, wearing only a string bikini and her Duel Disk. Leroy gulped as she sat down.

"Mind if I join you?" she asked in a seductive tone.

"Ah heh…" he muttered. "Beautiful women are always welcome to join me…"

She smiled a sweet smile, and Leroy started thinking he had lucked out – big time.

"Enjoying the tournament?" asked Olga.

"Uh huh…" he stammered. "And you?"

She nodded.

Her badge was pinned to her bikini bottoms, and it stood at Blue. He didn't notice it, however. He was too busy trying to picture her without the bikini.

"Like to make wagers, handsome?" she asked.

"Well, depends…" he said. "Really depends on what the ante is."

He sighed. The memory of the wager he had made with Erik – and lost – was still fresh in his mind…

Olga smiled sweetly again.

"I just love to make… dangerous wagers…" she said, again in that seductive tone. "It makes things more exciting… Tell you what we can do if you accept my challenge…

"If I win, I only want that comb you found…

"If you win, you're free to do with me whatever you want until the sun rises."

Leroy's eyes opened wide.

He simply had to win one duel, and this girl would be his tonight?

"No kidding?" he said, raising an eyebrow.

He looked at her breasts… Fantasies started to fly through his mind…

All he had to wager was a comb… It was only money…

"I accept!" he said, eagerly.

Olga smiled sweetly again…

…but inside, she was more than a little scared, just like the last time she had made this insane wager at Rasputin's request.

She was almost certain she could beat this guy.

Almost.

If by some horrendous string of bad luck, she couldn't, she would be forced to sacrifice her virginity, and she'd have Rasputin to blame for it…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Leroy and Olga stood facing each other on the beach as the full moon started to rise.

A lot of people were watching, having come to see the "hot babe in the bikini" duel. A lot of them were giving out catcalls and whistles. Olga smiled and waved to them…

…even though she was disgusted inside.

"Ready princess?" asked Leroy.

"Oh, yeah…" she said, as her Disk activated.

"Game on!" they both shouted.

**(Olga: 8,000) -------------------- (Leroy: 8,000)**

"Okay…" said Olga, looking over her opening hand. "Guess I'll put this in Defense Mode, and that will be all for my turn."

A facedown Monster appeared on the sandy surface.

Leroy drew his first card.

_Heh,_ he thought. _Her deck is likely nothing but trash Monsters and common Spells and Traps. She's probably some sister of a real contestant. I'll finish her in less than five rounds…_

"For my first move…" he said. "I'll play my Graceful Charity Spell Card."

He played the card, and his deck glowed.

He drew three cards. Then he discarded Warrior Dai Grepher and Divine Sword Phoenix Blade.

"Now, I summon Marauding Captain to the field."

He played the card, and the battle-scarred veteran appeared, brandishing his two swords. (1,200/400)

"And now I'll use his effect," he continued, "to also summon Warrior Lady of the Wasteland."

Marauding Captain whistled, and another Warrior appeared, a female one who had a strange sense of fashion. She was dressed in a brief halter and shorts, and knee-high boots, along with a black, tattered cape, and a wide-brimmed hat with a feather in it. (1,100/1,200)

"Someone has GOT to take her shopping," said Olga.

"True," said Leroy. "Accessories make or break your looks. I'll give you a sample. I Equip Marauding Captain with Fusion Sword Murasame Blade…"

One of the Captain's swords vanished, and was replaced by a fancier, sharper katana. (2,000/400)

"And then, I Equip my Warrior Lady with Jeweled Sword."

The female Warrior's sword vanished, and was replaced by a fancier, bejeweled blade. (1,400/1,200)

"Impressive…" said Olga.

"Just wait until they attack!" said Leroy. "Marauding Captain, attack her facedown Monster!"

Marauding Captain rushed towards the facedown card…

…and he was interrupted by a loud SPROING!

When Leroy looked, a woman in a golden robe and a tiara was on her knees where the card was, blocking his Warrior's advance with, of all things, a large harp. (800/2,000)

"Sorry, Leroy," said Olga, "but with 2,000 Defense Points, Spirit of the Harp's Defense is too high for him to bust through."

"All right, I'll end my turn there then," said Leroy, as the Captain backed up.

_No harm, no foul…_ he thought. _But not very dignified…_

Olga drew, and looked around at the onlookers.

_I wish I could use my real deck,_ she thought. _But Rasputin was right… Using such powerful and rare cards during the preliminaries would make everyone scared of me. This older deck is less threatening…_

She played a card.

"I play Pot of Greed," she said.

The jar appeared, and she drew two cards. She looked at them, and added them to her hand.

"Next I summon… Cyber Petite Angel."

She played a card, and a _little_ creature appeared. It was little more than a pink ball with a face and tiny wings, apparently made out of plastic. (300/200)

"Eh?" said Leroy.

"And by summoning it," continued Olga, "I get to search my deck for a specific Spell Card…"

She took a card from her deck.

"It's called Machine Angel Ritual! And I'm playing it now!

"So, I'll sacrifice Cyber Petite Angel and Spirit of the Harp…"

Both Monsters seemingly turned into silvery metal, and then faded into light…

"…and I summon… Cyber Angel Idaten!"

Lightning flashed. In a burst of light, a female form appeared in front of her. She was muscular, with purple skin, with a fierce-looking face. She wore a black leotard, steel wristbands, and her hair was seemingly made of metal braids. (1,600/2,000)

"Whoa…" muttered Leroy, stepping backwards. "Now you're scaring me… I never liked women who were more ripped than me…"

"Your Captain isn't going to like her much either in a minute," said Olga. "But first, she has a nifty effect. I now get to reclaim one Spell Card from my Graveyard."

Pot of Greed slipped out of her discard slot, and she added it to her hand.

"I'll save this for when I need it," she continued, adding it to her hand. "For now, I'm giving her two Equips. I'll start out with Angel Wings."

Idaten closed her eyes and started to glow. Then, two huge, beautiful, feathered wings sprouted from her back.

"So what does that do?" asked Leroy.

"You'll see in a minute," replied Olga. "I also Equip her with Ritual Weapon."

She played another card. Idaten glowed.

"I can only use this on Ritual Monsters who are Level Six or less," she said, as Idaten flexed her already ample arm muscles, "but it's powerful, giving them 1,500 extra points to both their scores."

(3,100/3,500)

"Good grief…" muttered Leroy.

It seemed his opponent was better at this than he gave her credit for.

"Idaten… Attack his Marauding Captain!" shouted Olga.

Idaten spread her wings, and flew upward, forming a silhouette across the moon…

She swooped downwards, and delivered a savage punch to Marauding Captain's jaw. He toppled over, and shattered into shards.

"And since she has those Wings," continued Olga. "You lose an extra 300 Life Points."

**(O: 8,000) -------------------- (L: 6,600)**

"And that will do it," said Olga, as Idaten alighted in front of her.

Leroy drew a card.

"Moving Warrior Lady to Defense Mode…" he said.

Warrior Lady of the Wasteland crouched in Defense.

"And I'll end with a facedown card."

He placed a card in his Disk, and it appeared behind her.

Olga drew again.

_I'll save her for later…_ she thought.

"Idaten…" she said. "Attack his Warrior Lady!"

Idaten flew into the air again.

"I activate Dust Tornado!" shouted Leroy, as his Trap Card lifted. "Now your Angel loses her Ritual Weapon!"

The tornado tore forth. Idaten grunted as she was caught in it. Her scores changed back to (1,600/2,000).

"Your Warrior Lady still dies!" shouted Olga.

Idaten kicked Warrior Lady of the Wasteland, smashing her to pieces.

"True…" answered Leroy. "But when that happens, someone comes to avenge her. Now I can summon an Earth Attribute Warrior from my deck, so long as it has 1,500 Attack Points or less.

"So come on out… Obnoxious Celtic Guardian!"

In a burst of energy, the famous elven Warrior that Yugi himself had used from Battle City onward appeared, holding aloft his longsword. (1,400/1,200)

"And one more thing," added Leroy. "Since my Warrior Lady was holding the Jeweled Sword when she bit the dust, I get to draw one card."

He drew one card. Then he grinned when he saw who it was.

"Incidentally…" he said, motioning towards his Monster, "I have _no_ idea what this poor guy ever did to be labeled 'obnoxious'. But what are you gonna do?"

"Yeah, what are you gonna do?" replied Olga. "In case you didn't realize it, Idaten is just the right strength to take him out. The turn is yours, so don't waste it."

She smiled sweetly again.

Leroy drew a card, and quickly added it to his hand.

"I sacrifice my Guardian…" he said.

Obnoxious Celtic Guardian vanished in a burst of light.

"…to call forth Freed the Matchless General!"

In another burst of energy, a far more powerful Warrior appeared on the field. It was a tall, robust man in decorated armor, whose powerful face had long blonde hair and a moustache. (2,300/1,700)

"All right Freed…" commanded Leroy, "take out her Angel! Blade of the battle-scarred!"

Freed drew a powerful-looking sword from his back, and it shimmered in the moonlight. He charged, and he smote Cyber Angel Idaten. She screamed and burst into fragments.

**(O: 7,300) -------------------- (L: 6,600)**

"Heh, heh…" said Leroy. "So much for her…"

"Oh really?" replied Olga. "Well, Angel Wings has another effect, and it's similar to your Jeweled Sword. I get to draw one card now."

She made a draw.

"Uh… yeah…" said Leroy, with a big grin. "I guess that's my turn."

Leroy watched her as she drew a card.

He imaged himself in his hotel room, kissing her on the lips, and then slowly undoing that bikini top, exposing what was beneath…

Then he imagined slowing kissing her there, caressing her breasts with his lips and tongue…

"Hey!" shouted Olga.

Leroy shook his head, and came back to his senses. And then he was startled to see that Idaten was back on Olga's side of the field. (1,600/2,000)

"What did you…" he started.

"I played a Spell Card called Fulfillment of the Contract," she replied. "Weren't you paying attention? It lets me raise a Ritual Monster from the grave for the small price of only 800 Life Points.

"And you remember Idaten's effect, right? I get a Spell Card back…"

A card slipped out of her discard slot.

"This time, I choose my Machine Angel Ritual."

"What?" said Leroy, confused. "She's already on the field. Why do you need that again?"

Olga grinned.

"This Ritual Spell doesn't just summon one Monster…" she said. "It can Ritual Summon any Monster with the words Cyber Angel in her name. There are three Cyber Angels. Idaten has two sisters…

"She's the youngest, and the least powerful.

"So I'll play it again to summon the middle-sister now, offering Idaten as a sacrifice."

Idaten turned to metal and slowly vanished. Lightning flashed again…

In a burst, a new female form appeared. She was dressed in a red, black, and silver bodysuit, with a waistband just below her chest, fingerless gloves, and a ceremonial headdress. She carried what appeared to be a nunchaku connected by a long chain.

The "nunchaku" opened, revealed to be a pair of fans. Her eyes glowed green. (1,800/1,500)

"Meet Cyber Angel Benten," said Olga.

"All right, she's a little stronger than the last one…" said Leroy, "but she can't beat Freed."

Olga played a Spell Card.

"I play Shine Castle!" she exclaimed.

Night turned to day, as a beautiful palace made of pure silver rose behind Olga.

"It's so shiny, it empowers all Light Monsters on the field, giving them 700 more Attack Points."

Benten glowed with energy, and rose to (2,500/1,500)

"Benten…" ordered Olga. "Attack his so-called Matchless General with angelic turn!"

Cyber Angel Benten flew forward. She smacked Freed with her fans once, twice, three times, and he staggered back under the onslaught before finally shattering.

"Ah, big deal…" said Leroy. "I only lost 200 little Life Points…"

Then he saw that Benten was right in front of him, staring him in the eyes…

"There's also Benten's effect," said Olga. "Now you lose Life Points equal to Freed's Defense Score. That's 1,700, I believe."

"Hey, wait a minute…" said Leroy.

Benten's eyes burned with fire, and Leroy screamed as flames erupted around him.

**(O: 6,500) -------------------- (L: 4,700)**

_These gals play a little rough for angels…_ he thought, taking some deep breaths. _Maybe God was in one of His wrathful moods when he thought them up._

He drew a card.

"Well, you are pretty frisky…" he said. "I guess that means you like to play rough…

"Well… So do I!

"I play my Pot of Greed."

He played the card, and drew two cards.

He smirked.

"Check it out…" he said. "I Special Summon The Green Knight."

He played the card. The Warrior that appeared was a knight in shining armor, whose armor was – naturally – green. Strangely, he had no weapon. (0/0)

Olga raised an eyebrow.

"What's so special about him?" she asked.

"I can treat this summon as a Special Summon," replied Leroy, "although, now I have to let you summon a Monster from your Graveyard."

Olga raised an eyebrow again.

"Zero attack and zero defense, and now I get to bring a Monster back?"

Idaten appeared on her side of the field, next to Benten. (1,600/2,000)

"I get a Spell Card back again, I hope you know…"

Ritual Weapon slipped out of her discard slot, and she took it.

"The Green Knight has another great effect," continued Leroy. "If I toss one Warrior from my hand when I use him as a sacrifice, he counts as two sacrifices."

_Two…_ thought Olga. _Oh… no… Not Gilford the Legend…_

"And that's not all," said Leroy. "If I toss TWO Warriors, then he counts as THREE sacrifices."

_Three sacrifices?_ thought Olga. _What the heck is he…_

Her eyes widened.

_Oh no… There's only one Warrior that you summon like this… Curse you Rasputin, why didn't you find out that he had a card that powerful?_

"So…" said Leroy, taking two cards from his hand, "I'll get rid of Big Shield Gardna and another Marauding Captain…"

He slipped the two cards into his discard slot.

"Then I'll sacrifice The Green Knight…"

The Knight vanished. Thunder rolled…

"…to summon the baddest fighter in my deck… This is the main reason they call Leroy Brown bad…

"It's time to summon the true storm! Appear, Gilford the Lightning!"

In a flash of lightning, the powerful, hulking Warrior appeared, dressed in elaborate armor, with a fancy helmet and cape. (2,800/1,400)

"All right, Gilford…" said Leroy, "let's show her how it's done…"

Olga backed up in fear as Gilford slowly drew his sword…

Lightning crashed from the heavens, striking Gilford's sword and sending sparks flying in all directions. Cyber Angel Benten and Cyber Angel Idaten screamed and were blown to atoms.

"How the Hell did you ever get a card that rare?" screamed Olga.

Leroy looked at her, not looking very happy.

"Babe…" he said, "show some respect… I'm in Duelatopia… Do you actually believe I never won any major tournaments?

"Now then, getting back to what I was doing… I'll remove two of my Warriors from play, to bring Divine Sword Phoenix Blade back to my hand, which I discarded with Graceful Charity…"

Big Shield Gardna and Warrior Lady of the Wasteland slipped out of his discard slot, and he placed them inside his jacket. Then he took the Equip Spell.

He played it, and the Phoenix Blade was absorbed into Gilford's sword. (3,100/1,400)

"Gilford, direct attack! Lightning blade!"

Gilford the Lightning charged. Olga screamed as the huge sword slammed into her, and electricity shot through her body. She was thrown backwards.

**(O: 3,400) -------------------- (L: 4,700)**

"I promise, Olga," said Leroy, "once we're done, I'll be gentler…

"Maybe…"

A slight sneer appeared on Olga's face as she sat up.

She stood up, and slowly drew a card… She added it to her hand.

"I play that Pot of Greed I was saving…" she said, playing the card.

The jar appeared, and she drew two cards.

She looked over her cards, and then played one.

"I play Premature Burial," she said, "and bring back Cyber Petite Angel."

Cyber Petite Angel reappeared. (300/200)

"And you remember its effect, right?" she asked. "I get to add a Machine Angel Ritual card to my hand from my deck."

A card slipped out of her deck and she took it.

"Now I'll use it one more time…" she said. "Sacrificing Cyber Petite Angel, and my Guardian Angel Joan…"

The mighty form of Guardian Angel Joan appeared on the field. Both Monsters again turned to metal, and vanished…

The sky clouded up, and lightning flashed once more.

"I summon the eldest sister of the Cyber Angels!" shouted Olga. "Cyber Angel Dakini!"

In another flash of lightning, a new Cyber Angel appeared. This one, most remarkably, had blue skin, was eight feet tall, and had _four_ arms. She wore a shogun-like helmet, an orange halter, and golden trousers that resembled spandex. In each of her upper arms she held a huge nodachi, and in her lower arms she held a sharp, double-bladed yari.

She shouted a war cry and twirled the yari above her head. (2,700/2,400)

"Well…" said Leroy, nervously. "I'll admit you had me worried there for a few seconds. But that's not good enough. Gilford is 400 Attack Points stronger."

"Maybe so," replied Olga. "But Dakini has a lethal ability. When she's summoned, she forces you to choose one of your Monsters. Then she sends it packing. And since you only have one, the choice is clear…"

Dakini's eyes glowed with fire. Leroy gasped as Gilford exploded into pixels.

"Dakini," ordered Olga, "attack directly with angel rage!"

Cyber Angel Dakini flew forward. Leroy screamed as she slashed at him with four blades. Then she gave him a kick with both feet, and he fell over.

**(O: 2,600) -------------------- (L: 2,000)**

_That hurt…_ he thought.

Olga took one of her remaining four cards.

"I'll place one card facedown, and that will be all for my turn," she said.

A facedown card appeared behind Dakini.

Leroy got up, sweating.

He looked at the only card in his hand.

_C'mon, gimme something…_ he thought, drawing a card.

He looked at the card.

"All right, I play Card of Demise," he said, playing the card. "Now I get to make five draws, on the condition that I toss my whole hand after five turns.

"But hey, if I don't draw something good with this, this duel isn't gonna last that long…"

He made five draws.

He smirked.

"I summon Exiled Force!" he shouted.

In a burst of light, a small group of disheveled warriors in ragtag armor appeared in front of him. (1,000/1,000)

"And they have a nasty effect," he said. "I simply have to sacrifice them, and they'll drag your Angel into the grave with them.

"Exiled Force, get her!"

The soldiers' eyes glowed, and they turned into ghostly, fiendish forms… They flew towards Dakini…

"Oh really?" asked Olga. "Let's see what my Trap Card says about that."

Her facedown card lifted.

"I activate Divine Wrath!"

Lightning flashed.

"I simply have to send one card in my hand to the grave, and your Monster is smote before its effect activates."

She discarded a card (it was Ritual Weapon), and a bolt of lightning crashed down, eradicating the phantoms.

"This isn't fun anymore…" muttered Leroy. "I'll end with this…"

He fit another card in his Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

Olga drew a card.

"Dakini, attack…" she started.

"I activate Soul Resurrection!" shouted Leroy. "Now I can summon a Monster from my Graveyard in Defense Mode, so long as it's a Normal Monster. So come on out, Warrior Dai Grepher!"

In a burst of light, a Warrior in leather armor appeared, holding a steel sword. He knelt in Defense Mode. (1,700/1,600)

"He'll be an effective shield…" said Leroy.

Olga lifted an eyebrow. She turned to Dakini.

"Go ahead…" she said.

Dakini slashed at Grepher with a nodachi, and he burst into triangles.

Leroy felt a pain in his chest, as he glowed with burning energy.

"What happened?" he asked.

**(O: 2,600) -------------------- (L: 900)**

"Defending doesn't work against Dakini," answered Olga. "When she attacks a Monster in Defense Mode, the difference between its Defense Score and her Attack Score comes out of your Life Points."

_I can't catch a break here!_ thought Leroy.

"I'm not done," said Olga, taking her last two cards. "I play Double Spell. Now for the cost of one other Spell Card…"

She discarded her Samsara card.

"I can use one Spell from your Graveyard, and I think I'm gonna do that with your Card of Demise."

Double Spell's art changed to that of Card of Demise, and she drew five times. She looked over the cards.

"I'll place two cards facedown, and end my turn," she said.

Two facedown cards appeared behind Dakini.

_Best get something good…_ thought Leroy, drawing. _This chick is getting on my nerves. If I win this duel now, I'm gonna treat her to a little S&M…_

He looked at the card he had drawn.

_YES!_ he thought.

He placed one card on his Disk.

"First, I summon Axe Raider," he said.

A hulking barbarian appeared, holding a battle axe. (1,700/1,150)

"Next I play… Monster Reborn!"

He played the card, and in a burst of energy, Gilford the Lightning reappeared. (2,800/1,400)

"Now…" he said. "I'll remove two more Warriors from play, to recover Phoenix Blade again."

He took Warrior Dai Grepher and Marauding Captain from his Graveyard and pocketed them. Then he played the Equip, and Gilford rose to an attack of 3,100 again.

"I activate a Trap Card," said Olga, as one of her facedown cards lifted. "Spirit Barrier. Now I can't lose Life Points from a battle so long as I have at least one Monster on the field."

"Heh, heh…" said Leroy, with a chuckle. "You only have one Monster on the field right now. That Trap is worthless.

"Gilford, attack her Cyber Angel!"

Gilford charged towards Dakini…

"Did you forget I had another Trap?" asked Olga, as her second facedown card lifted.

The Trap showed the image of a ballerina dancing.

"Doble Passe," she said. "This lets her dodge the attack and let it hit me."

Dakini leapt out of the way, and Gilford's sword hit Olga, but this time, she didn't flinch.

"Of course, due to my Spirit Barrier, it doesn't hurt me at all," she continued. "But Doble Passe has another effect… It lets Dakini attack _you_ now."

Dakini leapt towards Leroy.

"Not again…" he whined.

He screamed again as Dakini's sword plowed into him.

He fell over on his back.

**(O: 2,600) -------------------- (L: 0)**

Olga breathed a sigh of relief as Dakini and Leroy's Warriors slowly faded away.

The Cat's Cradle Comb appeared in her hand. She placed it in her hair, and walked over to Leroy, who was on the ground moaning.

"I'll call you…" she whispered, leaning over him.

She kissed him on the lips, and his eyes opened for a minute. Then he closed them, as faint wisps of green smoke escaped from where their lips met.

People started to applaud and make catcalls as Olga started walking away. She wiped her mouth, and then spat on the ground.

_Disgusting…_ she thought. _Bad enough he was a big jerk, he was a smoker on top of it…_

"Olga!" shouted a voice.

Olga looked up, and saw Nicholas. He was holding a beach towel.

He ran up, and then covered her with it. She looked a little irked, but she didn't resist.

"Olga, let's get you off this beach," he muttered. "Do you know how many folks were taking your picture? I mean, if I was your father, I never would have approved of that swimsuit…"

She gave him a dirty look. Nicholas sighed.

"Eh, but sadly, I am not…" he sighed.

"Why did you come?" she asked.

"To bail you out in case things went bad," he replied. "I heard that he told you to make that mad wager again, and if you had lost, I wasn't going to let you pay up. I would have challenged that guy with an even more tempting wager to get him to annul yours, and I would have used _this_."

He showed her a card. It was the centerpiece of his real deck.

"That was very sweet of you, Nicholas," she said. "But..."

"But what?" he asked. "A brother has to look out for his sister."

"You aren't my brother, Nicholas…" she said.

"Maybe not truly," he replied, "but I'm as close to one as you're ever gonna get.

"And we're getting serious now, Olga… I have a Shadow Charm, you have one too… Soon we'll be able to stop taking orders and start giving them. You remember the story of how Zeus became King of Olympus? He overthrew his tyrannical father, and then ruled with his sister as his queen. We can do the same… All we need to do is wait until he gets what he wants, and then we can take it from him."

He punctuated the sentence by clenching his fist.

"An impressive plan…" said Olga, "and quite bold… But maybe a bit too hasty. You realize he's already looking for one traitor…

"Unless _you_ were the one who warned Yumi about Icarus…"

Nicholas shook his head.

"I'm not that stupid," he said. "Although… I do find Yumi somewhat attractive… That wager you made with that lout… I'd gladly wager my own Charm if she offered a similar one…"

Olga shook her head.

"I can see a disaster ahead…" she muttered. "Hope that I have to duel her instead of you…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

A short time and a change of clothes later, Nicholas and Olga were at a quiet table at a restaurant, waiting for an order.

"Olga…" said Nicholas, offhand, "have you considered what we're gonna do when all this is over?

"I figure we can settle somewhere nice… Like Paris… Or maybe Rome…"

"Tell you what," replied Olga, stirring her drink, "you go to Paris… I'll go to Rome."

Nicholas chuckled.

He changed the subject.

"Here's a question for you to consider…" he mused.

"Is this another one of your philosophical questions that was originally posed by Aristotle?" asked Olga.

"Well, Plato, technically," replied Nicholas. "He attributed it to Socrates, but then again, he did that with most of what he wrote.

"Anyway… consider this…

"Is the force that controls Law itself a lawful entity?"

Olga looked at him strangely.

"I should hope so…" she answered.

"Actually, Olga," he replied, "the answer isn't as cut and dry as you might think…

"You see, if it is, then that would imply that it answers to a higher law, which is impossible because it controls Law.

"And the alternative is, the force that controls Law is itself lawless, which is contradictory."

Olga looked at him for a minute.

"I'm guessing a lot of folks have gone mad trying to figure that out," she finally said.

"Yeah, more than you think…" muttered Nicholas. "But not Rasputin. He posed the paradox to me a long time ago. Although he didn't venture to give a logical solution to it, he pointed to it as one of his so-called proofs that the higher powers are frauds. He said that if such entities were all-powerful, such paradoxes wouldn't exist, and the truth wouldn't be so hard to see. In his opinion, things like the meaning of life shouldn't be hidden.

"Utter nonsense in my own opinion… The gods need their secrets to set them apart from mortals…"

"If you don't like him so much, why do you do what he says?" asked Olga.

"Well, why do you?" asked Nicholas.

Olga sipped her beverage.

"As the great military mind Sun-Tzu once said…" she replied, "keep your friends close, and your enemies closer…"

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Nicholas.

"Where's our food?" sighed Olga.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

_Seek the inner sanctum of the tomb where the three brothers sleep in eternal hibernation, where their Guardians maintain their vigil. Triumph, and emerge with greater vision. Fail, and face the same fate that the brothers willingly accepted._

Yumi read the cryptic warning on the map again.

She looked at all the cards from her deck, which were spread out on the table.

She hadn't been able to actually see the duels where her parents and Ren and Chelsea's parents faced Eliminators. They were not recorded for the public. Her dad had been Master of Games for a short time, but he didn't share any secrets about them. That was one secret of Duelatopia that no employee could reveal to anyone.

Or so she had thought. Sam's smile when she gave her this map looked a little evil… Was she privy to some secret knowledge?

So many myths about the Eliminators. About how some weren't human. About how some possessed dark powers…

…and about how you'd be dearly punished for defeat. Perhaps with death.

Was it worth the risk? She weighed the risk…

Originally, the reward for winning was one or more rare cards and two upgrades in rank.

Now, you still got the rare card or cards, only one upgrade in rank, and "one other priceless gift", whatever that meant. Sheena did not elaborate.

She gathered her cards and shuffled them together into a deck.

"We're gonna do it guys…" she said. "We'll take on this guy, and just like my folks did, we'll come out in the end."

She yawned.

She figured she'd best get a good night's sleep…

_The balance of power tilts again, as Olga claims the Cat's Cradle Comb. Soon, a battle of epic proportions may erupt on the streets of Duelatopia, with the tools of the Sorcerer Kings as weapons. Who will be the victor? Four more Charms remain to be found… It is far from decided._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**DOBLE PASSE (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image:** A ballerina in a fancy dress dancing.

**Card Description:** You may activate this card when your opponent declares an attack against one of your Monsters. Turn the attack into a direct attack on your Life Points. Then, the original target of the attack attacks your opponent directly.

_Note: "Doble Passe" was used by Alexis several times in "Yu-Gi-Oh GX", originally in "A Duel in Love". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**MACHINE ANGEL RITUAL (Spell Card)**

**Ritual Spell**

**Image:** A feminine form running from a huge, blazing cauldron.

**Card Description:** This card is used to Ritual Summon any Ritual Monster with the words "Cyber Angel" in its name. You must offer as a Tribute Monsters from the field or your hand whose total levels are equal to or more than that of the Monster you are summoning.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**CYBER ANGEL BENTEN (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fairy/Ritual/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level:** 6  
**ATK:** 1,800  
**DEF:** 1,500

**Card Description:** This card is Ritual Summoned with "Machine Angel Ritual". You must also offer as a Tribute Monsters from the field or your hand whose total levels equal six or more. If this card destroys an opposing Monster as a result of battle, inflict damage to the Life Points of the owner of the destroyed Monster equal to the destroyed Monster's DEF.

_Note: "Machine Angel Ritual" and "Cyber Angel Benten" were first used by Alexis in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Chazz-a-Nova". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**CYBER PETITE ANGEL (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fairy/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level:** 2  
**ATK:** 300  
**DEF:** 200

**Card Description:** When this card is Normal Summoned, Flip-Summoned, or Special Summoned, search your deck for one "Machine Angel Ritual" and add it to your hand.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**CYBER ANGEL IDATEN (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fairy/Ritual/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level:** 6  
**ATK:** 1,600  
**DEF:** 2,000

**Card Description:** This card is Ritual Summoned with "Machine Angel Ritual". You must also offer as a Tribute Monsters from the field or your hand whose total levels equal six or more. When this card is summoned, take one Spell Card from your Graveyard and add it to your hand.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**CYBER ANGEL DAKINI (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fairy/Ritual/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level:** 8  
**ATK:** 2,700  
**DEF:** 2,400

**Card Description:** This card is Ritual Summoned with "Machine Angel Ritual". You must also offer as a Tribute Monsters from the field or your hand whose total levels equal eight or more. When this card is summoned, your opponent chooses one Monster on his/her side of the field. That Monster is destroyed. When this card attacks a Defense Position Monster with lower DEF than this card's ATK, inflict the difference as battle damage to your opponent's Life Points.

_Note: "Cyber Petite Angel," Cyber Angel Idaten", and "Cyber Angel Dakini" were first used by Alexis in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Pop Goes The Duel". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

_Idaten, Benten, and Dakini are three members of the Shichifuhaten, or "Seven Lucky Goddesses", the seven deities of Japanese culture._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**ANGEL WINGS (Spell Card)**

**Equip Spell**

**Image:** A burst of light and feathers.

**Card Description:** When a Monster Equipped with this card does battle damage to your opponent, deal an additional 300 points of battle damage to your opponent. When this card is sent from the field to the Graveyard, draw one card from your deck.

_Note: "Angel Wings" was first used by Alexis in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Obelisk White?". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**SHINE CASTLE (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** A shiny, silver palace.

**Card Description:** Increase the ATK of all LIGHT Monsters currently face-up on the field by 700.

_Note: "Shine Castle" is a Japanese card that has not yet been released in the United States._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**JEWELED SWORD (Spell Card)**

**Equip Spell**

**Image:** A short sword with a hilt inlaid with gemstones.

**Card Description:** This card can be Equipped to a Warrior-Type Monster. Increase the ATK of the Equipped Monster by 300. If this card goes from the field to the Graveyard, draw one card.

_Note: "Jeweled Sword" was first used by Reggie in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Champion or Chazz-Been". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**THE GREEN KNIGHT (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level:** 2  
**ATK:** 0  
**DEF:** 0

**Card Description:** You may treat the Normal Summon of this card as a Special Summon. If you select Special Summon, your opponent may select a Monster from his/her Graveyard and Special Summon the Monster to the field. This card cannot be Special Summoned by any means other than its own effect. If this card is offered as a Tribute for a Tribute Summon, you may discard one Warrior-Type Monster from your hand to treat this card as two Monsters for the conditions of the Tribute, OR discard two Warrior-Type Monsters from your hand to treat this card as three Monsters for the conditions of the Tribute.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**Ren: Be careful Yumi! This duelist looks serious!**

**Chelsea: This strategy is strange… Why is she helping Yumi's Monsters?**

**Yumi: Strange it may seem, but I have to find the method to this madness.**

**Voice: Oh, you will find it, Yumi, but by then, it may be too late for you to save yourself…**

**Next, "Elimination Duel One; Yumi versus Mystara".**

**Enter at your own risk, Yumi… I've been waiting for this for a very long time…**


	22. Elimination Duel One

_If you by some chance read King Dragun's "Sister of Anansi", you might remember a chapter like what follows. In that story, Diane peered into her future and saw herself in a duel. But as Twilight told her, at that point, there were several possible paths that the future could take, and she was only seeing one of them._

_Thus, the duel in this chapter is not what Diane saw… It happens quite differently, even though there may be similarities. Even the Millennium Necklace can't tell the future with perfect accuracy._

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**CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE**

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**Elimination Duel One**

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**Yumi versus Mystara**

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It was the morning of Day Three.

Ren and Chelsea were eating their breakfast.

Yumi was inhaling hers.

It seemed this morning her appetite was limitless, and the all-you-could-eat breakfast buffet at the hotel restaurant was being depleted as fast as the staff could replenish it.

"Be careful, Chelsea," said Ren. "Keep your hands away from Yumi's mouth."

Yumi scarfed down another waffle.

"I have to be at the peak of my strength," she said, "for when I face this Eliminator."

Ren and Chelsea shivered.

"Yumi…" said Ren. "Please think it over. You know the rumors… I don't believe that they're actually allowed to kill you, but the threat of a punishment… Well, it's something to consider. Maybe he'll just lock you up until the end of the tournament… Maybe even use shackles. Who wants that?"

Yumi gulped down her orange juice.

"Guys…" she said, "that may be true… But I'm not a coward. My folks did it. Your fathers did it. Some people say the three of us are continuing a legacy…

"Well, you know what?

"I don't want to continue a legacy. I want to start one of my own.

"You two can do it too. And if we have to take risks, then maybe we have to. That's the way it goes sometimes."

She smiled.

"After all, we're all risking our necks with this deal with Rasputin…"

"She's got a point…" said Chelsea.

She sighed.

"In the meantime, I'm nervous as Hell…"

"What?" asked Ren.

Chelsea looked at the Sword of Tsunami at her hip.

"In case you guys didn't notice, I'm carrying a weapon!" she whispered. "I tried ten times this morning to just leave it in the hotel, but the thing just kept calling me back somehow… I couldn't leave without it!

"I got so nervous, I drank one of those six-dollar sodas in the mini-bar...

"I could get in major trouble if…"

"Ms. Ramset?" said a voice.

Chelsea gave a casual glance. She buried her head in her hands.

Three Centurions had entered the restaurant, and one looked very important – he was the one wearing the purple sash over his armor.

"Officers…" said Chelsea, nervously, "I can explain, really… Well, I can try…"

"Calm down," said the one with the sash. "We've been getting some… Concerned reports. May I take a look at that?"

He pointed to the Sword.

"I can't give it to you," said Chelsea, unsheathing it. "Honest…"

"Just hold it up…" he ordered.

She did so.

He looked intently at the blade. Then he ran his finger along the edge.

He turned to the other two.

"Watch them," he said. "I have to contact someone…"

Chelsea looked about to cry as he walked to the other side of the room.

When he was sure they couldn't hear him, he tapped his helmet.

"Descartes here," he said. "No doubt about it… It's the Sword of Tsunami…"

He paused.

"Yeah… Uh huh… Yes, I'm sure Yumi has the Crown as well…"

He paused again.

"Are you sure?"

Another pause.

"Okay, you're the boss…"

He walked back to the table. He turned to the two other Centurions.

"It's harmless, people," he said.

Everyone looked surprised.

"Commander…" said one of them. "Are you sure?"

"Positive," he said. "I see no laws being broken.

"Ms. Ramset… If you want to carry around some dull antique, fine, but don't threaten anyone with it.

"Let's go…"

He and the other two turned and left.

"What on Earth?" gasped Ren. "I thought they were going to…"

Chelsea looked at the sword.

"Dull antique?" she said, touching the point. "This thing is a dull an…

"OW!"

She put her cut finger in her mouth.

Yumi watched as the three officers left.

_Great,_ she thought. _Now we have another mystery to uncover…_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Rasputin carefully looked over his files on his computer.

"Crap…" he muttered.

He hit the switch, turning it off.

"It's just as I thought," he said with a moan. "Constructing a new homunculus would drain precious resources that we simply cannot spare unless we get all the Charms."

He turned to where Olga and Nicholas were chowing on room service food, while Louis stood watch.

"I'll put Yumi on the back burner for now…" he said, sitting down beside them. "I want that accursed Chelsea defeated first!

"Anyone have any ideas? I'm open to suggestions here, people!"

Nicholas slowly ate a grape, and shrugged.

"Uh, I got an idea, boss…" mumbled Louis.

They all looked at him.

"Hows about that Edan guy who wants her?" he asked. "We could get him on our side, and have him take care of her."

Rasputin slowly stroked his beard.

"A surprisingly good idea, coming from you, Louis," he replied. "That underground duelist may have been handed several defeats by young Chelsea, but maybe with the proper tweaking, we can make him more successful."

He went to his computer again.

"We simply need to locate him and convince him to come here, which shouldn't be too hard… Promises of power and strength are like sweet candy to thugs like him…"

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The face of Clock Tower Prison read eight-thirty as three youngsters approached a certain building in the Museum District…

…The Kaiba Memorial Library.

In the heart of the Museum District, this place was a monument to the Kaiba legacy. At least its legacy since Seto Kaiba.

Yumi, Ren, and Chelsea slowly entered the high-tech museum. Centurions stood guard, and with good reason. The exhibits in this place were priceless to duelists, all of them representing KaibaCorp's contributions to dueling.

In one case was the very first Duel Disk, a prototype that had only been used once. The original virtual pods that he once used to create the original virtual reality world were in another display. In other cases were models of the battlefields of the first Battle City: Kaiba Craft One and Alcatraz. Cards donated by famous duelists, among them Yumi's grandfathers, were displayed in cases. Yugi's copy of Dragon Master Knight was here. (A little known fact was that he had actually kept that in his fusion deck with the intent to use it against Kaiba. Ironically, the two times he used it, the two of them were acting as a team.)

One rare card stood out: Air Fortress Ziggurat, the one owned by Alister himself. A year after the Orichalcos incident, he had sent it to Kaiba as his means of apologizing. Kaiba's personal reaction to this gesture was never truly known, but he kept the card anyway.

There was another, more frightening artifact here from that incident. Inside one glass case was an Orichalcos Duel Disk (rendered inoperable, of course) that had been taken from one of Dartz's men. For the sake of history, it was here, representing a dangerous chapter in Kaiba's life.

There was also an indoor theater where visitors could watch showings of Kaiba's duels that had been recorded. The ones where he had dueled Yugi (the only ones he had lost) were left out, but it was still interesting to watch. His match against Ziegfried Von Schroder was the one that drew the most attention. Yumi had promised Ren and Chelsea they would go there to see it when they had the chance.

All of the previews led to one room called the Shrine. This was the primary monument to the two people the museum represented, Seto Kaiba, and his nephew, Siegfried Kaiba. On the walls of the room were the cards they had personally used at various times in their careers.

There was Vorse Raider, Gadget Soldier, Kaibaman, Hyozanryu, Lord of Dragons…

In a special display were the cards Kaiba had won as a result of the ante rule in the first Battle City. The most valuable card in this lot was the Masked Beast Des Guardius that he had taken from Lumis and Umbra. He had never actually used it in a duel, keeping it only as a souvenir.

In one extra-secure case was the priceless Chaos Emperor Dragon – Envoy of the End. Seto Kaiba had only used this card in one public duel, the one against Ziegfried. Two months after he had, the card had been outlawed. It was simply too powerful to ever be used in the dueling circuit. Some said that Kaiba had requested the ban himself because, as one of the best duelists in the world, he felt like handicapping himself to keep the game more interesting.

Only a few Spells and Traps were here, but the ones that were stood out. There was Kaiba's Fiend's Sanctuary, his strategy for defeating The Winged Dragon of Ra. When he knew he wouldn't face Ra after his defeat at Yugi's hands, he decided to lend it to Yugi, although no one – likely not even Kaiba himself – knew what made him decide to be so generous. It helped turn the tide of the duel. (Kaiba had believed it would increase Yugi's chances of winning from three percent to twenty percent, thinking no plan had a very good chance against Ra. Fortunately, Yugi won.)

But all this was all small potatoes compared to the glass case in the center of the Shrine, made of bulletproof glass and wired with several alarms.

Yumi, Ren, and Chelsea walked up to it…

Inside the case were two photographs. One was a photo of a young Seto Kaiba, facing an unseen opponent on the streets of Domino, taken during Battle City. The other photo was of Siegfried Kaiba, using a Disk that he was testing before his reign as Master of Games in the first Duelatopia tournament.

And in front of them were four cards, sealed in special plastic cubes…

The three Blue-Eyes White Dragons, and Kaiba's Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon. Due a decree set by Yumi's father, these cards would never be used again, out of respect for two martyrs who gave their lives to save the world…

One Blue-Eyes was left for use. Solomon Mouto's copy had been torn in half by Seto long ago. However, Kaiba eventually regretted doing so, and he also feared that his three copies would be destroyed out of spite by the demon he was protecting the Mandate from, and Blue-Eyes White Dragon would be rendered extinct. Fortunately, the torn pieces of the card had been kept safe. Before he died, Kaiba arranged for some of the best card restorers in the world to restore the card to mint condition for Yugi Jr. free of charge. Yugi eventually presented it as a gift to a duelist who used Dragons (mostly Armed Dragons) and he assumed she still had it.

Looking at the cards in the case gave the three teenagers chills.

"So…" muttered Ren. "What are we looking for?"

Yumi looked around.

At the far end of the room was an odd mirror, flanked by two statues of a young woman in fancy yet skimpy clothing...

Yumi rubbed her chin. The mirror seemed odd. It was as if you wouldn't notice it unless you were looking for something specific.

She walked up to the mirror. Then she noticed a plaque at the bottom.

She read:

**_Enter if you dare,_**

**_But if you must, beware._**

**_Noble Guardians protect this place;_**

**_Turn back now, or terror face._**

**_If you insist on breaching this door,_**

**_Remember this and nothing more:_**

**_Fire, Water, Earth, or Wind;_**

**_One of these will let you in._**

"Not exactly the most welcome greeting…" muttered Chelsea.

"But I think I know how to get in…" said Yumi, looking through the cards in her deck. "I need a Monster of the Fire, Water, Earth, or Wind Attributes.

"Only ones in this deck that qualify are Blast Magician, and…

"Hey, Buster Blader... Why not?"

She activated her Disk, and placed the card on it.

In a shimmering light, the Buster Blader materialized.

"Yumi, listen closely…" said a voice coming from the armored figure.

Yumi raised an eyebrow.

"I've stood by the side of your father and grandfather for many years, Yumi," said the Warrior, "and I don't want doom to fall upon your family line at this stage.

"Are you absolutely certain that this risk is worth taking?"

Yumi looked at him.

"We've come this far," she said. "I'm not gonna back out."

"Very well…" said the Warrior, drawing his sword. "Then good luck…"

With one slash, the mirror shattered.

"You'll need it…"

He vanished. Yumi shuffled her deck.

She peered inside. It seemed the mirror had been a hologram of some sort, hiding a secret passageway.

They slowly walked in, and looked around in awe to see a vast chamber made of crystal.

To their sides were statues of odd, humanoid creatures, including that woman whose statue had flanked the mirror. A set of double doors was far in front of them at the other side of the chamber.

"Where are we?" asked Yumi.

"The Crystal Sanctum…" said a female voice. "Sacred ground."

The voice startled them. They looked up, as a woman leapt down from above, landing gracefully in front of them.

They stepped back as she got up.

She was an exotic beauty who was intimidating at the same time. She seemed to be in her thirties, with long black hair in a ponytail, tied back with a silver ribbon. She wore a toga that was silver as well and fell to her knees. She wore a pair of crystal bracelets with strange runes in them, and she had a curved crystal sword at her waist, tied on with a belt of rope. Her skin was tanned, and her face was covered with a green butterfly mask, obscuring the eye color. On her left arm was a silver-colored Duel Disk with jewels shaped like the four gods of China – a dragon, phoenix, tiger, and turtle – embedded in the deck holder.

"Yumi Mouto?" asked the strange woman.

Yumi bravely stood forward.

"I am, and you are?" she asked.

"I am Mystara, guardian of the three brothers. The other Guardians and myself make certain that their sleep is undisturbed.

"I knew you were coming, and I give you an offer I don't make to many…

"You may leave. If you do not, I will not let you go should you lose…"

She waved her hand, and Yumi stepped back as several large crystals descended from the ceiling.

She was shocked to see that they seemed to have people inside them.

"What are they?" she gasped.

"The remains of my opponents," said Mystara. "Trapped in amber like flies, condemned to sleep forever, just as the Dragons will.

"Consider my offer, Yumi. Consider your family and your future. If we duel and you lose, I will not let you go…"

"Yumi…" muttered Ren, "maybe it's a good idea to just leave…"

Yumi's eyes narrowed.

"I'm not afraid of you…" she said to Mystara. "I'll face you, and I'll defeat you…"

Her puzzle glowed, and in a flash of light, the change started to overtake her.

"Very well…" said Mystara.

She raised her hand, and the three teenagers were startled as a gate slammed down behind them, blocking off the way they came.

"Now only one exit from this chamber remains," said Mystara, "and that is the door behind me. Don't dream of ever getting past me unless you win this duel. An Eliminator is the equal of ten Centurions."

She smirked.

"I knew this was a bad idea…" muttered Ren.

"Should you win," continued Mystara, "you get an upgrade, a card or two, and a special gift called the Blessing of Diamond. But if you lose, your fate will be theirs…"

The crystals retracted into the ceiling.

"Stand on that symbol," ordered Mystara.

Yumi looked at the strange symbol on the floor. She stepped onto it.

Then, a set of railings arose from the boarders of the symbol, surrounding her.

"What's going on?" she asked.

"A precaution to keep you from fleeing once you see what I unleash," said Mystara, as similar railings rose around her. "See, I am bound as well… It is only fair."

She grinned evilly…

"You know, Yumi, I may have offered you a chance to back out," she said, "but I'm glad you didn't. You may not understand this… But I have waited for this moment for a very, very long time…

"Now…"

Her Disk activated.

"Let us begin!"

"Game on!" they both shouted.

**(Yumi: 8,000) -------------------- (Mystara: 8,000)**

Mystara drew her opening hand and looked at the cards.

_I envisioned this duel nineteen years ago,_ she thought. _I remember it quite clearly… But Twilight told me that it would be different when it actually happened. She was right… My strategy now is far different than anything I ever saw my future self use. Does that mean I can defeat her?_

_We will see…_

"To be fair," she said, "I will let you move first."

Yumi drew her first card.

"Think Yumi can beat this dame?" asked Ren.

"Well, this Mystara seems more experienced, and likely has a lot of good cards…" said Chelsea. "In other words, it's gonna be hard…"

She looked around at all the crystal.

"You don't suppose she has those… What were they called… Crystal Beasts?"

"I hope not," said Ren. "Those were supposed to be very dangerous…"

The Pharaoh appeared beside Yumi as she looked over her cards.

"Yumi…" he said. "Be careful. This Mystara… There's something familiar about her."

"Familiar?" asked Yumi.

"Yes…" he replied. "It's as if I met her once before… In another place and time… But I can't quite put my finger on it."

Yumi took a card from her hand.

"I summon Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer," she said.

In an aura of darkness, Kycoo appeared, taking a fighting stance. (1,800/700)

"Beat that," she dared.

"We will see…" said Mystara, making a draw.

She added the card to her hand.

"I play my Graceful Charity," she said, holding up a card.

As usual, an angel appeared behind Mystara… But oddly, this was not the same angel that usually came when that card was played. It was a tall woman with much more gorgeous wings, and clothing that suggested… Well, they sort of suggested Native American more than anything.

_Where have I seen that before?_ thought Yumi.

Mystara drew three cards. As the strange seraphim vanished, she chose two cards and discarded them.

"I place a card facedown," she stated, "and also a Monster in Defense Mode."

She played the cards, and a facedown card and a facedown Monster appeared.

"Your move…"

Yumi drew a new card.

_Got to be careful,_ she thought._ I assume these guys work for KaibaCorp… Their decks could be packed with the rarest cards in circulation. That Monster could have a nasty effect, and that facedown card could be an even nastier Trap._

_But I'd best get her to use them up…_

"I summon… Magician's Valkyria!"

In a flash of light, Valkyria appeared on the field, brandishing her staff. (1,600/1,800)

"Okay…" said Yumi, "Kycoo, attack her facedown Monster! Spell of banishment!"

Kycoo cast his powerful spell… Lightning flashed…

…and then he hollered as a backlash threw him backwards, and he landed on his behind.

Yumi looked, and saw that Mystical Elf was kneeling on the card he had aimed at. (800/2,000)

"A little too strong for him, I must say," said Mystara, with a smile.

**(Y: 7,800) -------------------- (M: 8,000)**

"Okay…" said Yumi. "I'll end my turn there…"

Mystara drew a card.

"I play Pot of Greed…" she stated, playing it. "Now I'll draw two cards…"

The jar appeared in front of her, and she made two draws.

She looked at them.

"Both of which I'll use," she said. "One is a handy Equip Spell… It's called Butterfly Dagger – Elma. Its effect can raise the Attack of a Monster by 300 points.

"But since I'm not selfish, I'm not going to Equip to my Monster… I'm Equipping it to Magician's Valkyria."

"Say what?" asked Yumi, with a look of shock.

Valkyria's staff vanished, and a long, fancy dagger appeared in her hand. (1,900/1,800)

"I think your other Monster looks jealous," continued Mystara. "So I'll give Kycoo something too. The Equip Spell, Gravity Axe – Grarl."

Kycoo's prayer beads vanished, and a large, fancy axe appeared in his hands.

"It increases his Attack Score by 500, and also prevents any Monster on the field from switching Modes."

(2,300/700)

"Uh…" said Yumi. "Care to tell me why you're purposely making my Monsters stronger? Kycoo can beat your Elf's Defense now, you know."

"Only if he can get by this…" said Mystara, playing another card.

In a flash of light, a pious holy man in a white vestment appeared on the field and raised his hand.

"Messenger of Peace," she continued. "For the low price of only 100 Life Points per round, all Monsters with an Attack Score of 1,500 or greater are forbidden to attack. So both of your Spellcasters can't come near my Elf.

"I'll conclude my turn with that."

"Well, uhm… This is a strange strategy…" said Chelsea.

"All the Eliminators have strange strategies…" said Ren. "My dad told me about his duel with Imhotep. The whole thing was like a trek through a tomb full of booby traps. Fortunately for him, his deck had some of the greatest tomb raiders in history."

Yumi drew a card.

_Until I find a way to tear down her Messenger, I'll never get to her…_ she thought.

"I summon Gemini Elf…" she said, playing a card.

The two elf twins materialized. (1,900/900)

"Then I'll place a card facedown…"

A facedown card appeared.

"That's all for me…"

"I draw one card…" said Mystara. "And I pay 100 Life Points to keep Messenger of Peace…"

She looked at the card she had drawn.

"Pass…"

**(Y: 7,800) -------------------- (M: 7,900)**

Yumi looked at her.

She drew one card.

"Trying to wait me out, huh?" she asked, adding it to her hand. "Well I pass too!"

"This could take a while…" muttered Ren.

Mystara drew again.

"I have no more use for Messenger of Peace," she said, "so I'll destroy it…"

Messenger of Peace shattered.

"Next…" she said, "I'll play Monster Reborn to bring back a Monster whom I discarded with Graceful Charity…"

The glowing, golden ankh appeared…

"Come forth, Maha Vailo!"

In a burst of light, a tall, female Spellcaster appeared. She was dressed in a blue robe, with wing-like extensions on her back. She wore a peaked hat with strange ornaments dangling from it, and had long, blonde hair. (1,550/1,400)

"Next…" said Mystara, "I'll Equip her with Shooting Star Bow – Ceal. This lowers her Attack Score by 1,000…"

She played the card, and a silvery bow appeared on Maha Vailo's back. Her Attack fell down to 550.

"…but due to her own effect, she gains 500 Attack Points for each Equip she has. And the effect of the Bow allows her to attack you directly."

(1,050/1,400)

"Go ahead!" laughed Yumi. "I can take it!"

"Can you now?" asked Mystara. "Aren't you interested at all in what my facedown card is? It's a Trap that your grandfather used in Battle City in his duel against Bakura."

Yumi paused.

_Wait…_ she thought. _She can't mean…_

The facedown card lifted.

"I activate… Collected Power!" exclaimed Mystara. "Now, all Equip Spells on the field are Equipped to one Monster. So, I'd like to thank your two Spellcasters for keeping those weapons safe… I'll be taking them back now…"

Butterfly Dagger and Gravity Axe vanished from Valkyria and Kycoo, and reappeared hanging on Maha Vailo's belt.

"Now, let's take a minute to recalculate…" said Mystara. "She gains 300 more Attack Points from Butterfly Dagger, then 500 more from Gravity Axe, then 1,000 more from her own effect, due to having two more Equips."

(2,850/1,400)

Yumi gulped…

"I'm not done…" said Mystara. "Since Butterfly Dagger is now on my side of the field, I'm permitted to summon its owner to the field. So I now summon Guardian Elma!"

In a flash of light, a woman appeared next to Maha Vailo. It was the same woman as the one depicted in those statues, now in full color. She wore a fancy, blue halter, a brief, red pair of shorts, several bracelets, and her red hair was crowned by a fancy tiara. She held a dagger similar to the Butterfly Dagger. (1,300/1,200)

"And when Elma is summoned," continued Mystara, "I can Equip her with an Equip Spell from my Graveyard. And I discarded a good one with Graceful Charity. So, I'll now discard my Big Bang Shot to Equip her with Wicked-Breaking Flamberge – Baou."

She discarded the card, and Elma's dagger vanished, and was replaced by a large, nasty longsword. (1,800/1,200)

Yumi took a step backwards…

"And I'm still not done…" said Mystara. "Since Gravity Axe is on my side of the field, I'm allowed to summon its owner, and this one can be a Special Summon if he happens to be the only card in my hand, which he is…

"I summon Guardian Grarl."

The floor rumbled, and then split, and a hulking form burst out of the ground. It was a muscular, simian humanoid with grey skin, wearing patchwork armor, and holding an axe similar to the Gravity Axe. (2,500/1,000)

"Ho boy…" said Chelsea.

Ren looked at the map that had led them here. He noticed something…

On the instructions, the word "guardian" was capitalized. It made sense now…

"Don't forget, Yumi…" said Mystara, "the one holding Ceal's bow is able to make direct attacks…

"Maha Vailo, attack Yumi directly! Sacred lightning!"

Maha Vailo threw up her arms, and lighting crashed down from the ceiling to them. She threw the bolts forward, hitting Yumi. Yumi screamed and was thrown back against the railing.

"Elma, attack her Magician's Valkyria. Breaking blade."

Guardian Elma leapt up, and made a fancy pirouette. She swung her sword at Valkyria. The sorceress screamed as she was cut down.

"Grarl, attack Gemini Elf. Doom chop."

Guardian Grarl growled, and lumbered forward, and swung his axe down with a crash, right between the two elf twins. They screamed and shattered.

"And that's all," laughed Mystara.

**(Y: 4,150) -------------------- (M: 7,900)**

Yumi slowly got up.

"Yumi," said the Pharaoh, "I recognize these Monsters…"

"Yeah…" she replied. "Raphael's cards, right? Grandpa might have mentioned him once or twice…"

"Well, uh…" said the Pharaoh.

"Don't concern yourself with ancient history right now," said Yumi. "We have bigger problems…"

She looked at Mystara's four Monsters.

_She seems to have a good plan…_ she thought, looking at the field. _But it does have one small weakness…_

_She's tied up four of her five spaces on her Spell/Trap Zone with Equips, leaving only one spot left for anything else… Not to mention the fact that she's used every card in her hand._

_Of course, I'm not in the best shape either…_

She looked at her own hand.

_Not much to work with… Kycoo could defeat Elma right now, but the battle would be a draw… And I have nothing that could take out Maha Vailo._

She drew a card.

"I play _my_ Graceful Charity," she said.

She played the card, and the angel – the one she was familiar with this time – appeared, and her deck glowed. She drew three cards.

She smiled. She discarded Life-Absorbing Machine and Dedication Through Light and Darkness.

"I throw a second card facedown, and then summon Breaker the Magical Warrior."

A facedown card appeared, next to the first one, and then, in a dark shadow, Breaker appeared, holding his sword and shield. (1,600/1,000) –) (1,900/1,000)

"Now I'll use his effect to destroy that Gravity Axe. Breaker, do it!"

Breaker's shield glowed. His Attack fell to 1,600 and the Gravity Axe shattered.

Maha Vailo's Attack Score fell to 1,850.

"That's all I can do…" she said nervously.

She glanced at her facedown cards.

_It's all up to chance… _she thought.

Mystara drew one card.

_I'll save this for now…_ she thought.

"Grarl… Attack Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer," she ordered.

Grarl lifted his axe…

"I activate… A Hero Emerges!" shouted Yumi.

Her Trap Card lifted. Mystara frowned.

Yumi held out her hand, which consisted of four cards.

"So pick a card… Any card…"

"Eh… Far left…" muttered Mystara.

Yumi gave a wicked grin…

She placed a card on her Disk, and in a flash of light, Buster Blader appeared, waving his huge sword. (2,600/2,300)

Mystara flinched a little…

"All right!" shouted Chelsea. "That's one of her best Monsters!"

"It's still all over for your Ghost Destroyer!" snarled Mystara. "Grarl, continue your attack!"

Grarl slammed his axe into Kycoo, and he was blasted to bits.

"Maha Vailo, attack Yumi directly again!"

Yumi screamed again as she was hit by a blast of sacred lightning. She fell to one knee.

**(Y: 1,600) -------------------- (M: 7,900)**

"Since Gravity Axe is gone," she said, "I'll move Elma into Defense Mode, and end my turn."

Guardian Elma knelt in defense, and held her sword on her lap.

"Your Life Points are down to 1,600, and mine have barely been touched," she said. "Surrender now, and I'll try to make your fate painless…"

Yumi panted for breath, and drew a card.

"Never…" she muttered.

"I play Monster Reborn… Now I'll bring Gemini Elf back."

The glowing ankh appeared, and Gemini Elf reappeared. (1,900/900)

"Buster Blader… Attack Grarl! Buster sword!"

Buster Blader leapt up, and brought his sword down on the Guardian. The Guardian groaned and shattered into pixels.

"Gemini Elf…"

She paused.

"Attack Guardian Elma!"

"What?" said Mystara in surprise.

Gemini Elf blasted their lightning, and it struck Elma. The Fairy screamed, and shattered into bits.

**(Y: 1,600) -------------------- (M: 7,800)**

"FOOL!" laughed Mystara. "Maha Vailo will attack you again next turn, and you will lose!"

"No I won't…" said Yumi. "You see, since I just attacked with a Spellcaster, I get to activate this…"

Her other facedown card lifted.

"Magician's Circle," she said. "Now, both duelists may Special Summon from their decks a Spellcaster that has 2,000 Attack Points or less. So I'll bring out Dark Magician Girl!"

In a flash of light, Dark Magician Girl appeared, and spun a full circle before turning to face Mystara. (2,000/1,700)

"You said _both_ duelists!" replied Mystara. "Maha Vailo fits the requirements, and I have a second one!"

In a flash of light, a twin of the first Maha Vailo appeared next to the first one. (1,550/1,400)

"Whatever…" said Yumi. "My Battle Phase isn't over. Dark Magician Girl, attack the stronger Maha Vailo! Dark burning attack!"

Dark Magician Girl aimed her staff and fired, blowing Maha Vailo to fragments.

"Breaker, your turn… take out the other one!"

Breaker charged, and made a slash with his sword, eradicating the other Maha Vailo.

**(Y: 1,600) -------------------- (M: 7,450)**

Mystara's eye twitched under her mask.

"That's it for my turn…" said Yumi.

"I still have Mystical Elf…" said Mystara, drawing a card, "and she'll protect me for now…

"…as will the card I just drew. Another of your grandfather's favorites. Swords of Revealing Light."

She placed the card in her Disk, and a blast of glowing swords shot forward, forming a cage around Yumi and her Monsters.

"Crud…" thought Chelsea. "Anyone who's dueled her grandpa knows how annoying that card can be."

"That ends my turn," said Mystara.

Yumi drew a card.

She played two cards. A facedown Monster and a facedown card appeared on her side of the field.

"That'll do it…" she said.

Mystara looked at her for a minute, and then drew. She looked at the strange Monster.

"I play Fairy of the Spring," she said, playing the other card in her hand.

A glowing, angelic form holding two swords appeared behind her.

"Now I get to reclaim one Equip Spell from my Graveyard, but I can't use it this turn…"

She took a card from her discard slot, and looked at the Shooting Star Bow.

"Go ahead…"

"I draw…" said Yumi, drawing.

_Premature Burial?_ she thought, looking at it. _I have a full field of five Monsters… I can't use that right now…_

_And I've got precious few Life Points to spend as it is…_

She added it to her hand

"I'll just draw and pass…" she said. "One turn to go."

Mystara drew a card.

_Perfect…_ she thought. _This was just what I needed to get rid of her Buster Blader…_

"I'll use Shooting Star Bow again, this time Equipping it to Mystical Elf…" she said.

The bow appeared strapped to the elf's back.

"Why?" asked Yumi. "That reduces her Attack Score to zero. She can't attack me."

"Did you forget how Guardians and their weapons work?" ask Mystara. "Since the Bow is on the field, I can summon its owner. Come forth… Guardian Ceal!"

A bonfire of flame erupted on her side of the field, and a nasty creature appeared. His torso and limbs were red and scaly, but his head was that of a feral wolf. He held a bow similar to the Shooting Star Bow in his hand. (1,700/1,400)

"Eh, Buster Blader will make a rug out of him," said Ren, a little nervously.

"Oh really?" said Mystara. "I play my Tailor of the Fickle card."

She played a card.

"It's a Spell Card that is seldom used, but is quite useful with my deck. Simply put, it lets me remove an Equip Spell from one Monster, and place it on another. It's rare that a Guardian gets to wield its own weapon, but Ceal is doing so now."

The Shooting Star Bow vanished from Mystical Elf, and reappeared in Ceal's other hand. (700/1,400)

"It may be his own weapon," said Yumi, "but I see he receives the same penalty for using it."

"He won't be keeping it, due his own effect," replied Mystara. "By destroying one Equip Spell that he's Equipped with, Ceal can destroy one Monster."

The Bow shattered, and Ceal aimed his other bow, which burned with fire.

"Ceal, wipe out her Buster Blader!" commanded Mystara.

Guardian Ceal drew his bow back, creating a flaming arrow. He fired, striking Buster Blader, and the Warrior erupted in flames. He groaned before shattering.

"I still have his normal attack…" said Mystara. "Ceal, attack Breaker."

Ceal fired his arrow again, striking Breaker and blasting him to pieces.

**(Y: 1,500) -------------------- (M: 7,450)**

Yumi glared at her.

"You have no more cards," she said, "so I'll move…"

She drew a card.

"I'll just pass again, and let your Swords expire…"

The Swords of Revealing Light faded and disappeared.

Mystara drew one card.

"I play Card of Sanctity!" she shouted.

The arena lit up, and gold coins fell from the ceiling.

"How lucky can you get…" muttered Chelsea.

Yumi only got to draw one card from this, but Mystara got a full hand. She looked them over carefully.

"I'll move Ceal to Defense Mode, and place one card facedown…" she said.

Ceal crouched in Defense, and a facedown card appeared.

Yumi paused before drawing a card. Then she drew.

_If that card is a Mirror Force,_ she thought, _I'd lose everyone except my facedown Monster. If she drew a Monster on her next turn with decent scores, or even if she attacked my facedown Monster with Mystical Elf, I'd lose…_

She looked around nervously at the crystals…

"Frightened, Yumi?" asked the voice of the Pharaoh.

"A little," she replied.

"It wouldn't be the first time a Mouto took a risk, Yumi," he said. "Your parents and grandparents took them several times.

"Your mother would have been turned into a fox by that witch Circe if she hadn't bet a great deal on A Hero Emerges. Your father risked killing Jade based on an assurance that he wasn't sure was true.

"Some risks you just have to take."

"Then let's go for the gusto…" said Yumi.

She placed a card in her Disk.

"I play… Premature Burial," she said. "I'll give up 800 Life Points and… Magician's Valkyria, welcome back."

In a flash of light, Valkyria reappeared on her side of the field. (1,600/1,800)

"Now I play… Rush Recklessly."

She played the card, and Valkyria rose to an Attack of 2,300.

"Valkyria, attack Mystical Elf!"

Valkyria cast her spell, and Mystical Elf's eyes opened as it hit her. She strained, and then she shattered.

"Gemini Elf, take out Guardian Ceal!"

The elves cast their lightning bolts, and Ceal exploded into triangles.

"Now, a direct attack! Dark Magician Girl, hit her directly!"

Dark Magician Girl flew at Mystara, and she gasped as the powerful spell hit her.

**(Y: 700) -------------------- (M: 5,450)**

Yumi looked at her opponent.

She fit another card into her Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

"Your move…" she said.

Mystara drew a card.

_That's it,_ she thought, looking at it. _That's the final piece of the formula I need to summon my mightiest creature…_

"Now it ends, Yumi…" she said.

"I play this… Soul Release. With this, I can remove from play up to five cards in either Graveyard.

"And I'm going to do that with yours, once I get a closer look…"

In a flash, the images of all the cards in Yumi's Graveyard appeared in front of her.

She touched Magician's Circle, Monster Reborn, Rush Recklessly, and A Hero Emerges, and they vanished.

"What the heck?" asked Yumi. "If you were smart, you would have removed the three Monsters I have in there so I couldn't use them again."

"Don't worry…" said Mystara, with an evil smile. "I'll get to them later! For now…"

She played a Spell Card.

"I play Buried Destiny. If a Spell Card that you've used isn't in your Graveyard right now, I get to reclaim a Spell Card of the same name from my own Graveyard."

Monster Reborn slipped out of her discard slot.

She played it, and the glowing ankh appeared in front of her. Maha Vailo appeared again.

"Next, I play another Spell Card. It's called Summon Storm. For the price of only 800 Life Points, I'm allowed to Special Summon a low-level Wind Monster from my hand. Such as my Whirlwind Prodigy."

She played the card, and in gust of wind, a young, elflike boy appeared on the field, dressed in green and brown leather. (1,500/1,600)

_Whirlwind Prodigy?_ thought Yumi. _Why would she need him?_

"Next, I Equip Maha Vailo with Celestial Sword – Aitos," said Mystara.

The Crystal Sanctum darkened, and a long, shining sword appeared in Maha Vailo's hands…

"Yumi!" shouted the voice of the Pharaoh. "I know this! Something bad is coming!"

"What?" asked Yumi, nervously.

"Now…" continued Mystara, "Maha Vailo gains 500 Attack Points from her own effect, plus the effect of that sword grants her 300 Attack Points for every Monster in your Graveyard…"

(2,950/1,400)

"I could attack your Valkyria with Maha Vailo and win right now, but I have something else in mind, a finish which will seal your fate, and have your two friends leaving in utter terror…"

"Too late…" squeaked Ren, who was holding onto Chelsea.

"As you may know," continued Mystara, ignoring them, "when Whirlwind Prodigy is sacrificed to summon a Wind Monster, he counts as two Monsters. And since Celestial Sword is on the field, I can summon its owner…

"So, I sacrifice him, to summon the mightiest Guardian of all… _**Guardian Aitos!**_"

The crystals in the shrine blazed with fiery light. Wind howled through the halls. Whirlwind Prodigy vanished, and a new form arose… A powerful-looking, angelic being of unearthly beauty, similar to the vision Yumi saw when her opponent played Graceful Charity, but more imposing, more intimidating… More real…

This wasn't just a Duel Monster…

This was a goddess…

(2,500/2,000)

"Impossible…" gasped Yumi. "There was only one copy of that card, and it belonged to Raphael…"

"True…" said Mystara. "How he gave it to me is a secret you will never learn, because this is your last stand…"

She revealed her last Spell Card.

"I play my second Tailor of the Fickle to transfer Aitos's sword to her…"

The sword vanished and appeared in Aitos's hand.

"Now I activate the effect of Celestial Sword that can only be enacted when Aitos herself is holding it. By sending it to the Graveyard, I can remove the Monsters in your Graveyard from play from the top down until I reach a Spell or Trap. And due to my Soul Release, no Spells or Traps stand in the way of your three Monsters."

The Celestial Sword shattered…

The phantoms of Buster Blader, Breaker the Magical Warrior, and Gemini Elf appeared, and were absorbed into Aitos.

"Then, their Attack Scores are added to hers…"

Aitos glowed with divine energy…

(8,600/2,000)

"Aw, Yumi's a goner…" moaned Chelsea.

"Overkill perhaps…" said Mystara with an evil smile, "but I like to make an impression.

"It seems that facedown card of yours is your only hope at this point… Fortunately, I'm prepared for that…"

Her last facedown card lifted.

"I activate Royal Decree. Now your Trap Card is worthless."

"YUMI!" screamed Ren.

"Aitos…" commanded Mystara. "Attack Magician's Valkyria!"

Aitos flew towards Magician's Valkyria…

"You almost had me…" said Yumi. "But you didn't count on one little thing…"

Her facedown card lifted.

"This is no Trap Card…"

"Magical Dimension?" gasped Mystara. "That's a Quickplay!"

"A very powerful one…" said Yumi. "I'll sacrifice Valkyria…"

Valkyria vanished.

"And summon Dark Magician to the field!"

Dark Magician appeared in a burst of energy. (2,500/2,100)

"Then I get to destroy one Monster," continued Yumi.

Aitos screamed as she was enveloped by dark energy. She fell to her knees… And then was blasted into pixels.

"AITOS!" screamed Mystara.

The winds slowly subsided…

Then there was silence… Dead silence…

"No-one… has ever… beaten her…" whispered Mystara.

Yumi bowed her head.

"Man, I feel like I just smashed a stained glass window…" she said with a sigh. "Really sorry, but I wasn't about to lose on purpose…"

"I think it's my move, seeing as you're out of cards. I draw one card…"

She drew.

"…but I don't need it. Gemini Elf, wipe out her last Monster."

Gemini Elf fired their lightning bolts, and Maha Vailo was incinerated.

"Dark Magician, Dark Magician Girl…"

The two Spellcasters nodded to each other…

"Double dark magic attack!"

The two Spellcasters leapt up, and struck their staffs together. A powerful blast of dark magic shot from the point of contact, striking Mystara. The Eliminator screamed and slammed against the railing behind her.

**(Y: 700) -------------------- (M: 0)**

"That'll do it…" said Yumi, as Mystara slumped to the ground. "You were pretty good yourself… Really scary. Maybe a little… intense…"

Mystara got up, and the railings retracted.

She walked over to Yumi.

She sighed.

"I thought I could beat you…" she said with a sigh. "But I gave you my best, and you gave me more… Your bloodline is strong… The true legacy of the King of Games runs in your veins…"

Yumi looked at her.

"So…" muttered Yumi. "You said something about a Blessing of Diamond?"

"Yes…" said Mystara. "But first, there are the other parts of your prize. First, your status…"

Yumi's badge slowly changed, turning to Silver.

Then a pair of cards appeared in Mystara's hand.

"As for a material prize," she continued, "since Spellcasters play such a large role in your strategy, I bequeath to you these two cards, Monsters not unlike ones used by a friend of mine whom I started dueling with long ago. Use them wisely."

Yumi took the two cards and looked at them. She had heard of these two Spellcasters… They were powerful… Maybe she would save them for something special.

She slowly slipped them into her side deck.

"And the greatest prize…" said Mystara. "For triumphing over the Guardians of this Sanctum, the Blessing of Diamond!"

She put her hands on Yumi's shoulders, and Yumi began to glow with a soft light…

"Do not struggle…" said Mystara.

Yumi gasped, as a crystal started to form around her.

"What gives?" shouted Ren. "She won the duel!"

"The losers are imprisoned in amber," said Mystara, as the crystal covered Yumi. "This is a coat of diamond which will only last for a minute.

"You see, my friends, there is magic in gemstones, the treasures of the earth. The more precious the stone, the more power it holds. And when this coat breaks in a minute or two, Yumi will emerge with its power having seeped into her veins…"

The diamond holding Yumi started to glow with soft light. Ren and Chelsea nervously watched.

Within, Yumi felt a rush of energy, as visions assaulted her mind. Scenes of the duels which her parents and grandparents fought flashed past her eyes from most recent to oldest…

She saw Bakura… Dartz… Marik…

Once past the very first duel with Kaiba, so long ago, the visions went further, and she saw the ancient struggles of the past… She saw the Pharaoh, and his struggles against evil forces.

She caught an odd glimpse as she saw him in this vision…

Standing behind him was a young girl, one who was nervously watching the conflict in which he was involved in…

She tried to get a better look…

Then, the diamond shattered, and the vision went dark.

Yumi gasped for breath.

"Yumi?" asked Mystara.

"Uh, yeah…" muttered Yumi. "I… think I saw something in there… I don't know exactly what it was, but it might have been a good starting point."

Mystara smiled. The doorway behind her opened.

"Then go, and good luck to all of you," she said. "But do not come here any more. If your friends wish to seek other Eliminators, have them find others."

Mystara stood aside.

Yumi paused as her two friends walked up to her.

She didn't say anything. She simply walked towards the exit. Ren and Chelsea followed.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Earlier, about when the duel was starting, Olga was working on something in a small book with a pencil, while Nicholas was looking over her shoulder and Rasputin was pacing back and forth.

"The top row should be 7… 5… 3…" said Nicholas.

"Nicholas, please!" shouted Olga. "I like solving these sudoku puzzles on my own!"

"You let Louis help you," replied Nicholas.

"As I was saying…" she answered.

"Speaking of Louis, where is he?" muttered Rasputin. "I tell him to fetch one duelist… If he got lost…"

"Please…" replied Nicholas. "That Cro-Magnon could get lost in a grocery store."

"I heard that!" said Louis, as he walked in. "And I found him."

He was followed by the same guy who was leading the two punks, the one with the rainbow Mohawk, leather jacket, and ugly-looking tattoos.

"Whoa…" said the punk. "How do you rate a pad like this?"

"Sorry it took so long," said Louis. "He was in the middle of a duel, and he did pretty good."

"Edan Abercrombie, I assume," said Rasputin.

"Yeah, but don't spread my last name all over the place," replied Edan. "It's not very… hip."

"Indeed…" said Rasputin. "I kind of wonder how three underground duelists like you and your two henchmen got invited here."

Edan grinned.

"One of the spectators who came to one of our places frequently is an executive at KaibaCorp," he replied. "The three of us found that out, and if anyone else knew he went to such places, it would be bad for him. He made a little deal – we keep our mouths shut, and he falsifies some documents, making us look like we're big in the Pro League."

"Ingenious…" said Rasputin. "Seems like something I would have done…"

He walked up to him.

"I hear you're looking forward to a rematch with Chelsea."

"Oh yeah!" said Edan. "And I'm gonna beat her this time!"

"Mmm…" said Rasputin. "May I see your deck?"

Edan handed him a deck. Rasputin slowly looked through the cards.

"I see…" he said. "I see… Hmmm… Yes…

"Well, now I know why she's beaten you so many times… Her deck is superior."

"What?" said Edan, startled. "I just reworked it."

Rasputin handed it back.

"A Rock Deck can only be reworked so much," he said, "but I can rework it so you'll actually win…

"You see, Mr. Abercrombie, you want Chelsea, I want something she has…

"I run a private… club of sorts that wouldn't be much of a step up from underground dueling as far as requirements went. But it would pay more. I could supply you with what you need to finally get what you've wanted for so long, I'd benefit too, and maybe you could join our little group…

"Interested?"

Edan looked at him.

He looked at his deck.

"For sure…" he said.

"Then let's see the deck again…" said Rasputin. "As Boggart once said, this looks like the beginning of a beautiful friendship…"

_Having defeated an Eliminator with a lethal weapon, Yugi moves to Silver status, only one step away from the finals! But now, more trouble looms, as Rasputin sets his sights on Chelsea. Will this persistent pain in the neck who has bothered her so often actually be a viable threat now?_

**0**

**0**

**0**

**SUMMON STORM (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** A humanoid, winged creature in the center of a glowing tornado.

**Card Description:** Pay 800 Life Points. Special Summon one WIND Monster that is Level Four or less from your hand.

_Note: "Summon Storm" will be used by Harpie's Brother in a future episode of "Yu-Gi-Oh GX". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**CELESTIAL SWORD – AITOS (Spell Card)**

**Equip Spell**

**Image: **Guardian Aitos's face behind two crossed swords.

**Card Description:** Increase the ATK of the Monster Equipped with this card by 300 for every Monster in your opponent's Graveyard. When this card is Equipped to "Guardian Aitos", you may send this card to the Graveyard to remove the Monster Cards in your opponent's Graveyard from play from the top down until you reach a Spell or Trap Card. Then, add the base ATK of each Monster removed from play to "Guardian Aitos".

**0**

**0**

**0**

**GUARDIAN AITOS (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fairy/Effect  
**Attribute: **Wind  
**Level:** 7  
**ATK:** 2,500  
**DEF:** 2,000

**Card Description:** This Monster cannot be Normal Summoned, Flip-Summoned, or Special Summoned unless you have a "Celestial Sword – Aitos" on your side of the field. If you have no Monster Cards in your Graveyard, this Monster may be Normal Summoned or set with no Tributes.

_Note: "Celestial Sword – Aitos" and "Guardian Aitos" were first used by Raphael in the multi-part original anime series "Fate of the Pharaoh". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**BURIED DESTINY (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** A swampy mire with shiny crystals embedded in the mud.

**Card Description:** Name one Spell Card that your opponent has used during the course of the duel that is not currently in his/her Graveyard. If there is a Spell Card with the same name in your Graveyard, add it to your hand.

_Note: "Buried Destiny" was first used by Chazz in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Blinded By The Light (Part Two)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**Ren: Yumi? You okay?**

**Yumi: So whoozy… It was such an experience…**

**Chelsea: Maybe we should take a break. We need a breather after all that.**

**Ren: Don't stray too far, Chelsea… The Ascenders are out there, and they want that Sword…**

**Anastasia: Not only the Sword… One of them wants **_**you**_

**Coming up next: "The Tyrants of Death; Chelsea versus the Hidden Danger".**

**As the quest towards the top starts to become rockier… **


	23. Chelsea versus the Hidden Danger

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**The Tyrants of Death;**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Chelsea versus the Hidden Danger**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

Cassandra looked at her deck, and then at the cards that were already spread out.

"This next draw should show me the final player…" she said.

She drew a card…

…and then it slipped out of her fingers, and fell on the floor.

She looked down.

"It landed on the diagonal…" she mused.

She bent down and picked it up.

It bore the picture of a regal, bearded man on a throne, wearing a crown and a robe, holding an orb and a scepter.

She placed it between The Moon and The Hangman.

"The Emperor," she said. "The symbol of authority and loyalty, adherence to tradition."

She paused.

"When this card is upright," she mused, "it represents achievement, discipline, and willpower. When it is inverted, it represents weakness, immaturity, and failed ambition…

"But… This time, it landed in neither direction… It now could represent both concepts at once… Or something else entirely…

"Rasputin… What secrets lie hidden behind your veneer?"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Every year, preparing the Coliseum for the finals was a big task. Each year, whatever new improvements that had to be installed usually meant gutting the whole complex and rebuilding it.

Inside right now, a small army of well-trained (and well-paid) construction workers were determined to complete construction of the new systems and improvements by the opening ceremonies. And a squad of supervisors were overseeing them.

One of the supervisors stood out. It wasn't like them, because it wasn't human. It was an android.

The android was built of titanium and other lightweight but strong metals, ensuring it would survive any construction-related accident, and its four arms were incredibly strong, yet incredibly dexterous at the same time. Looking at it, you could best compare it to a cross between a four-armed C3PO and a pro-wrestler. It wore a bandoleer holding several tools (the power ones it could plug right into its own battery if necessary) and many tools which didn't fit in it were built right into its limbs. It was intelligent too, with many gigabytes of artificial intelligence, but almost all of it was programmed with construction work in mind.

The other workers loved this co-worker. Something about the way it was always serious about everything (talking in "robot-speak") was just funny.

The head foreman, however, was just as serious, and didn't have much of a sense of humor. He was very dedicated to getting this job done. He walked up to the robot, who was taking measurements using a device.

"You have a progress report, Macros?" he asked.

"Affirmative," said the robot. "Alteration of northeast holographic projector is ahead of schedule. Estimated completion time is before eighteen-hundred hours."

"I do hope you mean by that six o'clock, and not _literally_ eighteen-hundred hours," replied the foreman.

"Affirmative…" said the robot.

The foreman shook his head and turned away.

"Why couldn't the army tell time like everyone else?" he mused.

The robot watched as he walked away.

The robot reached into its bandoleer and took out a deck of Duel Monsters cards.

It nodded, put them back, and went back to its work.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Shortly after his discussion with Edan had concluded, Rasputin was back out on the streets of Duelatopia again, doing what the guests of Duelatopia were supposed to be doing – dueling. Winning the tournament was a bonus for him, but he still intended to do so.

The deck he was using right now wasn't his best deck, nor his Ice Deck, but it was one of his favorites.

Right now, he had Darkfire Soldier #1 and Darkfire Soldier #2 in Attack Mode, and a facedown defensive Monster, with 3,600 Life Points remaining. His opponent, a snobbish teenager in boarding school clothes, had a clear field, with 4,200 Life Points remaining.

His opponent drew a card.

"You're in trouble now, pops," he said. "I activate my Advanced Ritual Art Spell Card."

The sky darkened... He took two cards from his deck.

"So, I send Neo-Bug and Insect Knight to the Grave, to bring out Demise, King of Armageddon!"

A huge, hulking form appeared on the field. It looked like the Grim Reaper in slate-grey armor, holding a huge axe. (2,400/2,000)

"Now…" he continued, "I merely have to give up 2,000 Life Points to activate his ability. It's a hefty price, sure, but now every card on the field except itself is destroyed."

His Life Points fell to 2,200, and Demise smashed his axe against the ground. Both Darkfire Soldiers were blown away by the shockwave. The facedown Monster was revealed to be a strange, catlike creature, before it also shattered.

"You're defenseless!" he shouted.

"True, but your turn is now over," said Rasputin. "That defensive Monster you destroyed was a Neko Mane King, and since it was destroyed by a card effect, your turn now ends."

"WHAT?" shouted the youth. "Wha… buh… I was going to…"

"I _said_ your turn is over," replied Rasputin. "So you can't attack me, nor can you Special Summon your Doom Dozer, which I know you were going to do, nor can you do anything else."

The youth looked at the Doom Dozer in his hand. He growled.

"Yeah, well, next turn, I'll have just enough Life Points to do that again," said the youth.

Rasputin drew a card.

"You're not going to get a next turn," he said.

He discarded a card.

Then, Demise vanished, and reappeared on Rasputin's side of the field.

"WHAT?" shouted the youth again.

"I simply discarded a special Monster called a Marionette Mite," said Rasputin. "By doing so, I can take control of one opposing Fiend or Zombie until the end of the turn. As you likely can see by now, sometimes it pays to plan in advance.

"Demise… attack him directly."

The youth screamed as his own Monster struck him with the axe and he fell over.

The holograms shut down.

_Nothing quite like taking egotistical duelists down a peg,_ thought Rasputin, looking at his badge. _That brat likely never earned one of the rare cards he had. _

_I wonder if Edan has found Chelsea yet?_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Outside the Kaiba Memorial Library, the three friends sat on a park bench.

Ren and Chelsea looked at Yumi, who was simply staring at her feet.

"Maybe that Blessing of Diamond did something to her…" said Chelsea. "Maybe it messed with her mind."

"Yumi?" said Ren.

"I'm… I'm fine Ren…" she muttered, slowly.

The Pharaoh was sitting next to her, as confused as she was.

"You saw her, didn't you?" she asked.

"Mmm," he said, nodding. "Kind of stuck in my mind. She looked…"

"She looked like me!" answered Yumi. "That's who she looked like! It's crazy!"

The Pharaoh shook his head.

"It wasn't Mana, I know that," he replied.

"Mana?" asked Yumi.

"Dark Magician Girl," he replied. "Or rather, someone who would become her… It's… complicated…"

He looked up.

"She looked familiar, though… But I don't know from where. You'd think if I ever had a queen or something of that nature, she'd be the first one I'd remember…"

"I don't think I was ever your wife," answered Yumi. "I don't feel _that_ close to you…"

They paused for a long time.

"Hey…" said Yumi, in an assured tone. "We will get all the Charms. Then your memories will all become clear. We'll find out then."

"Hey, Yumi," said Ren, taking his guitar, "I learned a new song… Listen… This will cheer you up."

He started playing…

_Everyday, it's a-gettin' closer,  
Goin' faster than a roller coaster,  
Love like yours will surely come my way.  
A-hey, a-hey-hey._

_  
Everyday, it's a-gettin' faster,  
Everyone, they say, go ahead and ask her,_

_Love like yours will surely come my way.  
A-hey, a-hey-hey._

"Then, uhm…" he said, stopping. "Well, uhm, then it kinda just goes on into a Buddy Holly medley, but you get the idea…"

Chelsea shook her head as she watched Yumi.

"Ren…" she said. "Stay with her. I saw something I wanted to get a picture of, but we rushed past it on the way here. I'll be back in ten."

"Okay…" said Ren, as she walked off.

"So Yumi… Want to get a hot dog?"

"Good grief, no," replied Yumi. "Do you have any idea what those things are made of?"

Ren made a face.

"A little early for lunch anyway…" he muttered.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 **

It was indeed, according to what Chelsea wanted to photograph.

Standing in the middle of a square was a tall clock-monument, a clockwork device with a clock face shaped like Time Wizard.

It was a minute to ten. Chelsea aimed her camera and waited…

At the stroke of ten, a hatch opened below the Time Wizard, and a small Performance of Sword walked out. Two hatches under that opened, and a Harpie Lady and a Dragon Piper came out. A hatch opened under them, and a Spirit of the Harp came out.

As Chelsea took a picture, Performance of Sword flashed her blades and danced, Harpie Lady sang a melody, Dragon Piper played its flute, and Spirit of the Harp strummed her instrument, as the clock let out ten chimes.

Then the four Duel Monsters walked back inside the clock, as the Time Wizard continued to tick out the time.

Chelsea grinned…

…and then she heard sobbing.

"Oh no…" she muttered, as she saw who it was.

It was one of the most tragic ghosts she knew.

She looked, and saw the phantom of a thirteen-year-old girl, wearing the tattered remains of a peasant's outfit – that didn't hide her gaunt form – and a battered straw hat.

Chihiro.

Most would agree that it was a tragedy when children died. Chelsea thought that the ghosts of children were even more tragic. Not only were they denied Heaven, they never grew up…

She knew Chihiro's sad story. Over two-hundred years ago, she was the daughter of a poor farmer. Her father had died when she was a baby. One day, her mother came down with what they assumed was a stomach bug. They thought it would pass on its own, but as the days passed, the pain got worse and worse.

Finally, Chihiro ran to the nearest town to get medicine that she thought would help. The town was a day away, but she ran the whole way and the whole way back, on her bare feet…

And it was all in vain. When she got back, it was too late. Her mother had died from whatever had made her sick. Chihiro did nothing but cry at the side of her mother's bed after that, and she cried until she starved.

Chelsea knew what the case was now – Chihiro's curse was self-inflicted. She couldn't face her mother, blaming herself for failure, for not going sooner. No argument yet that Chelsea could think of yet could convince her that her mother would forgive.

Every time she saw Chihiro, the girl was crying. It didn't seem to matter what mood she was actually in – the curse that tied her to Earth seemed to make her weep constantly. She could stop if she wanted, but it took effort.

"Chihiro?" said Chelsea. "Come here…"

"Uhm… Hi, Chelsea…" said the ghost girl. "Uhm… the others told me this might help me… Cheer up…"

Chelsea hugged her (it helped a little). She brushed away tears.

"Although, all these weird creatures I've been seeing… It's interesting, but…"

"It takes some getting used to," said Chelsea. "But I assure you…"

"Where are we?" she asked. "Is this… Is this island part of the Spirit World?"

"No…" said Chelsea, with a small chuckle, "trust me, only mortals are here. No nature spirits, elemental spirits, or demons to worry about."

Chelsea sighed.

Some would call her a ghost whisperer, but she really didn't want to make a profession out of this. She didn't know why she had been given the power to see and hear ghosts… As far as she knew, she had been seeing them all her life.

Maybe it was because her dad had once been possessed by a demon. He had told her of that terrible ordeal, when the beast had invaded his mind, and he had to duel it to gain back ownership of his body. Maybe that touch of the supernatural had been passed down to her in this way.

It was a burden, that was for sure. No-one ever chose to be a ghost. It was always some sort of curse that kept them from resting in peace. Chelsea wanted so much to help all of them, and she would if she could… But each restless spirit had a mystery about it, which she could never unravel, no matter how hard she tried.

"Still talking to yourself?" said a voice.

Chelsea's eyes narrowed.

"Excuse me, Chihiro," she said, "I think a very big, smelly thing just oozed out of some sewer…"

"WHERE?" she shrieked.

They turned and saw Edan.

"I figured I'd meet you here eventually," she said. "Your stench was on those two goons you sent after me. Too scared to face me yourself, Edan?"

"I'm facing you now, aren't I?" he replied. "I was waiting for the right time, Chelsea, like now. And as for those two losers…"

He started shuffling his deck.

"Their cards were small fry compared to what I've got. You can't imagine how much I've improved this time. I'm going all the way to the top on this island now!"

"You really think you can?" asked Chelsea. "You have a hard time staying on the top of the evolutionary chart."

"You think _you_ can?" asked Edan. "Your old man got his ass handed to him by a dame with a deck full of Fairies! I'd have died of shame if I was ever beaten by such girly wimps."

Chelsea clenched her fists.

"All right!" she shouted. "You want me to duel you, I'll duel you! But this is the absolute last time. If I win, you agree never to come anywhere near me again! Period!"

"And if I win, I want that fancy backscratcher you're wearing," said Edan, pointing to the Sword on her hip.

Chelsea paused.

_The Sword of Tsunami?_ she thought, looking at it._ Why on Earth does he want that?_

"AND…" said Edan, with a grin. "When I win, you have to be my personal… servant for the rest of this tournament."

He smirked.

Chelsea's eyes narrowed.

"That's an uneven wager…" she replied. "So I'm adding a condition in case I win. You lose, you surrender your deck and take the next boat off of this island…"

"Fine!" said Edan. "This time it's gonna be different."

He loaded his deck into his Disk.

"You said that the last five times," growled Chelsea. "What makes you think it's gonna be so different this time?"

_With my new strategy, it will be,_ he thought. _She can up the ante all she wants… Victory will be all the sweeter…_

Chihiro stood behind Chelsea.

"Be careful…" she whispered.

"Don't worry…" answered Chelsea. "I've taken down this guy so many times, it isn't even funny anymore… Not that it ever really was."

The Disks activated.

"Game on!" they both shouted.

**(Chelsea: 8,000) -------------------- (Edan: 8,000)**

"Ladies first…" said Edan with a chuckle. "So move while you still are a lady…"

"Keep dreaming, you ape…" said Chelsea, drawing a card.

She looked over her hand.

"I'll toss Vampire Lady out in Attack Mode…" she said.

Vampire Lady arose in an aura of shadow. (1,550/1,550)

"Then I'll toss this facedown…"

A facedown card appeared.

"End turn…"

"All right!" said Edan, drawing a card. "For my first brilliant move… I play my Graceful Charity!"

He played the card, and it glowed. He drew three cards.

_Perfect…_ he thought.

He quickly discarded two, making sure to discard a specific one of them first.

"Next…" he said, "I summon my Mine Golem. I'm sure you'll remember him…"

A stout, blocky statue with a pug face, carved to look like it had a gas mask and a pack on its back appeared in front of him. (1,000/1,900)

"Attack her Vampire Lady!" he shouted.

"Oh no…" muttered Chelsea.

The Mine Golem lumbered forward. Vampire Lady punched it, and it smashed into shards.

"And when Mine Golem bites the dust," said Edan, "it blasts you for 500 Life Points!"

An explosion erupted around Chelsea, and she groaned.

**(C: 7,500) -------------------- (E: 7,450)**

"You still lost Life Points from that attack!" shouted Chelsea. "That means Vampire Lady's effect activates… And I declare Spell Card!"

"Heh, heh…" chuckled Edan, looking thought his deck. "Actually, Chelsea, this time, it would be my pleasure…"

He discarded a card.

"…because the Spell Card I choose to discard is called Neptune's Trident. When it goes from my hand or deck to the grave, I get to add any Water Monster from my deck to my hand that I want."

"Edan, when in your life has your deck even had _one_ Water Monster?" asked Chelsea.

"Since I wised up, and put this guy in," said Edan, showing her Mobius the Frost Monarch.

"Still my turn…" he said. "So I'll place _four_, count 'em, four cards facedown, and then turn it over to you."

Four facedown cards appeared in front of him in bursts of light.

Chelsea drew a card.

"Do you think I'm actually going to walk right into that many Traps?" she asked, fitting another card into her Disk.

A new facedown card appeared.

"I'll just…"

"Why don't I activate one right now?" said Edan, as one facedown card lifted. "Call of the Haunted. Now, I get my Mine Golem back."

Mine Golem burst out of the ground in an explosion of dirt and dust. (1,000/1,900)

"Come to think of it," he said, as another card lifted, "while I'm at it, I think I'll bring out two more of those. I'll also activate Inferno Reckless Summon."

In two shadowy auras, two more of the Golems appeared. (1,000/1,900 x3)

"I'll use that effect to summon my other two Vampire Ladies…" said Chelsea.

Two more Vampire Ladies, forming a group now resembling three attractive vampire triplets, appeared in front of her. (1,550/1,550 x3)

"But I'm not dumb enough to attack all three of them…" she said.

She paused.

"Unless… another of those facedown cards is…"

"You got it!" laughed Edan, as a third facedown card lifted. "Minefield Eruption! This Trap blows away 1,000 of your Life Points for each Mine Golem I've got!"

Another explosion centered on Chelsea, this one much larger than the last one. She screamed and was thrown off her feet.

"Chelsea!" shouted Chihiro.

"I'm fine…" muttered Chelsea, crawling to her feet. "Nothing I haven't seen before…"

**(C: 4,500) -------------------- (E: 7,450)**

She glared at Edan.

"You overlooked one thing," she said. "Now you lose your Mine Golems…"

The three Rock Monsters exploded into rubble.

"Plus," she said, standing up, "you have three hungry Vampire Ladies coming after you…"

She looked at the cards in her hand.

"Check that… I sacrifice one of them, for Vampire Lord."

The Lady in the middle vanished in a shadow, and Vampire Lord appeared. (2,000/1,500)

"Let's see him get past this," said Edan, as his last Trap Card lifted. "Soul Resurrection. Now I get to take one Monster from my Graveyard, and Special Summon it in Defense Mode, so long as it's a Normal Monster. And I got a good one because of Graceful Charity… Labyrinth Wall!"

With a rumbling, a giant, stone maze rose out of the ground behind Edan. (0/3,000)

Chelsea looked at the rest of the cards in her hand.

_Well that's a new trick,_ thought Chelsea. _Okay, maybe he has gotten a little better…_

"I have to end my turn…" she muttered.

"Then I draw…" said Edan, drawing a card.

"Then I play… Pot of Greed."

He played the card, and the jar appeared in a flash. He drew two cards.

"And I got some good ones," he said. "First I throw a card facedown…"

A facedown card appeared in front of him.

"Now I sacrifice my Labyrinth Wall…"

The huge maze vanished in a swirl of dust.

"…to summon his royal majesty, Granmarg the Rock Monarch!"

With a low rumble that sounded like the tectonic plates grinding together, a huge, fifteen-foot-tall giant made of stone, carved in exotic shapes and wearing a cape, rose out of the ground. He roared with a voice that sounded like an avalanche. (2,400/1,000)

"EEK!" screamed Chihiro.

"Calm down…" said Chelsea. "Good grief, how could a ghost be such a scaredy-cat?"

"Now, when Granmarg is summoned," said Edan, "as you no doubt know, I get to destroy one facedown card. I _could_ destroy either one of your facedown cards, but… I think this time, I'm gonna destroy my own.

"Granmarg, do your thing!"

Granmarg lunged forward and punched the facedown card, smashing it and causing the ground to tremble.

"Why would you take out your own facedown card?" asked Chelsea.

Then she noticed the ground beneath her feet was starting to smoke…

"Because," said Edan, "it was a special Trap called Dormant Volcano, and when it's destroyed, it erupts, doing 300 more points of damage to you."

Chelsea screamed again as fire erupted around her.

She caught her breath and glared at him.

**(C: 4,200) -------------------- (E: 7,450)**

"It has another effect, but we'll have to wait until my next turn for it to activate," said Edan, taking one of the three cards in his hand. "In the meantime, I activate this… Mist Body, and I'll Equip it to Granmarg."

He placed a card in his Disk, and a pale mist surrounded the Rock Monarch.

"So long as he's Equipped with this card, Granmarg is invincible. Well, at least in battle he is.

"Now let's get serious…

"Granmarg… Attack her Vampire Lord! Royal stone blow!"

The Rock Monarch lunged at Vampire Lord, fist first.

"Sorry Edan," said Chelsea. "I'm gonna nip your plan in the bud. I activate Rush Recklessly."

One of her facedown cards lifted, and Vampire Lord shot up to an Attack of 2,700. As Granmarg tried to punch him, he punched back, and the Rock Monarch staggered backwards.

"And Granmarg may be invincible," said Chelsea, "but your Life Points still just took a hit. I activate Vampire Lord's ability, and since you pulled that stunt when I declared Spell Card, I'm gonna declare Trap Card this time."

"HA, HA!" laughed Edan, taking his deck. "Once again, it would be my pleasure, Chelsea!"

He discarded a card.

"Because I also had a Trap Card for just such an occasion. It's called Enchanted Sack of Aeolus, and since you made me discard it, it lets me take any Wind Monster I want from my deck and add it to my hand…"

He showed her a card.

"And I choose Raiza the Storm Monarch."

_Mobius, Granmarg, AND Raiza?_ thought Chelsea. _What is he up to? Is he using some sort of Monarch Control Deck?_

"That's enough for one turn, beautiful," said Edan. "Let's see what you've got…"

**(C: 4,200) -------------------- (E: 7,150)**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Back at the park bench, Ren was strumming on his guitar and singing.

_Cause I got friends in low places,_

_Where the whiskey drowns, and the beer chases_

_The blues away…_

"Ren!" shouted Yumi.

He stopped short.

"Anyone ever tell you that you sing too many depressing songs?" she asked.

"I like to sing," protested Ren.

"Well, try singing something _happy_ for a change!" replied Yumi.

Ren looked at his guitar for a few seconds.

He started to play again.

_I want to be the very best, like no one ever was…_

_To catch them is my real test, to train them is my cause…_

"No, NO!" shouted Yumi. "Anything but THAT!"

"Gee, Yumi, moody much?" asked Ren.

Yumi paused.

"Chelsea's been gone much longer than ten, and I don't like it," she replied. "As long as she has that Sword, she's a target. We should never have let her go off on her own…"

Ren tapped his fingers on the guitar nervously. The same thought had crossed his mind once or twice...

"You wouldn't happen to know what she wanted to photograph?" he asked.

"No clue…" answered Yumi.

Then the gem on the Crown of Souls started to glow.

_What?_ she thought. _Granmarg the Rock Monarch? What am I seeing?_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Chelsea drew a card.

"Be careful, Chelsea," moaned Chihiro. "He scares me..."

"Yeah, he is pretty ugly…" said Chelsea, looking at her draw. "And Granmarg doesn't have a very pretty face either…"

"I move my two Vampire Ladies to Defense Mode…" she said.

The two female vampires sat down.

Then I remove my Lord from play, to summon Vampire Genesis!"

Vampire Lord vanished, and the mighty vampire deity appeared. (3,000/2,100)

"Ooh, I _really_ hate that guy…" said Edan with a frown.

"I'm pretty sure he doesn't like you much either," said Chelsea, as she pocketed the Vampire Lord card. "Genesis, clobber his Rock Monarch!"

Genesis burst into his crimson shroud, and Granmarg fell backwards, landing on his seat with a thud.

**(C: 4,200) -------------------- (E: 6,550)**

"Forget about his Mist Body?" asked Edan. "Granmarg can't be defeated in battle no matter how hard you hit him."

Chelsea fit two cards into her Disk, and two facedown cards appeared next to her other one.

"That's all for my turn," she said.

Edan drew a card.

He looked at it.

"Remember my Dormant Volcano?" he asked. "Well, now its second effect kicks in. Both players are allowed to take any Fire Monster from their decks and add them to their hands."

He took his deck.

"Of course, all your Monsters are Dark, so…"

"Au contraire," said Chelsea, taking a card from her deck. "I have one Fire Monster."

She showed him Pyre Ghost.

"Eh, so you do…" said Edan. "It can't be as good as this guy…"

He showed her the card: Thestalos the Firestorm Monarch.

_Another Monarch?_ thought Chelsea. _Swell… All that's missing now is Zaborg. So now what is he gonna do? If he were smart, he'd sacrifice Granmarg for Raiza to send my Genesis to the top of my deck… But then, no one ever accused him of being smart._

"Next, I summon Dummy Golem," he said.

He played the card, and a short, squat statue appeared. It had a smug, overconfident look carved on its face. (800/800)

"You _summoned_ your Dummy Golem?" asked Chelsea, in disbelief. "You don't summon Dummy Golem, you dummy! You're supposed to set it in Defense Mode, and then flip it into Attack Mode, so you can use its Flip Effect!"

"Not gonna use its effect," said Edan, taking another card. "I'm gonna use it to power up my Rock Monarch so he can pulverize gruesome over there."

He played a Spell Card.

"I play Gift of the Martyr. Now, I just have to sacrifice Dummy Golem, and…"

"Guess again!" interrupted Chelsea, as one of her facedown cards lifted. "I activate Spell Shield Type-8. Now, I just have to toss one Spell Card…"

She discarded Symbol of Heritage.

"And your Gift of the Martyr is negated."

The Spell Card shattered.

"Clever…" growled Edan. "I move Granmarg into Defense Mode…"

The Rock Monarch knelt and shielded himself.

"…and my turn is over."

Chelsea drew a card.

"I'll place a Monster in Defense Mode…" she said.

A facedown Monster appeared.

"Genesis, destroy his Dummy Golem!"

Genesis flew forward, and Dummy Golem suddenly appeared far less confident. It was blasted into dust.

"That's all I can do…" muttered Chelsea.

**(C: 4,200) -------------------- (E: 4,350)**

"I draw one card…" said Edan.

He made a draw.

"Now it's time to use that second card I discarded when I played Graceful Charity," he said.

"What?" replied Chelsea. "But… it's in your Graveyard."

"True," said Edan. "It was a special Spell Card called Buried Treasure.

"See, as any pirate can tell you, great treasures are often buried, waiting to be dug up by those fortunate enough to find them. So I buried it at the bottom of my Graveyard. And now, since there are now at least ten cards on top of it in my Graveyard, I can remove it from play, and we both draw two cards."

The card slipped out of his discard slot, and he pocketed it.

"Fine by me," said Chelsea.

They both drew twice.

Edan looked at the six cards in his hand.

He laughed. He laughed out loud.

"Now he's really scaring me…" muttered Chihiro.

"Get good cards, Edan?" said Chelsea with a scowl.

"You bet!" he said, placing one in his Disk. "The key to my strategy in this deck…

"But first, one card facedown…"

A facedown card appeared on his side of the field.

"Now… I play the Spell Card, Shadow Moon!"

The arena darkened, and a pale, full moon rose overhead.

"Here's how it works," said Edan. "I need four Monsters total on the field and in my hand. Each one has to be Level Five or higher, and each has to be of a different Attribute.

"Then I sacrifice all four of them…

"So… I sacrifice Raiza the Storm Monarch…"

A violent tornado blew onto the center of the field, and Raiza appeared in front of him.

"…Mobius the Frost Monarch…"

A chilling wind blew through the field, and Mobius appeared.

"…Thestalos the Firestorm Monarch…"

The street erupted into a fountain of lava, and Thestalos appeared.

"…and my personal favorite, Granmarg the Rock Monarch completes the set!"

Granmarg stood up, and the whole arena started to shake. The four Monarchs vanished into orbs of multicolored light.

A card slipped out of Edan's deck, and he fit it into his Field Slot.

"Now I can play the Field Spell… Blue Moon…"

Chelsea watched, half in fear and half in confusion, as the whole street was transformed into a bleak, sandy, rocky desert with blue sand under a blue sky with – naturally – a blue moon providing illumination.

"What's happening?" she shouted.

"It's getting more interesting…" said Edan. "Now, one Spell or Trap Card on my side of the field turns into something called a Homunculus Token…"

His facedown card lifted – it was the Trap Card, Rock Bombardment – and vanished, and a female form that looked like it was growing out of the desert sand appeared on his side of the field, shielding itself in Defense Mode. (800/800)

"AND, the same thing happens to one on your side of the field!"

One of Chelsea's facedown cards lifted, and transformed into a similar creature.

"Hey!" shouted Chelsea. "My Mystik Wok!"

"It's no good anymore," said Edan. "And Shadow Moon has another effect… It lets me summon someone who'll win the whole duel for me! Arise, Demiurge Ema!"

Thunder rumbled, and a powerful figure flew out of the sky. It was feminine, and clothed in golden, birdlike armor, with huge wings with spokes in them. It glowed with a powerful light. (3,300/2,000)

"And guess what?" laughed Edan. "For each Homunculus Token, it gains 800 more Attack Points."

(4,900/2,000)

"Demiurge Ema… Attack Vampire Genesis! Elemental wrath!"

Demiurge Ema raised her arms, and eldritch energy started to flow around her. Vampire Genesis stepped back in panic.

"I activate… Interdimensional Matter Transporter!" shouted Chelsea.

Her other Trap Card, lifted, and the strange device appeared. Vampire Genesis vanished in a beam of light.

"Sorry, Edan," she said, "but your target has left the building."

Edan scowled.

"Fine!" he shouted. "Ema… Attack one of her Vampire Ladies!"

A blast of lightning bolts shot towards the Zombie, atomizing her. Chelsea shielded herself from the blast with her arm.

"Well…" said Edan, smugly, as he crossed his arms. "Bet you're impressed with me now…"

Chelsea stared at him.

"Sorry, no…" she said, shaking her head. "You've pulled some dumb stunts before, Edan, but this is the worst deck you've ever had."

Edan looked shocked.

"WHAT?" he shouted. "I've got the best Monster ever! I'm finally beating you!"

"You don't get it, do you?" asked Chelsea. "That thing may be powerful, but constructing a whole deck centered around one Monster? It works for some themes, but not in this case. Not to mention the fact that summoning it required you to toss four incredibly useful Monsters. You could have used Raiza's effect to spin Genesis back to the top of my deck, where he'd have been useless, but instead you saved it for this thing. That's poor strategy, Edan.

"Oh, and by the way… Your so-called 'best Monster ever' is a Fairy. You said yourself that they were 'girly wimps'."

Edan gave a look of shock. Chelsea grinned.

"Uhm… uh…" he muttered. "It's a… _strong_ Fairy…"

He couldn't hide it. It was clear that he was mortified beyond belief.

"Not much to say, huh?" asked Chelsea.

Vampire Genesis reappeared on the field in a flash of light.

She drew a card.

"Now watch, as your strategy comes tumbling down!" she said.

"Moving my other Vampire Lady to Attack Mode…" she said.

The other Vampire Lady stood up. Clearly she was angry.

"As well as my facedown Monster… My Pyre Ghost."

The card flipped, and the flaming Zombie appeared. (1,200/200)

"You remember him, right? I got him from your Dormant Volcano.

"Now, since you turned my Spell Card into a Monster… I'll sacrifice this Homunculus Token to summon Ryu Kokki."

The token shattered, and the Bone Dragon Ogre rose out of the ground with a loud rumble. (2,400/2,000)

"Now your Demiurge is weakened."

Demiurge Ema fell to an attack of 4,100.

"Big deal!" shouted Edan. "It's still stronger than any of your Monsters!"

"We'll see…" said Chelsea. "I sacrifice Ryu Kokki to use Pyre Ghost's ability, and raise its Attack Score by that of Ryu Kokki's."

Ryu Kokki was consumed in flames, and Pyre Ghost rose to (3,600/200)

"Still not strong enough!" shouted Edan.

"Oh?" asked Chelsea. "Vampire Lady, destroy his Homunculus Token!"

Edan gasped, as Vampire Lady flew forward, and smashed the token to pieces with a swipe of her claw. Demiurge Ema fell to its original Attack of 3,300.

"Pyre Ghost… Attack Demiurge Ema!" shouted Chelsea. "Funeral pyre!"

Pyre Ghost flew forward in a burst of flames. Demiurge Ema screamed as fire started to consume it…

Then it fell to the ground, a burning heap. Finally, the flames subsided, and ashes scattered in the wind.

Chelsea smiled.

"Vampire Genesis, attack that big ape directly!"

Vampire Genesis formed into its crimson shroud, and Edan hollered as it slammed into him.

**(C: 4,200) -------------------- (E: 1,050)**

Edan stumbled and gasped for breath.

"Yes!" laughed Chihiro, showing positive emotions for a change. "Give it to him!"

Chelsea fit a card into her Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

"My turn is over, so my Pyre Ghost goes away," she said.

Pyre Ghost vanished in a burst of flame.

"Do your worst…"

Edan slowly drew a card.

He grinned.

"My worst, eh?" he shouted. "I just drew someone you're sure to remember…

"I'll toss my three Mine Golems, Granmarg, my Labyrinth Wall, and my Dummy Golem…"

He placed the six cards in a pocket in his jacket.

Then he threw a card on his Disk.

"In order to summon THIS!"

In an explosion of dirt, dust, and rubble, an enormous creature that looked like a huge boulder in the shape of a dragon appeared in front of Edan.

"My Megarock Dragon," he said. "I'm sure you know, that in order to get points, I add up the number of Rock Monsters I just removed from play, and then multiply by 700. I may stink at math, but I know that it equals a BIG number!"

(4,200/4,200)

"Screw that dumb Fairy," he said with a scowl. "And screw Rasputin! I'm gonna win with my own cards! Megarock Dragon… Attack her Vampire Lady! Mega breath!"

The Megarock Dragon roared… It blasted a stream of corrosive, green smoke from its jaws, and Vampire Lady screamed as the flesh melted off her bones…

She shattered into bits.

When the smoke cleared, both Chelsea and Vampire Genesis were looking at him with hateful expressions.

**(C: 4,200) -------------------- (E: 1,050)**

"What?" said Edan. "Your Life Points are untouched?"

Then he noticed her Trap Card.

"Hallowed Life Barrier?" he gasped.

"Yeah…" she said. "I had to toss a card in my hand, but it shielded me from any damage."

She crossed her arms.

"So… You are working for Rasputin… I knew it was easy enough for you to become sleazy enough to turn from an underground duelist to a mobster's henchman…"

"Mobster?" said Edan.

He glared at her.

"What are you talking about? Edan Abercrombie doesn't work for any mobster! I have some standards, Chelsea! He just invited me to join this club of his, and…"

Chelsea shook her head.

"I take it back…" she said. "You haven't gotten any sleazier than usual, but you have gotten dumber. You don't realize that you've been being manipulated this whole time.

"I'd almost feel sorry for you… Trouble is, you're such a festering pile of walking fertilizer, I really don't care.

"Anyway… It's my move…"

She drew a card.

"Well Edan… Seems I can bring your Dragon down now too. I just drew Blood Sucker."

"Please…" said Edan. "That guy only has 1,300 Attack Points. How's he going to beat my Dragon?"

"HE isn't," replied Chelsea. "Perhaps you're forgetting my Vampire Genesis, and his special ability. You made a big mistake attacking my Vampire Lady instead of him.

"I merely have to send one Zombie in my hand to the grave…"

She discarded Blood Sucker.

"…and I get to summon one from my Graveyard that's a lower Level. And since Blood Sucker is Level Four, and Pyre Ghost is Level Three, Pyre Ghost is coming back."

Vampire Genesis glowed with a shadowy aura. Pyre Ghost appeared again, in a burst of flames. (1,200/200)

"Now I'll sacrifice Genesis itself, to use its ability again."

Genesis shattered into pixels, and Pyre Ghost rose to an Attack of 4,200.

Edan gulped.

"Go!" shouted Chelsea. "Destroy that thing!"

Pyre Ghost flew at the Megarock Dragon. It roared…

The two Monsters collided, and an explosion lit up the Blue Moon field, incinerating both Monsters.

"To end my turn, I'll play my last card… Mirage of Nightmare."

She played the card.

"JUST Mirage of Nightmare?" asked Edan. "No card that could be Mystical Space Typhoon or Emergency Provisions? That's stupid, Chelsea."

She just stared at him.

Edan growled, and drew a card.

"My card activates," said Chelsea, "and I get to draw four cards…"

She made four draws.

"But you have no way to get rid of that Spell Card," said Edan with a grin, "so next turn, you discard four cards."

_Oh, don't worry,_ thought Chelsea, looking at the four cards, _I fully intend to…_

Edan looked at the card he had drawn.

"I'm not through yet Chelsea," he said. "I usually keep this guy in my deck as an easy way to summon Granmarg, but he's not too bad by himself…

"I remove my Dragon from play…"

He took the card from his discard slot and pocketed it.

"In order to summon… Gigantes!"

The ground rumbled, and a hulking figure burst out of the ground. It looked like a muscular ogre with earth-toned skin and a horn in the center of its forehead, wearing ragged armor and holding a large log as a weapon. (1,900/1,300)

"Well, Chihiro, I guess I was wrong," said Chelsea. "There's an elemental spirit right there…"

"Attack her directly!" shouted Edan. "Tree trunk bash!"

Gigantes roared, and swung its log. It slammed into Chelsea's torso, and she fell backwards.

"Chelsea!" shouted Chihiro.

"I'm all right…" she replied.

She slowly crawled to her feet.

**(C: 2,300) -------------------- (E: 1,050)**

"Why don't you just give up?" asked Edan. "That Mirage card is going to decimate your deck, and no Monsters you could summon without a sacrifice could beat this guy."

"I'll never surrender to you, Edan…" growled Chelsea.

She drew a card.

"Like you said, I discard four cards," she said, discarding four of her five cards.

"And now I'm gonna play the one I kept!

"I play… Book of Life! Now, I'll banish your Demiurge from the game…"

Edan looked down in surprise, as Demiurge Ema fell out of his discard slot.

"And I get to summon a Zombie from my Graveyard. And I'm gonna summon someone I just put in there… Penelope, come on out!"

In a flash of light, Penelope, Lady of the Night appeared. (1,000/200)

The Mirage card shattered, and the landscape of the Field Spell crumbled, and the blue sky faded away.

"Where'd you get her?" asked Edan.

"Like I'm gonna tell you," said Chelsea. "And she gains 400 Attack Points for each Zombie in my Graveyard. Counting the Zombie Werewolf that I tossed to activate Hallowed Life Barrier, and the Soul-Absorbing Bone Tower I just had to discard, there are nine Zombies in my Graveyard right now…"

(4,600/200)

"…so with this sort of firepower, I can end this right now. A fitting end to our last duel, wouldn't you say?

"It's over, Edan. Let this serve as a reminder to keep your end of the bargain and never bother me again.

"Penelope, destroy his Gigantes! Light of vengeance!

"Go to Hell…"

Penelope blasted a beam of pure light from her scepter, and Edan was thrown backwards as Gigantes was blown into dust.

**(C: 2,300) -------------------- (E: 0)**

Penelope vanished. Edan was on his knees, gasping for breath.

"You lose…" said Chelsea. "Now hand over the deck, get off this island, and I never want to see you again. Stay in the underground dueling arenas with the rest of the dueling slime."

Edan glared at her.

"By the way…" she whispered. "This Sword I have makes me incredibly strong. I could beat you up without breaking a sweat now."

Tears flowed down Edan's cheeks.

He threw down his deck, and ran away, sobbing.

Chelsea picked up the deck.

Chihiro came up to Chelsea as she looked at the cards.

_Hmmm…_ thought Chelsea. _I could sell these…_

"Great job, Chelsea!" said Chihiro. "Can I watch next time?"

"If it will cheer you up again, sure," said Chelsea. "But anyway, I'd better find Yumi and Ren. They're likely worried."

She looked at her badge, which was now at Violet.

_I'm tied with Ren,_ she thought, _but Yumi is one ahead… Heck, we've got three days left… Winning two more will be easy._

_And I have a feeling I'll sleep sounder, knowing that Edan won't trouble me again. He was a pain in the ass for such a long time… He's one part of my life I don't need…_

Chelsea didn't know it, but Rasputin had been watching from a safe distance.

He wasn't very happy. The cards in that deck weren't exactly cheap, and he certainly hadn't told Edan to wager them.

_Well, it serves me right,_ he thought. _I should have known that pit fighter would never amount to anything no matter what powerful cards he had. It takes more than good cards to make a good duelist…_

He looked at the talisman.

_I think a new one might reveal itself soon… I simply have to keep an eye on this…_

_And the one I send after it will be much more expendable than Ferdinand. I've been saving this for… just such an occasion._

As Chelsea looked over the cards, she noticed something…

He had dropped something else… A piece of parchment…

She slowly picked it up and unfolded it.

It was a map of some sort. She studied it for a minute, and realized it was the Museum District.

A message was written underneath.

_If you are of the fairer gender and are fair of heart, seek the place where ancient beasts stand, taken from their earthen tombs, and find the Tomb of the Elders below. If you believe your power can overcome the lurking danger, challenge the master of the tomb for power and station. But be warned… Few who enter the parlor of the Midnight Caller are allowed to leave._

Chelsea scratched her chin…

"This is the map to an Eliminator!" she shouted.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

_Congratulations, Chelsea,_ thought Yumi.

She had seen her victory over Edan, and in doing so, learned one power of the Crown of Souls:

The ability to view the other owners of the Charms when they were in a crisis.

She guessed that, perhaps, the original Sorcerer Kings were allies of a sort, and that Machius was concerned about their welfare.

She had also, in the process, learned about Olga getting the Cat's Cradle Comb. She had even learned Nicholas and Olga's last names. They were Algernon and Warren, respectively. However, an attempt to spy on them hadn't worked. She guessed it would only work if they were in trouble.

But at least she was getting something out of this Crown. Hopefully, there'd be more to come…

_Having defeated her old foe with a pumped-up deck, Chelsea advances to Violet, two steps away from qualification! What more awaits in Day Three? Are more of the Shadow Charms about to resurface?_

**0**

**0**

**0**

**DORMANT VOLCANO (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image:** An ominous looking volcano with snow on the top.

**Card Description:** This card is activated when it is destroyed by a card effect while facedown on your side of the field. Inflict 300 points of direct damage to your opponent's Life Points. Then, on your next Standby Phase, both you and your opponent may search your respective decks for one FIRE Monster and add them to your respective hands.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**SHADOW MOON (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** A full moon over a dark countryside with its reflection in a lake.

**Card Description:** Offer as a Tribute four Monsters on your side of the field and/or from your hand who are each Level Five or greater and each of which are a different Attribute. Activate one "Blue Moon" from your hand, deck, or Graveyard. Then, Special Summon one "Demiurge Ema" from your hand or deck.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**BLUE MOON (Spell Card)**

**Field Spell**

**Image:** A mysterious blue moon over a rocky wasteland with a disheveled female form under it.

**Card Description:** This card can only be activated by the effect of "Shadow Moon". Choose one Spell or Trap Card on your side of the field and one on your opponent's side of the field. Both are treated as "Homunculus Tokens" (Fairy/Light/2 stars/800 ATK/800 DEF), their original effects are negated, and they are Special Summoned to their owners' Monster Zones in Defense Position (they are still also treated as Spell or Trap Cards).

**0**

**0**

**0**

**DEMIURGE EMA (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fairy/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level:** 8  
**ATK:** 3,300  
**DEF:** 2,000

**Card Description:** This card cannot be Normal Summoned or set. This card can only be Special Summoned via the effect of "Shadow Moon". Increase this card's ATK by 800 for every "Homunculus Token" on the field. If this card is destroyed, destroy all "Homunculus Tokens" on the field.

_Note: "Dormant Volcano", "Shadow Moon", "Blue Moon", and "Demiurge Ema" were first used by T-Bone in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "J-Dawg and T-Bone". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**NEPTUNE'S TRIDENT (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** The powerful form of the god Neptune amid crashing waves, holding a huge trident.

**Card Description:** This card is activated when it is sent from your hand or deck to the Graveyard by your opponent's card effect. Search your deck for one WATER Monster and add it to your hand.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**ENCHANTED SACK OF AEOLUS (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image:** A windy-looking deity holding a cloth bag tied shut with a golden rope.

**Card Description:** This card is activated when it is sent from your hand or deck to the Graveyard by your opponent's card effect. Search your deck for one WIND Monster and add it to your hand.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**BURIED TREASURE (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** A gang of pirates digging up a treasure chest.

**Card Description:** You can activate the effect of this card when it is in your Graveyard, and at least ten cards are on top of it in your Graveyard pile. Remove this card from play. Then, both players draw two cards from their decks.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**Yumi: There's a feeling in the air. I think another Shadow Charm might show up soon.**

**Ren: We can get it. We just need to know the place.**

**Anastasia: Beware, Ren. For now you face an opponent without emotion or feeling, and he plans to use a weapon that attacks from the stars…**

**Coming up next: "Ren's Challenge: The Horn of Chance".**

**Ren: My Shadow Warriors are fighting in outer space!**


	24. Ren's Challenge, The Horn of Chance

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**CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE**

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**Ren's Challenge**

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**The Horn of Chance**

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Cassandra rubbed her chin.

She lifted a card from the deck. It was The Fool.

"Ren…" she said, placing it on the table.

She slowly picked up another card.

It wasn't the most encouraging picture. It showed a man with a long stick, defending himself from the attacks of six other men with long sticks.

"The Seven of Wands…" muttered Cassandra. "The 'under siege' card. Clearly, Ren is about to face a difficult situation where the stakes are high and he'll be pushed to his limits.

"He has only one recourse…

"He must set new limits. Push himself to levels he didn't know he had. Because success can be achieved…

"He just has to fight for it…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Shortly after Chelsea's duel with Edan…

At the Coliseum, in an office shanty made for the foreman, a panicked construction supervisor was speaking to two Centurions.

"I don't know how it could have happened!" he shouted.

"Sir…" said one of the Centurions.

"I mean, it couldn't have unplugged itself from the thing…" babbled the supervisor. "It isn't programmed to…"

"Sir!" said the Centurion. "Just calm down and try to give us the whole story…"

"Well…" he said. "I plugged Macros into the generator to recharge its battery like I always do at that time, then I went to get something out of a toolbox, and when I got back, it and its equipment… Well, it was gone!"

"Macros?" asked the Centurion.

"M.A.C.R.O.S.," said an angry voice.

The supervisor gulped, as the foreman marched in, looking _incredibly_ angry.

"It stands for Multifunctional Anthropomorphic Construction Robotic Operating System," said the foreman. "It's an android. The size of a man, two-hundred gigabytes squared of memory, artificial intelligence, able to bench half a ton, over two-hundred functions, worth thirty million dollars, and this JERK loses it!

"When Ms. Arachne finds out about this, she's gonna…"

"Calm down, sir!" said the Centurion. "Getting angry isn't going to help. I assure you, a robot like that won't be able to hide easily. Now, does it have anything on it that could be dangerous?"

"Thankfully, no…" muttered the foreman. "All of its built-in tools are disabled before it's recharged, and it isn't able to turn them on itself.

"But if someone else manages to turn them back on…"

He held his head with a nervous look.

"Okay…" said the Centurion. "Now, before we go look for it, was anything else taken?"

The supervisor thought for a minute.

"I don't think…" he started.

He looked towards the desk.

"Uhm, now that you mention it, Clyde, wasn't your own Duel Disk there before you left?"

The foreman moaned.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In the Restaurant District, hiding in an alley, the robot called Macros slipped the stolen Duel Disk on its upper-left arm. Its optic sensors glowed with a fiery, red light.

"Reprogramming complete," it said. "All systems back online. Awaiting orders… Rasputin…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Still waiting for Chelsea, Ren was passing the time playing his guitar and singing another old tune…

_Anthony works in the grocery store,  
Savin' his pennies for someday.  
Mama Leone left a note on the door,  
She said, "Sonny, move out to the country."  
Workin' too hard can give you  
A heart attack-ack-ack-ack-ack-ack,  
You oughta know by now…  
Who needs a house out in Hackensack?  
Is that all you get for your money? _

_And it seems such a waste of time..._

_If that's what it's all about,_

_Mamma, if that's movin' up, then I'm..._

_Movin' out…_

"No one sings _Movin' Out _quite like you, Ren…" muttered Yumi.

"Actually, Yumi," said Ren, "the proper name of that song is _Anthony's Song_. A lot of folks called it _Movin' Out_ because of the refrain – well, that and the musical – and it stuck."

"Mmm, yeah, Ren…" replied Yumi. "Ren… Do you remember the incident when we were both ten?"

Ren frowned.

"How could I forget…" he muttered.

Back then, Ren wore glasses and braces, making him look sort of like a nerd. He got teased a lot… And then one day, the biggest jerk in school threatened him with violence if he didn't hand over his MAX-10 (the latest handheld game system from Nintendo, as hard to find back then as a DS was when it came out).

Yumi heard the commotion, and wasn't about to let some thug steal Ren's birthday present. She had her deck of cards with her, and said she would duel the guy in a tabletop game and wager her own MAX-10. The punk was somewhat of a chauvinist, and figured there wasn't anything he couldn't beat a girl at, so he agreed to it. He regretted it when Yumi beat him in five rounds.

The punk tried to renege on the deal, and Yumi dared him to try to get past her to get to Ren. He almost hit her, at which point Yumi's true plan came into effect – delaying him long enough for a teacher to arrive. A lot of stolen property was recovered, and that punk never bothered her or Ren again.

"You know, Yumi," he muttered, "usually, it falls upon the man to protect the woman…"

"I helped you towards that path," said Yumi. "Your eyesight cleared up, your teeth got straight, and you put on fifty pounds of muscle since then…

"And there is a way you can help me now, and I can help you at the same time…"

"I'm listening…" he said.

"I think another Shadow Charm might show up soon…" she muttered. "I feel it in the air. When it does, we have to try to avoid another Yami no Oujou if possible, of course. However, one way or another, I think you should try to claim it."

Ren gave her a strange look.

"And why is that, your Yumi-ness?" he asked.

"Well…" she replied. "I found out something this Crown can do, see, and…"

At that moment, Chelsea came running up.

"You look happy," said Ren.

Chelsea beamed.

"Let's just say I've put a very unpleasant part of my life behind me," she said.

"And won Violet too, I see," added Yumi.

"It seems you three are doing well…" said a familiar voice, "but the game is still afoot."

They looked around, and saw Maria behind them.

"Uh…" said Yumi. "Guys, this is… Maria. She's…"

"You can tell them later, Yumi," said Maria. "There's little time to chitchat. My ally and I know of a new Charm that has surfaced, and Rasputin will know of it too, possibly within minutes."

They got up.

"What is it?" asked Yumi. "Where is it?"

"The Horn of Chance," answered Maria. "It's in the main room of the Temple of Osiris, under the stage.

"Good luck. I'd help, but I can't be seen by Rasputin's henchmen."

Anastasia appeared next to Yumi as Maria hurried away.

"The Horn of Chance…" she said. "The Charm belonging to Jeremo the Natterer, a merchant and trader among the Sorcerer Kings. He was known for dealing in anything and everything that was valuable. And not just material goods. Legends said he could sell things like love and joy as well, for the right price.

"Whenever people told him that there were some things that money couldn't buy, he often proved them wrong.

"His Horn was said to be able to alter probability, and give the user incredible good luck."

"The duelist who owns that could well be undefeatable…" muttered Yumi.

"Come on!" she said to Ren and Chelsea. "The Temple of Osiris is a fancy restaurant with an Egyptian theme. It should be opening for lunch any minute now."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The Temple of Osiris was a landmark to say the least. From the outside, it looked more like an Egyptian temple than a restaurant.

Inside the very fancy, and likely very expensive restaurant, the Egyptian theme was continued, with a huge mural of the ancient Egyptian skyline, showing the Pyramids and the Sphinx. The very large stage that Maria spoke of dominated the back of the large dining room. This place occasionally hosted live entertainment.

Yumi, Ren, and Chelsea rushed in; fortunately, the place was nearly empty, with the kitchen not ready to open for lunch just yet, and the only customers in the bar, which was in another room.

"The stage…" said Yumi.

They ran up to the stage.

"Don't leave a single stone unturned…" she said.

Yumi looked on the stage itself. Chelsea looked behind the backdrop. Ren started looking around the circumference.

"It's easier in the movies…" muttered Ren. "There, the treasure is always under a marking of some sort. Sure, X doesn't always mark the spot, but…"

Then he noticed a small hatch, which apparently opened to the crawlspace under the stage. And faintly drawn on it, as if with a dull pencil, was the Eye of Wdjat.

"Well, _there's_ a marking…" he said.

He rubbed his chin, and then opened it with a tug.

"Aha!" he said, looking inside.

Right in front of him was a very old hunting horn, made apparently from the antler or tusk of some large animal, with a long leather strap attached to it.

"Guys, I found it!" he said, getting on his knees.

He reached for it, but it was just out of reach. He got on his stomach, and reached further.

"That's it…" he said. "Come to Ren, baby…"

He inched towards it.

"I've almost got it…" he said, groaning. "Just a few more inches."

His hand dangled over the precious Horn…

"REN!" screamed Chelsea.

Ren looked up…

He only had a second to roll out of the way before a blast of fire aimed for him would have burnt him to a crisp. Fortunately, he had that second.

He looked up, and to his shock, saw a very unfriendly-looking robot with four arms looming over him. A Duel Disk was on its upper left arm, and its upper right arm was equipped with some sort of butane torch.

"Move away from the artifact," ordered the robot.

Ren slowly got up.

"Who's gonna make me?" he asked.

The android aimed the torch again. Ren dove out of the way as it fired another blast.

_When, when, when, WHEN will I learn that sometimes I shouldn't say that?_ he thought.

"So Rasputin…" said Yumi. "You're reduced to using machines to do your dirty work…"

Ren backed away from the creature as its torch started to burn again. Then he grabbed a fire extinguisher off the wall.

"Do you actually think a fire extinguisher will stop me?" asked the robot, pointing its torch. "Illogical thinking…"

Ren aimed the extinguisher, and squirted fire-smothering foam in the droid's eyes. It took a step back, and its torch shut off.

"Optic sensors obscured…" it said, wiping its face. "Easily remedied…"

"We'll see…" said Ren, holding the extinguisher above his head.

Then charged and slammed it over the robot's head…

It didn't flinch.

Ren looked at the fire extinguisher, which now had a large dent in it.

"What the heck are you made of?" he asked.

The robot didn't respond. Instead, it grabbed Ren by the throat with one of its arms and started to choke him…

Then a drill-like tool extended from one of its lower arms and started to spin.

"Foolish carbon lifeform," it said. "By the order of the programmer, I'll deal with you before claiming the artifact."

Ren struggled as the drill got closer to his face… Chelsea was about to grab the Sword of Tsunami from its sheath, hoping it would somehow tell her how to use it…

Then a dark fog started to rise around the restaurant. The robot slowly lowered the drill and released Ren… Its eyes glowed.

"What?" said Yumi. "Don't tell me a Yami no Oujou is starting? How?"

Anastasia appeared.

"Ren had better hope so…" she said. "Because there's no way you can outfight this android physically… This way, there's a chance that he and it are on even standing…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The dark fog receded, and the restaurant was gone. In its place was a foreboding temple, with evil-looking statues resembling men with the heads of snakes, jackals, and hawks, and a domed ceiling. Yumi, Chelsea, and Anastasia were on a balcony overlooking Ren and the android, who were facing each other on the floor.

The statues' eyes glowed with an evil light…

"Welcome to the Temple of Doom…" muttered Chelsea.

"This is crazy!" said Yumi. "Robots can't duel in Shadow Games! I thought that only living creatures with souls could do so!"

"As did I…" muttered Anastasia. "As did I… Ordinarily, that is the case. Clearly, whoever is in charge of this contest is incredibly powerful, and is able to break the rules. He or she either doesn't know that this creature isn't alive, and is soulless, or just doesn't care.

"And Rasputin is showing an intelligent strategy. If this android wins the Horn, all he'll have to do is shut it down, and he'll be able to claim the Horn for himself with no problem."

"So, what are you?" asked Ren, looking at the robot. "By the way, I take it you've never heard of Asimov's Three Rules For Robots?"

"That was a fictitious concept," said the robot. "I am M.A.C.R.O.S. Multifunctional Anthropomorphic Construction Robotic Operating System. My original prime directive was to function as a construction worker. But due to reprogramming, I have new prime directives. I am now both a warrior and a duelist.

"Soon your fragile organic life will be terminated. The Horn of Chance will belong to the programmer."

"You think I'm scared to duel you?" asked Ren. "Please. You're a robot. Beating you will be no harder than playing a video game."

"An interesting comparison," said Macros. "But inaccurate. The typical video game requires only five gigabytes of memory. I possess over two hundred, squared."

"Uh… How much is that, exactly?" asked Chelsea.

"A little less than a mainframe," replied Anastasia. "Bottom line, this android is very high-tech. I think Ren might be in trouble."

The robot's Duel Disk activated.

"Commence battle," it said.

"_Not just yet,"_ said a haunting voice.

A glowing, golden globe drifted down between them.

"_Ren, Macros,"_ it said, _"I am Jeremo the Natterer. And let me tell you how I achieved my magical power… I got it through money, money that I earned by dealing and selling rare and exotic goods. Jewels, spices, wines, even magic when I eventually learned how to use it._

"_Some say that money is the root of all evil, but commerce and trading is the backbone of any society._

"_And that is the way the special rules for this contest will work. Listen closely._

"_It is called Spell Seller. At any time during this duel, you may pay 1,000 Life Points to request almost any Spell Card you can think of from me, and I will provide it._

"_There are some limitations, of course. First, you may only do this three times. Second, Spells that destroy your opponent's cards, brainwash Monsters, or inflict direct damage are off limits. Third, you cannot request the same card more than once. Finally, Spells that are illegal under current rules are not allowed. I never dealt contraband, nor do I intend to start. Understand?"_

"Analyzing house rule," said Macros. "Analysis complete."

"_Good,"_ said Jeremo. _"Now begin. Honor goes to Ren."_

"Well, he's giving our side the honor for a change…" said Chelsea. "At least that's something."

"Very well," said Macros, drawing five cards. "Game on, as you humanoids often say."

**(Ren: 8,000) -------------------- (Macros: 8,000)**

"All right…" said Ren, making his first draw. "To start…"

He looked over his cards, and placed one on his Disk.

"I'll summon Dark Blade in Attack Mode."

In a dark shadow, the armored Warrior appeared, holding aloft his two swords. (1,800/1,500)

The Warrior looked at Ren over his shoulder.

"Dark Blade, at your service, my liege," he said.

Ren took a step back. He looked at the other cards in his hand.

_Cool…_ he thought. _They talk!_

Macros looked at Dark Blade.

_Analyzing…_ it thought. _Dark Blade… Normal Monster. Dark Attribute, Warrior Type, Level Four. Danger level: minimal._

"Over to you, rust-bucket," said Ren.

Macros ignored the insult and drew a card.

_Eh, I'm wasting my breath trying to trash-talk to this overgrown vacuum cleaner,_ thought Ren.

Macros looked at its hand.

_Analyzing situation,_ it thought. _Hand contents incomplete. Requires one other card for perfect execution of strategy. Will initiate house rule._

"Official…" it said.

The small globe of light appeared next to it.

"Will pay 1,000 Life Points to request Spell Card known as Stumbling," it said.

"_An odd choice,"_ said Jeremo, _"but request granted…"_

A seventh card appeared in Macros's hand.

**(R: 8,000) -------------------- (M: 7,000)**

"Now playing the Continuous Spell Card, Stumbling," it said, placing a card in its Disk.

A card bearing the image of a large, reptilian creature crawling over a pile of bones appeared.

"So… what does that do?" asked Ren.

"Stumbling activates whenever a Monster is Normal Summoned, Flip-Summoned, or Special Summoned in any way," replied Macros. "The Monster must move into Defense Mode on the round it is summoned.

"Continuing my turn, summoning Satellite Base."

It played a card, and with a rumble, a tall, metallic tower rose up beside it. It looked like some sort of space station's antenna, with odd paraphernalia and solar panels on top, reaching twenty feet high. (0/0)

"And due to Stumbling, it immediately moves into Defense Mode."

"It has zero Defense Points!" laughed Ren. "I'll smash it to pieces with no problem!"

"Improbable assumption…" said Macros. "Satellite Base can only be destroyed by Monsters who are Level Six or higher. Battle damage applies, but it is in Defense Mode, so with most Monsters, that is not a concern. In addition, it will gain 1,000 Defense Points each time I end my turn. When I choose to make an attack with a Monster, it will lose all of its Defense Points…

"But, by the time I do, it will be too late for you… Your humanoid Warriors are utterly worthless against the forces in my deck."

"He's right, my liege…" muttered Dark Blade. "I couldn't scratch that thing…"

"Then we'll just have to improvise…" whispered Ren, looking at his hand.

"I end my turn, meaning Satellite Base's Defense rises to 1,000," said the android. "Your move, you mass of carbon and water."

"Boy, you need to take a lesson on clever banter…" said Ren, drawing. "That one was _really_ bad."

He added the card to his hand.

"I'll play a Spell Card of my own," he said. "Perhaps you've heard of Frontline Base?"

The card appeared on his side of the field.

"Next, I'll use it to Special Summon Pitch-Dark Dragon."

Pitch-Dark Dragon appeared. The Stumbling card glowed, and it crouched in Defense Mode. (900/600)

"Next…" he said, "I'll sacrifice Pitch-Dark Dragon, to summon Kiryu."

The smaller Dragon vanished, and a larger one appeared, this one with a longer neck, and red scales. (2,000/1,500)

The Stumbling card glowed again. It curled up in Defense Mode.

"And it doesn't matter if he's in Defense Mode," continued Ren, "because he's a Union Monster that I can Equip to Dark Blade, who's already in Attack Mode."

Kiryu got up, and Dark Blade leapt up, landing on the large steed's back.

"While mounted on Kiryu, Dark Blade gains 900 Attack and Defense Points!"

(2,700/2,400)

"Dark Blade remains Level Four," replied Macros. "Still insufficient to destroy Satellite Base."

"Who said I wanted to?" asked Ren. "Now I can sacrifice Kiryu, so that Dark Blade can attack you directly. Dark Blade, take to the air!"

Kiryu flapped its wings, and Dark Blade flew towards the ceiling on the mount…

Then in a flash of light, Dark Blade swooped down, and slashed with his swords against the robot's metal torso. It staggered back a step.

**(R: 8,000) -------------------- (M: 5,200)**

The eyes of the temple statues glowed with fiery light. A low chuckle sounded through the chamber.

"Yes!" shouted Chelsea. "He's winning, he's winning!"

"That's my move for now, oil stain," said Ren, as Dark Blade appeared back on his side.

"Insolence," said Macros, drawing a card. "I will delete you from existence."

It placed a card on its Disk.

"Summoning Shining Angel."

In a burst of light, the familiar Light-Attribute searcher appeared. (1,400/800) The Stumbling card glowed, and he knelt and folded his wings.

"Ending turn," he said, "and Satellite Base gains a further boost."

(0/2,000)

Ren drew a card.

"I sacrifice Dark Blade…" he said.

Dark Blade nodded to him, and then vanished.

"To summon Penumbral Soldier Lady!"

Penumbral Soldier Lady appeared in a dark shadow. She tried to resist as the Stumbling card glowed, but it forced her to kneel and shield herself. (2,100/1,400)

"Ren…" she said. "I can't do much now… If he manages to attack with something I can't defend against…"

"Calm down," said Ren, placing a card into his Disk, "it's all taken care of…"

A facedown card appeared.

"That's all for me," he said. "So make your move."

Macros drew a card.

It looked at Penumbral Soldier Lady.

_Analyzing,_ it thought. _Penumbral Soldier Lady. Effect Monster. Dark Attribute, Warrior Type, Level Six. Effect: Gains 1,000 Attack Points when battling Light-Attribute Monsters. Danger level: severe. Will proceed with caution._

"Sacrificing Shining Angel…" it said.

Shining Angel vanished into pixels of light.

"Summoning Satellite Cannon."

A burst of energy erupted from the spot where Shining Angel had been…

Then, with an odd glow, the domed roof of the temple turned into a large screen, showing a view of the Earth from space, with a huge satellite armed with a powerful laser at its tip. (0/0)

"What on Earth?" shouted Chelsea. "What is that thing? Besides bad news…"

"How do I fight a Monster that's… orbiting the Earth?" shouted Ren.

"Fighting it is simple," answered Macros. "Destroying it, however, is improbable. Satellite Cannon cannot be destroyed by Monsters who are Level Seven or lower. Battle damage still applies, but due to Stumbling, it is now in Defense Mode.

"Plus, each time I end my turn, it will gain 1,000 Attack Points until I decide to attack with it, at which point this duel will be over.

"Continuing my turn. Now playing the Spell Card, Machine Duplication."

"Machine Duplication?" gasped Chelsea.

"A deadly combo with this Monster," said Anastasia. "It only works on Machines that have 500 Attack Points or less, and as you can see, that thing now has zero Attack Points. It now gets to summon all other copies of Satellite Cannon from its deck!"

In two bursts of light, two more of the huge satellites appeared to either side of the first one. (0/0 x2)

"Three of them?" shouted Chelsea.

"I know how to count," muttered Yumi. "And this isn't good. My grandparents never personally faced one of these things, but they saw Seto Kaiba face one in his duel with one of the Big Five. Kaiba only had to fight off one of them, and it was hard enough… But three?"

"Now setting one card facedown," said the android.

It fit a card into its Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

"Ending turn," said Macros. "Satellite Cannons… Begin charging sequence."

Satellite Base grew to (0/3,000). The three Satellite Cannons glowed with energy, and grew to (1,000/0) each.

"Does Ren even _have_ a Monster powerful enough?" asked Chelsea.

Ren paused. He glanced at his deck.

_I don't want to tell that scrap heap this, but no!_ he thought. _The most powerful Monster in this deck is Crescent Moon Queen, and she's only Level Seven…_

Penumbral Soldier Lady turned to him.

"Don't give up, Ren," she said. "We'll find a way…"

Ren nodded. He drew a card.

"Activating Trap Card," said Macros, as his facedown card lifted. "Gift of the Mystical Elf."

The gentle form of Mystical Elf appeared behind it, and cast a spell.

"This Trap recharges my Life Points by 300 for every Monster on the field. There are five Monsters on the field, so I receive 1,500."

**(R: 8,000) -------------------- (M: 6,700)**

"You'll need them," said Ren, looking at his hand.

"I activate… Final Attack Orders!" he shouted, as his facedown card lifted. "Now, all Monsters on the field move to Attack Mode!"

Penumbral Soldier Lady stood up, and Satellite Base's solar panels turned.

"Who cares if your Stumbling moves Monsters to Defense Mode when they're summoned?" asked Ren. "My Trap Card will move them right back to Attack Mode.

"And guess what? Penumbral Soldier Lady is Level Six. Not enough to bring down your Cannons, but strong enough to scrap your Base.

"Penumbral Soldier Lady… Demolish his Satellite Base! Sword of shadows!"

"You got it!" she shouted, lifting her sword.

She leapt up, and ran her sword down the whole Base from top to bottom. Sparks flew from the whole Machine, and it exploded into a conflagration of scrap metal. Macros shielded itself from the flying debris.

**(R: 8,000) -------------------- (M: 3,600)**

"Your move…" said Ren.

"Ren is doing great!" laughed Chelsea. "He's brought this guy down to less than half his Life Points, and he still has all of his!"

"True…" said Anastasia, "but he still has those Cannons to deal with…"

Macros drew a card.

"Playing Mystical Space Typhoon," it said. "Destroy Final Attack Orders."

It played the Spell Card, and a fierce storm ripped across the field. Final Attack Orders blew away.

"Next, playing Emergency Provisions. Sending Stumbling to Graveyard to gain 1,000 Life Points."

He played a second card, and the Spell Card disintegrated. The android glowed with energy.

_What is he doing?_ thought Ren. _Why would he take away his edge?_

"Now placing one card facedown," said Macros.

It fit a card into its Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

"Ending turn," it said. "Attack if you dare."

**(R: 8,000) -------------------- (M: 4,600)**

The three Satellite Cannons glowed again, and grew to (2,000/0)

Ren drew a card.

"I activate a Trap Card," replied Macros, as his facedown card lifted. "Spirit Barrier. Now, I can't lose Life Points from a battle so long as I have at least one Monster on the field."

"Fine…" said Ren. "Thanks for getting rid of my Trap Card. I summon Dark Squire…"

He placed a card on his Disk, and the young girl dressed in dark royal attire appeared. (300/300)

She knelt in Defense Mode.

"Now I'll use Frontline Base, to summon a second Pitch-Dark Dragon in Defense Mode."

He played another card, and another Dragon appeared, folding its wings and crouching.

"Now, one card facedown," he said.

He fit a card into his Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

"Your move…"

Macros drew a card.

"Activating Spell Card," it said. "Charge. Now all three Satellite Cannons gain 2,000 Attack Points."

The three cannons glowed, and each rose to (4,000/0).

"No!" shouted Chelsea.

"Not even Penumbral Soldier Lady's bonus could let her withstand that…" muttered Yumi.

"Satellite Cannon number one," said Macros, "attack the Dark Squire."

One of the Cannons' weapons extended… It glowed with energy…

It fired a bolt of pure energy towards Earth. An explosion covered the whole arena. Penumbral Soldier Lady dove for cover as Dark Squire was atomized without even being able to scream.

Ren looked around, and saw that the explosion had smashed two of the creepy statues to pieces as well.

_Good…_ he thought. _They were freaking me out._

"Since she was destroyed in battle," he said, "we both draw two cards."

Macros looked at him. Both of them drew twice.

"Since it attacked, its Attack Score falls to zero," said Macros.

"Satellite Cannon number two; Attack Pitch-Dark Dragon."

The second Cannon glowed, and again the burning beam crashed down. Penumbral Soldier Lady shielded herself as the Dragon was blown to bits.

The second cannon fell to zero Attack.

"Number three," it said, "attack Penumbral Soldier Lady."

The third Cannon charged up. Penumbral Soldier Lady looked up in fear as it started to fire…

"I activate… Rising Energy!" shouted Ren, as his Trap Card lifted. "Now, I toss one of my cards, and Penumbral Soldier Lady gains 1,500 Attack Points for this round!"

He quickly threw Double Pinaska into his discard slot. Penumbral Soldier Lady smiled, and glowed with a fiery aura. Her Attack Score shot up to 3,600. As the beam crashed down, her Attack Score went up again, to 4,600, and she swatted it aside with her sword, and it was deflected through the roof. Debris rained from the ceiling and stones fell to the temple floor.

Macros stared at him as the final Cannon's Attack Score fell to zero.

"Clever," it said. "But I still take no damage due to Spirit Barrier.

"Ending turn. Satellite Cannons, recharge…"

All three Cannons glowed, and rose to (1,000/0)

**(R: 8,000) -------------------- (M: 4,600)**

Ren drew a card.

_With its Spirit Barrier, attacking would be pointless,_ he thought. _There has to be some way to ground those three Cannons… But how? I just don't have a Monster that's strong enough in my deck…_

_Wait…_

_Maybe I don't… But maybe… Maybe my opponent does…_

"Jeremo?" he said.

The globe of light appeared next to him.

"Can I use the Spell Seller effect more than once in one round?" he asked.

"_Yes,"_ replied Jeremo.

"Okay then…" he said. "I'll use it twice, to request Dark Designator and Exchange."

"_As you wish,"_ replied the Sorcerer King.

Two cards appeared in Ren's hand.

**(R: 6,000) -------------------- (M: 4,600)**

_What is he up to?_ thought Macros.

"All right, tin can," said Ren, "first, I set a Monster in Defense Mode"

A facedown Monster appeared.

"Now I play… Dark Designator! Now, I name any Monster that I can think of, and if that Monster is in your deck, it goes to your hand.

"Now, let's see… I name…

"Perfect Machine King!"

Macros gave a look of surprise.

"Illogical," it said, taking a card from its deck. "How did you know I had that card?"

"I used a little logic of my own," said Ren, pointing to his head. "I figured you had a Monster in your deck to use in case someone used one of your Satellite Cannons against you. It would have to be Level Eight or higher, and I figured it would be a Machine, and the only Machines I can think of that aren't Fusions that fit the bill are that one, and Ancient Gear Golem.

"You don't look like the kind of guy who'd use Ancient Gear Golem.

"Now I play… Exchange!"

The android's eyes looked surprised again as Ren played the Spell Card. Ren walked up to him.

"Now kindly hand it over…" he said.

Macros held out its hand, and Ren took the Perfect Machine King.

"Thank you," he said. "Now you take one…"

He held out the three cards left in his hand. Macros's eyes narrowed, and then it snatched the Double Spell.

"I'll end my turn there," said Ren, walking back to his position. "Thanks for the help."

Macros drew a card.

"Placing one card facedown," it said, fitting a card into its Disk.

A facedown card appeared next to Spirit Barrier.

"I end my turn."

The three Cannons rose to (2,000/0) apiece.

"All right…" said Ren, "I draw!"

He drew a card.

"And I Flip-Summon… Getsu Fuhma!"

His facedown card flipped, and Getsu Fuhma stepped off of it. (1,700/1,200)

"All right ladies…" he said. "Let's do it…"

Penumbral Soldier Lady and Getsu Fuhma both nodded.

"I sacrifice both my Warriors, to summon Perfect Machine King!"

The two Warriors leapt up, and then vanished into globules of shadow…

And then, a huge robot, with armor and strong limbs, crackling with electricity all over, appeared in a burst of energy. (2,700/1,500)

"And if I know my Monsters," said Ren, "it gains 500 more Attack Points for every other Machine on the field. And I see three of them!"

(4,200/1,500)

"Now…" said Ren. "Perfect Machine King, attack one of the Satellite Cannons!"

A jetpack on Perfect Machine King's back ignited, and it soared into the air, through the ceiling…

Everyone watched the screen, as it soared through the stratosphere, struggling until it finally achieved escape velocity, and flew into orbit, towards the three Satellite Cannons… It glared at them for a second or two…

A hatch on each shoulder opened, and a volley of missiles shot out towards the one in the center. Explosions erupted over the hull of the satellite, until finally, it exploded into pieces of space debris.

Yumi and Chelsea cheered.

"Activating Trap Card," said Macros, as its facedown card lifted. "Debristation."

"What?" said Chelsea.

"Debristation?" said Yumi. "What the Hell is that?"

Everyone looked shocked, as the two remaining Satellite Cannons exploded, leaving a junkyard of debris floating in orbit. A look of surprise appeared on Perfect Machine King's face before its jetpack ignited again, and it turned around.

"What?" said Ren, as Perfect Machine King landed back on his side of the field. "You're trashing your own Monsters?"

"Foolish human with simplistic, terrestrial Monsters," said Macros. "Debristation is an incredible powerful Trap that can only be activated when a Satellite Cannon is destroyed in battle."

Then a huge space station appeared in the middle of the debris field. A hatch on the bottom opened, and all the broken pieces of the three Satellite Cannons were sucked into it.

"Now I can use the destroyed Satellite Cannon with the two I had on the field to build a much more powerful satellite weapon…"

The Debristation exploded in a burst of light…

In its place was another satellite, but this one was much larger, and resembled more of an armored space station. It had a cannon that looked even nastier than the previous one, with armored plating all over it. (0/2,000)

"The Satellite Laser X-06S Balsam," said Macros. "And because it was summoned with Debristation, it gains 3,000 Attack Points right away."

(3,000/2,000)

Perfect Machine King fell to an Attack of 3,200.

"What's the minimum Level a Monster needs to be to destroy this one?" asked Ren, looking up with a look of fear on his face.

"There is not one," answered Macros. "But it gains 3,000 Attack Points each time one of my turns ends, so now, your chances of summoning a Monster with simply enough Attack Points is improbable at best.

"Calculating chances. Odds of victory, greater than 95.2."

Ren placed a card in his Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

"Just move…" muttered Ren.

Macros drew one card. It added the card to its hand.

"Will simply draw and pass," it said. "Satellite Laser X-06S Balsam now grows to an Attack of 6,000."

The huge, astral Machine glowed with energy… (6,000/2,000)

"Six-thousand Attack Points?" gasped Yumi. "Not even Kaiba's Ultimate Dragon could take it out now… Not even the F. G. D. could destroy it!"

Ren drew a card.

_Okay, Ren..._ he said, looking at it. _It's down to the wire... You're facing overwhelming opposition, but fate has given you one small chance..._

This is what mythic moments are all about... Let's go...

"I play… Pot of Greed…" he said, playing the card.

He drew two cards, and looked at them.

_Mythic moments always seem to turn out better in the movies..._ he thought.

"I switch Perfect Machine King to Defense Mode…" he said.

Perfect Machine King knelt, and shielded itself.

"Then I set another Monster in Defense Mode."

He placed a card on his Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared.

"That's all I can do…" he said.

The android's eyes narrowed as it drew a card.

The card was Shooting Star Bow – Ceal.

_Three options,_ it thought. _First option: Can Equip Balsam with this now, and attack him directly. Outcome would result in him being reduced to only 1,000 Life Points. However, Perfect Machine King could possibly still be a threat._

_Second option: Could attack Perfect Machine King and then use Equip. Outcome would result in him being reduced to 1,500 Life Points, and he likely would pose no further threat._

_Third option…_

_Can use house rule…_

"Official," it said.

The globe of light appeared.

"Will pay 1,000 Life Points to request Limiter Removal."

A card appeared in its hand.

"Now you die, human," said Macros. "Due to Satellite Laser X-06S Balsam's effect, when it destroys a Monster in Defense Mode, the difference between its Attack Score and the destroyed Monster's Defense Score is deducted from your Life Points as battle damage.

"Now playing Limiter Removal."

"REN!" screamed Chelsea.

"Not so fast!" shouted Ren, as his facedown card lifted. "I activate Spell Shield Type-8!"

He quickly discarded his Fusion Sword Murasame Blade, and the Spell Card shattered.

"This duel is not over yet…" he said with a grin.

Macros glared at him.

"So be it," it said. "Satellite Laser X-06S Balsam, launch targeting probes."

Five missiles launched from the front of the huge satellite, and arranged themselves in a pentagonal pattern in front of the huge Machine.

"Target locked. Attack the Perfect Machine King."

The satellite's laser extended, and it glowed with energy… It fired a blast through the pattern, and the blast was magnified to enormous intensity.

A dome of energy surrounded Macros…

"Hit the dirt!" screamed Yumi. She grabbed Chelsea and dove for cover.

A far more intense blast fired from orbit, and when it struck the Perfect Machine King, Ren screamed, and was thrown off his feet by an explosion more violent than anything he'd ever experienced in Duel Monsters.

He slowly picked himself up, shaking with pain. The temple chamber had been completely burned out, the décor reduced to pulverized dust, and scorch marks blasted on the walls. Only a smoldering crater was left where Perfect Machine King had been.

**(R: 1,500) -------------------- (M: 3,600)**

"My Life Points…" he groaned.

"Since it attacked," said Macros, "its Attack Score is now reduced to zero. Proceeding to my second Main Phase…"

It fit two cards into its Disk.

"Will first set two cards facedown."

Two facedown cards appeared next to Spirit Barrier.

"Next, will Equip Satellite Laser X-06S Balsam with a Spell Card… Shooting Star Bow – Ceal."

It played another card.

"That's one of the Equips Mystara used!" shouted Yumi. "How could I forget… Next turn, that thing will be able to attack Ren directly!"

"And never has a Spell Card been more appropriately named…" muttered Chelsea.

"Now ending turn," said Macros. "Now, Satellite Laser X-06S Balsam's Attack Score increases to 3,000."

(3,000/2,000)

"Don't give up the ship, Ren!" shouted Chelsea. "Remember what you said before you beat that waitress!"

Ren drew a card.

_She's right…_ he said, looking at it. _But if he's prepared for the last card played, I'd best be prepared too…_

He paused.

_Well, what have I got to lose? The duelist who duels in a Shadow Game and has a lot of Life Points when the last blow strikes doesn't get a better funeral than the one who only had a few…_

"Hey, Jeremo…" he said.

The globe of light appeared next to him.

"I'll use my third Spell Seller request…"

He whispered something, and a card appeared in his hand. Macros's eyes narrowed.

**(R: 500) -------------------- (M: 3,600)**

"All right…" said Ren, taking the card he had just drawn. "First, I'll summon Mataza the Zapper."

In a burst of dark energy, the armored ronin appeared, and drew his katana. (1,300/800)

"Now I'll flip my other Monster into Attack Mode. Meet… Familiar Knight!"

The card flipped up, and the knight in shining armor appeared, holding his sword aloft. (1,200/1,400)

The eastern Warrior and the western one nodded to each other.

"Now I'll play… Monster Reborn!"

He played the card.

"Activating Trap Card," replied Macros, as his facedown card lifted. "Magic Jammer. Sending Double Spell to Graveyard to negate Monster Reborn."

It discarded the card, and Ren's Spell Card shattered.

"NO!" screamed Chelsea. "That was Ren's only chance!"

Ren bowed his head.

And then he started to chuckle.

"Heh, heh…" he laughed. "I kinda figured your facedown card was something like that, junk heap…"

He played another Spell Card.

"I play Monster Reborn again!"

The ankh appeared, and Penumbral Soldier Lady appeared in a flash of light. (2,100/1,400)

"Illogical…" said Macros. "A duelist is only allowed one copy of Monster Reborn in his deck…"

"Forget the house rule?" asked Ren. "I drew my own copy, and then requested another one with the rule. The guy didn't say I couldn't.

"And since Penumbral Soldier Lady gains 1,000 Attack Points against Light Monsters, she's just strong enough to turn your Laser into space junk!"

Penumbral Soldier Lady nodded to Ren, and then, like she was teleported from a transporter in _Star Trek_, dematerialized.

Everyone looked up, to see Penumbral Soldier Lady on the surface of the immense satellite. She looked around for a weak spot… Her Attack Score rose to 3,100.

"Activating facedown card," said Macros, as its last facedown card lifted. "Rush Recklessly. Now, Satellite Laser X-06S Balsam gains 700 Attack Points."

The huge Machine glowed, and rose to (3,700/2,000).

"Is that so?" asked Ren, throwing his final card into his Disk. "Well joke's on you… I have a Rush Recklessly of my own!"

Penumbral Soldier Lady glowed, and her Attack rose to 3,800.

Macros's eyes widened, as if in fear…

Finally, Penumbral Soldier Lady found the weak spot she was looking for. She lifted her sword with two hands, and then stabbed it into the huge Machine, sending a shower of sparks flying from it.

Then she dematerialized again, and reappeared on Ren's side of the field. Everyone looked up, as the Satellite Laser X-06S Balsam glowed with burning energy and sparked as explosions started to burst over its hull…

Finally, it exploded in a blast of light with a ring of light around it, and fiery debris rained towards the Earth…

"Dost thou still think Warriors are worthless against thine deck?" asked Familiar Knight. "It seems your technology hath failed you."

"Technology is only as good as the one who designs it," said Mataza, "a poorly built Machine is no match for a trained and skilled Warrior, just like a poor strategy is no match for a well thought-out one."

"Well said…" said Ren. "You can base your strategy on logic all you want… But some abilities… Well, they simply defy logic.

"Familiar Knight, attack that scrap pile directly!"

"With pleasure, sire!" said the Warrior, lifting his sword. "Tallyho!"

Familiar Knight leapt up, and slashed at Macros with his longsword. The android took a step backwards…

"Mataza, finish him off!" ordered Ren.

Mataza the Zapper ran forward, and in a blur of energy, split into two separate Matazas. Both of them smote the android with their katanas, and it fell backwards.

"Incredible…" muttered Macros.

**(R: 500) -------------------- (M: 0)**

Then it collapsed, and all signs of its functioning shut down.

Ren took some deep breaths. He turned to his Monsters, and then nodded to him.

Then the dark fog started to rise in the ruined temple again…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

When the fog cleared, Ren was standing in front of the stage in the restaurant, with his opponent slumped against it.

He suddenly noticed that a leather strap was slung around his shoulder, with the Horn of Chance attached to it.

"Neat…" he said, giving a thumbs up.

He was startled as Chelsea grabbed and hugged him.

"You won!" she shouted, squeezing him. "Thank God…"

"Uh, Chelsea…" gulped Ren. "Chelsea, please…"

Yumi looked at the Horn.

"It wasn't easy…" she said. "But all three of us have one now. And now, thanks to my Crown, Rasputin won't be able to ambush either of you without me knowing about it."

"Huh?" asked Ren.

Yumi pointed to her Crown.

"I found out how this works," said Yumi. "Part of it, anyway. It lets me know when the owners of other Charms are in trouble.

"We have three of them now… Olga has another, Nicholas has a fifth. Three more remain. We have to get those three before Rasputin's forces do, hopefully without any more deathmatches."

They were startled by a beeping sound.

Macros was starting to move.

It didn't get up, but it held its head with two hands. Its eyes glowed red for a second, and then they changed to blue. It held its head.

"Firewall activating…" it said. "Intrusion being neutralized. Reinitiating original programming…"

A whir came from within its torso.

"Initiating self-repair systems…"

The three teenagers stepped back as it looked at its Disk.

"Why am I wearing a Duel Disk?" it said. "This is illogical… I am not programmed to function as a duelist…"

"Not programmed?" said Ren, in surprise. "You almost beat me! You were pretty good!"

"This does not compute…" muttered Macros, looking at itself. "Where is my tool belt? I should not be here…"

A squad of Centurions rushed into the restaurant.

"About time you guys got here…" said Ren, under his breath.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Half an hour earlier. Sam and Erik had placed an order at the same hamburger place where Yumi's group had eaten lunch during Day One.

Sam couldn't resist any longer. She had to learn about Yumi's fate.

She took out her cell phone, and speed-dialed a number. She held it to her ear and waited.

"Aunt Diane?" she said, in a cheery voice. "Hi! Deal with any victims lately?"

She paused and listened.

"You don't say?" she said with a smile.

Then she frowned.

"Really?" she said with a scowl.

There was a pause.

"Even Aitos?" she shouted.

Another pause.

"Okay, Aunt Diane, I won't keep you. Don't let it discourage you. Keep doing your job…"

She hung up.

"What is it?" asked Erik.

"Yumi made a fool out of my aunt…" said Sam, angrily. "Now it's personal… Anyone who wants to humiliate an Arachne has to deal with all of us…

"She has Silver Status now, but she isn't keeping it. As soon as we're done here, we're gonna find that blonde minx…"

She drew the top card off her deck and looked at Dark Ruler Ha Des.

"And me and the Dark Ruler are gonna pound her black and blue…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

A half-hour after Ren had beaten Macros, the Centurion with the purple sash walked into Sheena's office. Sheena was nervous, and drinking from a glass of gin and tonic.

"I thought you didn't drink on weekdays," noted the Centurion.

"Well, I don't as a rule," replied Sheena, "but I'm so nervous with all that's happening, I needed something. That robot could have torched an innocent guest before it was caught."

"It's under control now," said the Centurion. "And it was able to tell us a little. Apparently, someone was able to sneak into the Coliseum last night and download information into it when it was in its dormant state. The information enabled it to communicate with an outside source using its communication devices, and gave it the abilities of a duelist, and the ability to use its built-in tools as weapons.

"Fortunately, when it lost that duel to Mr. Marris, its built-in anti-intrusion systems kicked in, and enabled it to erase the improper data. Unfortunately, it now has no idea who did this to it.

"But we can safely say, it is likely no longer a threat."

"The key word is 'likely'," said Sheena, finishing the glass. "I want an armed Centurion escorting it everywhere from now on."

"Yes, ma'am," he said. "By the way, we have one clue. This is the deck it had. Apparently, whoever reprogrammed it gave this to it."

He placed the deck on the table. Sheena took the cards and looked at them.

"Satellite Cannon…" she muttered. "An incredibly rare card… And it looks like it had three of them."

She looked at the Satellite Laser X-06S Balsam.

"Good lord…" she muttered. "There are only twenty confirmed copies of this one…

"Whoever we're dealing with is someone with incredible resources…"

She got up.

"Descartes, you're in charge until I get back. Tell anyone who wants me to call back.

"I'm going out to get some fresh air…"

As his employer left, the Centurion slowly lifted the helmet off his head.

He was a man who looked to be in his early fifties, his hair and neatly-trimmed beard now slate-gray. He had once been a Sergeant for the Domino City Police Department… Twenty long years ago. Siegfried Kaiba had offered him a job as a Centurion because he was one of the best on the force, and had offered more money and benefits than a cop ever could have gotten.

And during training as one, Descartes stood out head and shoulders among the others in all areas. Siegfried clearly saw that he was the best one he had, and soon Descartes was the head of the Centurions, reporting only to Siegfried himself. He was even privy to the secret that Siegfried and the Master of Games were the same person.

When Yumi battled Saurius, Descartes stood at the head of the defensive wall that repelled the army of Hell that had invaded the island. It was nineteen years ago.

He was still the leader of the Centurions, and one of the small handful of the original Centurions left. Most of them took the early retirement package. But Descartes had grown to love this island, and was convinced to do his job until he was no longer able to, no matter who was running things.

If someone was going to threaten this island again, he and his men were going to respond. That's what they did. He wasn't going to rest until the one causing this was led away in handcuffs…

_The balance of power tips in the favor of the heroes, as Ren wins the Horn of Chance. But now, Yumi has Sam mad at her! Watch out Yumi! Your rival is coming, and she's ticked off!_

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**SATELLITE BASE (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Machine/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 0  
**DEF:** 0

**Card Description:** This card is not destroyed as a result of battle by Monsters that are Level Five or less (damage calculation still applies). Increase the DEF of this card by 1,000 during each of your End Phases. When you declare an attack with a Monster on your side of the field, reduce the DEF of this card to zero.

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**SATELLITE LASER X-06S BALSAM (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Machine/Fusion/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level:** 8  
**ATK:** 0  
**DEF:** 2,000

**Card Description:** _"Satellite Cannon" + "Satellite Cannon" + "Satellite Cannon"_

This card can only be Special Summoned via Fusion Summon. Increase the ATK of this card by 3,000 during each of your End Phases. This card's ATK is reduced to zero after it makes an attack. When this card attacks with an ATK higher than the DEF of your opponent's Defense Position Monster, inflict the difference as battle damage to your opponent's Life Points.

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**CHARGE (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** A satellite orbiting the Earth, with the sun rising above the horizon.

**Card Description:** Increase the ATK of all face-up "Satellite Cannons" on your side of the field by 2,000.

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**0**

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**DEBRISTATION (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image:** A space station floating in Earth orbit.

**Card Description:** You may activate this card when a "Satellite Cannon" on your side of the field is destroyed as a result of battle. Send two "Satellite Cannons" from your side of the field and/or your hand to the Graveyard to Special Summon one "Satellite Laser X-06S Balsam" from your Fusion Deck in Attack Position. (This is considered a Fusion Summon.) When a "Satellite Laser X-06S Balsam" is summoned in this manner, increase its ATK by 3,000.

_Note: "Satellite Base", "Satellite Laser X-06S Balsam", "Charge", and "Debristation" were used by Prince Orgene at various times in the second season of "Yu-Gi-Oh GX". Creative credit goes to the writers of the episodes._

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**Ren: Looks like we're looking at a catfight, here, Chelsea.**

**Chelsea: Hmmm… Don't think so… It might have to wait. Someone else is taking an interest in Sam…**

**Yumi: Uh oh! Someone is getting in trouble!**

**Coming up next: "Sam versus the Centurion; The Plague."**

**This I gotta see.**


	25. Sam Versus the Centurion, The Plague

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**CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR**

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**Sam Versus The Centurion**

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**The Plague**

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It was now two-thirty in the afternoon.

Ren had recovered from the brutal deathmatch with the android, and the trio was now sitting at a picnic table in the nearby Duelatopia Topiary Park.

And Chelsea had finally gotten around to telling them about the map she had found when she had beaten Edan.

Chelsea read the inscription:

_If you are of the fairer gender and are fair of heart, seek the place where ancient beasts stand, taken from their earthen tombs, and find the Tomb of the Elders below. If you believe your power can overcome the lurking danger, challenge the master of the tomb for power and station. But be warned… Few who enter the parlor of the Midnight Caller are allowed to leave._

"Another Eliminator…" muttered Ren. "Are you sure, Chelsea?"

"Why not?" she replied. "It might be fun."

"FUN?" he exclaimed. "Mystara threatened to seal Yumi in amber! This guy might do something worse to you!"

Chelsea studied the strange instructions.

"It says, 'If you are of the fairer gender and are fair of heart'," she said. "Maybe he only accepts female duelists as challengers."

"It might be because he likes to sacrifice virgins…" muttered Ren.

"Well then, he's out of luck…" replied Chelsea.

Both of them stared at her.

"Gotcha!" laughed Chelsea, opening her arms. "Untouched by man…"

Ren glared at her, obviously not thinking it had been very funny…

"Why did Edan have this?" continued Chelsea. "Do you suppose Michelle challenged this guy and beat him?"

"Maybe…" answered Yumi. "Or maybe Michelle _tried_ to beat him, and…"

"Calm down people," said Chelsea, "my mind's not made up yet…"

She looked at the paragraph again.

"…'where ancient beasts stand, taken from their earthen tombs'… That must mean the Museum of Natural History. Dinosaurs are ancient beasts. But who the heck is the Midnight Caller?"

Anastasia appeared behind Yumi.

"Yumi…" she said, "uh, I don't like butting in on matters like this… I mean, this tournament is really none of my business… But I know who the Midnight Caller is. That is to say, who he _was_, supposedly."

"Was?" asked Yumi.

"My dad heard about him," said Anastasia. "He was supposed to be a vampire who lived – or in his case didn't live – in France around the sixteenth century. My dad used descriptions of him as the model for Vampire Lord.

"According to legend, he was a very finicky vampire. He targeted only the most beautiful women as victims. Those who died and fell victim to the curse of vampirism became his concubines.

"And the strangest part of the story was, no-one knew just how, or even if he met his end. His preying just stopped one day, and he was never seen again."

"Uh, Chelsea?" said Yumi, speaking up. "Before you go find this guy, something you should know…"

"YUMI!" screamed a voice.

"Huh?" said Yumi, standing up. "Sam?"

Yumi turned around, and saw Sam rushing towards them, practically dragging Erik behind her.

"I knew I'd find you here, bitch," shouted Sam, who was obviously very angry. "Look at you, so smug now that you're one step away from the finals… So proud that you beat an Eliminator…"

"How did you…" started Yumi.

"It doesn't matter!" shouted Sam, angrily. "Get your Disk, ready, Yumi! I'm going to cast you into Hades right now!"

"Whoa, whoa, Sam, what is wrong with you?" asked Yumi. "You've never been this nasty."

Sam quickly grabbed Yumi's Puzzle and gave the chain a swift yank.

"Sam!" shouted Yumi, in pain. "Ow! Lay off!"

"Are you going to duel me?" shouted Sam. "Or are you going to make me take this stupid Puzzle and jam it up your…"

"_Ms. Arachne!"_ boomed an amplified voice behind her. "Release her this instant!"

Sam froze in fear…

She let go of Yumi.

She knew what sort of person the voice belonged to, and that voice was terrifying. She was now too afraid to turn and face him…

"Uh… oh…" said Ren, as he saw who it was. "Someone is getting in trouble…"

"Big time…" added Chelsea.

Erik backed away, as the armored Centurion walked up behind Sam, and crossed his arms.

"Ms. Arachne," he said. "You are _way_ out of line here. Leveling threats of violence towards another guest is not becoming of the owner's daughter… What you just did could be construed as assault, I might add."

Sam started to sweat.

The Centurion took hold of her shoulders and turned her around.

"You will look at me when I speak to you," he demanded.

"What… what are you going to do to me?" squeaked Sam, in fear.

"What your mother ordered us to do in any cases regarding you," he replied. "Exactly what we'd do to any other guest who threatened another."

Sam bowed her head.

"Are you going to come quietly," he asked, "or do I have to use handcuffs?"

"Officer, please!" shouted Erik.

The Centurion glared at him.

"Officer…" he stammered. "She's… uh… not in a very good mood… She had… An unofficial duel with me… And… I was merciless. She took some heavy direct attacks. Please be lenient…"

The Centurion glared at him again.

"I'm not sure if I believe you, Mr. Matell," he said. "And that's hardly an excuse. But still… Since it was only a verbal threat, for the most part, maybe I could use a little leniency, if Samantha is willing to work hard for it."

"What do you mean?" asked Sam.

The Centurion took something out of a pouch on his belt and lifted it up.

It was a deck of cards.

"You… You want to duel me?" asked Sam.

"Consider me a Bonus," replied the Centurion. "If you win, I'll even upgrade you, and I'll let this incident go with just a warning. But if I win, you give yourself up and be a cooperative prisoner.

"I guess you can consider it… trial by combat."

Sam sighed.

"I guess I don't have a choice…" she muttered.

"True…" he replied. "You don't… Consider yourself lucky I'm even giving you this chance."

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In the Entertainment District, Rasputin was sitting at a table at an open-air bar, having told Louis and his two wards to leave him alone for a while. He had to do some deep thinking. He had just mentally crossed robots off his list of potential henchmen for future plans.

He sighed. A truly dramatic, explosive – literally – and perhaps even romantic ending to Ren's duel would have been for him to activate Macros's self destruct sequence. He could picture Yumi and company fleeing from the restaurant in terror and diving for cover just as it was blown sky high…

However, this wasn't a movie, and things weren't so dramatic in reality. If he had ordered Macros to destroy itself, it would simply have deleted its memory, and it would have fallen to the ground, an inert piece of metal. He couldn't even have done that – he couldn't transmit orders to Macros during the duel, because of Jeremo's magic, and once they had re-entered the real world, it was rejecting his orders.

A cocktail waitress came up to him.

"Old Granddad and ginger ale," he said, sullenly.

She nodded, and walked to the bar.

_The score stands three to two, in their favor,_ he thought. _Maybe more so with Yumi in possession of the Crown of Souls. Machius wasn't called "the Wise" for nothing…_

_According to rumor, he was very wise, and very insightful… He was supposedly the first of the Sorcerer Kings to obtain actual immortality, and even before he did, he knew things that no mortal had a right to know. Whether he shared the secret with the rest of them, or let them discover it for themselves, no-one is certain…_

_There are two versions told about what ultimately became of the Sorcerer Kings…_

_One version said that Machius was the one who orchestrated their master plan, which would give them the ultimate power… But the plan had a fatal flaw in it, so when they failed and met their dire fate, he was to blame…_

_The more optimistic theory was, another of them orchestrated the plan, but Machius alone saw the flaw in it, and saved them from suffering the consequences…_

The waitress brought the drink to his table and he paused as he took it.

_If the second version is true,_ he thought, _it's pretty obvious who the true drafter of their master plan was…_

He slowly sipped the drink.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Sam nervously shuffled as the Centurion stood twenty paces from her.

He lifted his left arm, and a scythe-like Disk unfolded from his gauntlet. He placed his deck in the holder.

"Man, I thought I'd be jumping for joy the day Sam really got in trouble," said Yumi. "But now… I don't want her to go to jail!"

"You're telling me!" said Erik, who was a wreck. "I swore I'd protect her, but this is one thing that's out of my reach…

"Stay strong, baby!"

"So, uh, ready?" asked Sam.

"Oh yeah," replied the Centurion. "Game on."

**(Sam: 8,000) -------------------- (Centurion: 8,000)**

"I'll make the first move, if you don't mind," he said, drawing a sixth card.

"Mind?" asked Sam, nervously. "Why would I mind? I don't mind…"

He looked over his hand.

"Samantha…" he said. "Most people think that battle is complicated, but it can be simple if you look at the basic principles. There are actually six concepts that define large-scale conflicts."

"Large scale conflicts?" asked Sam. "As in war?"

"Not just war," replied the Centurion. "All large-scale conflicts are defined by six concepts.

"The first concept is Strategy. You plan your offensive and defensive maneuvers carefully, trying to form a battle tactic that will outdo those of your enemy."

He placed two cards on his Disk.

"I place a card facedown, and a Monster in Defense Mode," he said.

A defensive Monster and a facedown card appeared.

"So what sort of deck do you think a Centurion plays?" asked Chelsea. "Warriors? Machines? Armors?"

"All I know is," said Yumi, "these guys are some of the most well-trained security troops in the world. They were hand-picked from the crème de la crème of military and law enforcement, and given the best training KaibaCorp could offer.

"So the ones that are trained as duelists are likely champion material."

"My turn now concludes," said the Centurion. "We will soon see if my strategy, or yours, is superior."

Sam drew a card, and looked at her hand.

_Well,_ she thought, _no telling what he's hiding. Best start out strong…_

"I summon The Bistro Butcher in Attack Mode," she said, playing a card.

With a cackle, the fiendish chef appeared, raising his cleaver. (1,800/1,000)

"You want strategy?" she shouted. "I got one… Powerful Monsters. Go! Carve up his facedown Monster!"

The Bistro Butcher flew forward, holding his cleaver high…

And then, a look of shock appeared on his face, and four vines shot out and grabbed his limbs. The vines belonged to a Monster that was a cross between a woman and a thorny, vine-covered plant, clothed in a pink dress. (300/2,000)

"Prickle Fairy?" gasped Sam.

"Not only that," said the Centurion, "but your failed attack triggered my Trap…"

His facedown card lifted. It bore a bizarre image of a Des Kangaroo throwing a punch at the far-bigger Behemoth the King of All Animals.

"A powerful Trap called Cross Counter. Now, you lose twice the amount of Life Points you normally would have, and you lose your Monster as well."

Prickle Fairy giggled. She lifted both her legs, and gave The Bistro Butcher a swift kick in the stomach. He fell backwards before shattering into shards.

"As you can see, I understand the concept much more than you did," he said. "It seems my strategy was far better than yours…"

**(S: 7,600) -------------------- (C: 8,000)**

Sam was stunned.

_How could I have been so careless?_ she thought, looking at her hand. _Now I'm completely defenseless…_

"I… I have to end my turn…" she muttered.

The Centurion drew a card.

"I summon Insect Knight in Attack Mode," he said.

In a burst of energy, an armored, humanoid mantis holding a shield and a jagged sword appeared. He stared at Sam with cold, multifaceted eyes that reflected her image like a dozen mirrors. (1,900/1,500)

"This lets me show you the second concept," he said. "Relations. In a large-scale conflict, you must know who your allies are, know their capabilities, and know how you can work with them.

"Insect Knight knows that when Prickle Fairy is on the field, he can't be attacked, so that's a relation that benefits him.

"Insect Knight… Attack Samantha directly."

Insect Knight leapt up, holding its sword up high…

"NO!" screamed Erik.

Sam screamed as the weapon slammed into her torso.

**(S: 5,700) -------------------- (C: 8,000)**

"Your move," said the Centurion, crossing his arms.

Sam got up, sweating.

She drew a card.

_No…_ she thought, looking at them. _I have nothing that comes close to being able to beat Insect Knight… And even if I did, he was right… I can't get near it until I get rid of Prickle Fairy…_

Tears fell down her cheeks.

_So this is how my big dream to reach the top is going to end… I'm going to spend the rest of the tournament locked up because I lost my temper…_

_And I have no one to blame but myself… Yumi beat Aunt Diane fair and square… I shouldn't have gone gunning for revenge…_

"Sam!" shouted Erik. "Sam, baby, don't give up! The duel isn't nearly over yet!"

Sam looked at him.

"Yeah!" shouted Ren. "Don't forget what I said… The duel isn't over until the last card is played!"

She nodded, and then placed a card on her Disk. A facedown Monster appeared.

"Can't believe I'm encouraging Sam…" muttered Ren.

The Centurion drew a card.

"Perfect," he said. "Now I have every card I need to implement my true strategy. Get ready…"

He played a Spell Card.

"I play Multiplication of Ants. Now, I can sacrifice one Insect to summon two Army Ant Tokens. And I'll place them in Attack Mode."

Insect Knight melted into light, and two huge ants appeared. (500/1,200 x2)

"You traded in your strong Monster for two weak ones?" asked Sam. "Why?"

"You'll see," he replied, taking another card. "Next, I sacrifice Prickle Fairy, in order to summon… Insect Princess."

Prickle Fairy burst into shards, and a new Insect appeared. It was a female figure with gossamer wings, four arms, and delicate antennae. (1,900/1,200)

"Wait a second…" said Sam. "I know how she works… She gets stronger whenever she destroys an Insect-Type Monster…"

She paused.

"You're gonna use DNA Surgery, aren't you?"

"No," he replied. "I have another way.

"Time to reveal the third concept…"

"Oh no…" muttered Sam.

"Research and Development," said the Centurion. "Always look for new ways to combat your foes, so that you can catch them off guard. Improve upon old ideas, and find completely new ones."

His Field Slot opened, and he placed a card in it.

"I play Insect Garden."

A flash of light covered the whole arena, and then, grass and flowers the size of trees started to grow all around them. Sam got the idea… This was a garden the way it would look like if she were an insect.

"This leads to the fourth concept… Espionage. Infiltrate your enemy's strategy and destroy it from within. Use your own resources to spy and sabotage.

"Here's how it works… For as long as this Field is in play, any Insects on my side of the field that are Level Four or less go to your side of the field.

"So…"

The two Army Ants scurried across the arena, and positioned themselves on Sam's side of the field. She nervously backed up.

"And I'm not done…" said the Centurion, taking another card. "I Equip my Princess with a card made especially for her… Insect Pheromone."

He played the card, and Insect Princess's wings started to glow with a golden light.

"Insect Princess…" he ordered. "Attack the first Ant! Katydid kick!"

Insect Princess leapt into the air, and then swooped down foot-first, bringing her foot down on the first Ant and smashing it flat. Sam cringed.

**(S: 4,300) -------------------- (C: 8,000)**

"And just like you said…" continued the Centurion, "with each bug she squashes, she gets stronger… By 500 Attack Points."

Insect Princess rose to an Attack of 2,400.

"And furthermore…" he said, "thanks to her Pheromone card, if she destroys one Insect, she can compel another one to attack her."

A cloud of golden dust flew from the Princess's wings, and covered the second Army Ant. It scurried towards her.

Insect Princess gave a kick, flattening it.

**(S: 2,400) -------------------- (C: 8,000)**

Insect Princess rose to a stronger Attack, of 2,900.

"I end my turn," said the Centurion.

Erik was close to panic.

"She still has a chance, doesn't she?" he asked.

"Yeah, she has two," answered Chelsea. "Slim and slimmer. This guy is just too good. Maybe he'd be easier on her if she just gave up."

"Don't talk like that…" said Yumi. "The Sam I know wouldn't give up. The Sam I know would fight to the end."

Sam looked at her rival.

_She's right… _she thought. _Even if I have to spend the rest of this tournament locked in some cell, at least I'll be able to say I fought to the end!_

"My move!" she shouted.

She drew a card.

"I play Pot of Greed," she said, playing a card.

The jar appeared, and she drew two cards.

She looked at them, and added them to her hand.

"I place a second Monster in Defense Mode, and a card facedown," she said.

Another defensive Monster and a facedown card appeared on her side of the field.

"Do your worst," she said.

"My worst, eh?" he said. "Well, watch out!"

He drew a card.

He looked at the powerful Monster on the card.

He took the card that was already in his hand.

"I summon Skull-Mark Ladybug," he said, playing a card.

A large, nasty-looking, black beetle with a skull and crossbones on its back appeared in front of him. (500/1,500)

"And thanks to my Insect Garden…"

Skull-Mark Ladybug scurried over to Sam's side of the field.

"This is it!" shouted Ren. "If this attack goes through, it's all over!"

"Insect Princess…" ordered the Centurion, "stomp the Skull-Mark Ladybug!"

Insect Princess leapt into the air.

"Not so fast!" shouted Sam. "Activate… Shadow Spell!"

Her Trap Card lifted up, and a mass of chains shot up from the ground. Insect Princess gasped as she was bound by her wrists and ankles.

"Better than a no-pest strip," said Sam. "Now your Princess is helpless, and she loses 700 Attack Points."

The Princess fell to an Attack of 2,200.

"Clever…" said the Centurion. "So the duel continues. It's your move. We'll soon see whether or not that was your only good move."

"Oh, I'm just getting started," said Sam, drawing a card. "And I've got plenty of good moves!"

She added it to her hand.

"I sacrifice your Ladybug, to summon my headliner… Arise, Dark Ruler Ha Des!"

Skull Mark Ladybug vanished, and dark clouds rose over the Insect Garden. The intimidating form of the Dark Ruler appeared from out of the shadows. (2,450/1,600)

"All right!" shouted Erik. "It's her best Monster!"

"You just sent my Ladybug to my Graveyard!" said the Centurion with a laugh. "That means, due to its effect, I gain 1,000 Life Points."

"You're gonna need them…" said Sam. "I also Flip-Summon my other two Monsters. My Opticlops, and my Skull Knight #2."

Her two facedown Monsters flipped up. The first one was the horn-headed, one-eyed ogre. (1,800/1,700) The second was a fiendish warrior in armor with a bare skull for a face, holding a scimitar. (1,000/1,200)

"Ha Des…" she commanded, "swat his Insect Princess!"

Ha Des's hand glowed with black fire. Insect Princess struggled against the chains, but to no avail. The blast shot forth, blowing her to pieces.

"All right!" shouted Sam. "Opticlops, Skull Knight… Attack him directly!"

Opticlops charged forward and rammed into the Centurion's breastplate with his horn.

Sam's opponent didn't flinch. In fact, Opticlops grunted in pain, as if that had hurt him a little more than it did the one he had attacked.

Skull Knight slashed his sword against the Centurion's armor, but again, it seemed like he didn't react at all.

**(S: 2,400) -------------------- (C: 5,950)**

"Boy, this guy is tough," said Chelsea.

"What did I say?" replied Yumi. "The crème de la crème. Some of these guys used to be marines and other military special forces members. No one joins a group like that unless he knows how to take pain. You don't want to mess with a Centurion."

"Anything else?" asked the Centurion.

"Uh…" muttered Sam.

She looked at her hand.

"I place one card facedown and you can go," she said quickly.

A facedown card materialized.

The Centurion drew a card. He quickly played it.

"Time to reveal the fifth concept…" he said.

"Again?" sighed Sam.

"A vitally important one," he continued. "Supply. There's an old saying that says an army moves on its stomach. It can't survive without food and equipment. If it runs low on supplies, it grinds to a halt. To wage a successful conflict, your supply must always be high.

"So… I'll increase my supply with this… Card of Sanctity!"

The sky above Insect Garden lit up, and coins fell from above.

"Now, we must each draw until we each hold six cards…"

Sam grimaced as she drew. She only got two cards out of this, but her opponent got five.

"Wait… a second…" said Yumi. "Exactly how much do they pay these guys? Card of Sanctity isn't exactly a card that you can walk into a store and buy…"

The Centurion looked at Yumi, and while it was hard to tell, it appeared that he looked a little nervous.

"Uhm, Miss Arachne is very generous…" he said. "She occasionally includes cards with the Christmas bonuses.

"Now where was I?"

Yumi rubbed her chin.

_I'm not sure if I believe him,_ she thought. _Then again, I'm not sure why he's playing Insects either, for that matter…_

The Centurion looked over his six cards.

His Field Slot opened.

"To start," he said, "I'll get rid of my Insect Garden, by playing a new Field… the old, reliable Forest Field Spell."

He played the card, and the giant grass of Insect Garden vanished. Then, huge trees, bushes, and ferns grew in their place, transporting them to a dense, sylvan forest.

"In this Field, all Beasts, Beast-Warriors, Plants, and naturally, Insects," he said, "four groups that are absent from your deck, gain 200 Attack and Defense Points.

"Next… I summon Pinch Hopper."

He played the card, and a large grasshopper appeared in front of him. (1,000/1,200) –) (1,200/1,400)

"Ah, Sam will take that out with no problem," said Ren.

"Pinch Hopper has a powerful ability," replied Yumi. "When it goes to the Graveyard, he gets to Special Summon any Insect he wants from his hand.

"But… Not if Sam destroys it right now… While Ha Des is on the field, all of her Fiends can render the effects of the Monsters they destroy invalid… Didn't this guy know that?"

"Of course I knew that," replied the Centurion. "I'm no idiot. So that's why I'm going to send it to the Graveyard myself, by playing a second Multiplication of Ants."

He played the card, and Pinch Hopper shattered. It was replaced by two more Army Ant Tokens, these two in Defense Mode. (500/1,200 x2) –) (700/1,400 x2)

"And now…" he continued, "due to its effect… I can summon this… My Metal Armored Bug!"

As he played the card, the ground started to rumble, and an Insect burrowed out of the ground that looked too big to be real. It was an enormous beetle of some sort, and true to its name, its exoskeleton seemed to be made of metal. (2,800/1,500) –) (3,000/1,700)

"Okay…" said Sam. "That's… Pretty impressive…"

"Attack her Skull Knight!" he shouted.

Metal Armored Bug loomed over the much smaller Monster…

"I activate… Draining Shield!" shouted Sam.

Her Trap Card lifted, and as the Bug's huge mandibles chomped down, they were stopped by a dome of pure energy. Energy flowed into Sam…

**(S: 5,400) -------------------- (C: 5,950)**

"You are resilient," said the Centurion, "I end my turn, but next turn, my Bug will still be here."

Sam drew a card.

"I sacrifice Skull Knight…" she said.

Skull Knight vanished in a burst of dark energy.

"To summon Lesser Fiend!"

In a roar, the hulking, four-armed demon appeared. (2,100/1,000)

"And by the way…" she continued, "when Skull Knight #2 is sacrificed to summon a Fiend-Type Monster, I get a little bonus. I get to Special Summon another Skull Knight from my deck. This one I'll put in Defense Mode."

In a burst of dark fire, another Skull Knight appeared on her side of the field, kneeling and holding its sword point-down. (1,000/1,200)

"Now then…" she said, taking another card from her hand. "I play a Spell Card… The incredible Metamorphosis. Now I can sacrifice one Monster on my side of the field, and in return, I can Special Summon a Monster from my Fusion Deck that's the same Level. So goodbye Lesser Fiend…"

Lesser Fiend vanished in a burst of energy.

"…and hello Dark Balter the Terrible."

With a roar, a new Fiend appeared on her side of the field. It was a fearsome creature with a reptilian face and long, tangled hair, wearing golden armor with a breastplate resembling a vicious beast, and a long, green cape. (2,000/1,200)

"Well, I see the 'Terrible' part," said Chelsea.

"And by the way…" continued Sam. "If you're thinking of using a Normal Spell Card, forget it. I only have to give up 1,000 Life Points, and Balter can negate it.

"Ha Des, Balter, destroy his Ants!"

Ha Des fired his Stygian blast, and one of the two Ants exploded. Balter leapt forward and swiped with his claw, and tore the other one in half.

Sam placed a card in her Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

"There, that will do for now," she said.

The Centurion paused for a minute. He drew a card.

"Sorry, Samantha," he said, "fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me. I won't attack just yet…

"But I will do this. I'll play Trap Booster."

He played a card, and a Spell Card with the image of a bear trap being propelled by rockets appeared in front of him.

_Darn,_ thought Sam. _Balter can negate Normal Spells, but not Quickplays…_

"Now," said the Centurion, "I toss one card…"

He discarded an Anti-Aircraft Flower.

"…and I get to activate a Trap Card from my hand. Like this one… Multiple Destruction."

He played the card, and a Trap with the image of three Duel Monsters cards on fire appeared.

"Now both players must discard their whole hands and draw five new cards," he said. "Normally, I'd have to pay 100 Life Points for each card I was discarding, but since I don't have any left, that point is moot."

Sam growled. She discarded the cards in her hand, and they both drew five.

"Is that another one of your Christmas bonuses?" asked Yumi, in a suspicious voice.

"Uh, Yumi…" muttered Chelsea, "need I remind you, he isn't mad at us yet? I want it to stay that way!"

The Centurion looked over the five cards.

"I place three cards facedown, and one Monster in Defense Mode," he said. "And that will be all."

Four facedown cards, three in his Spell/Trap Zone and one in his Monster Zone, appeared.

Sam drew a sixth card and looked at her cards.

_Have to be careful,_ she thought. _Three Traps? If these so-called Christmas bonuses are that good, one of them could be a Mirror Force._

She looked at her foe's side of the field.

"I move Skull Knight into Attack Mode…" she said.

Skull Knight stood up.

"Then I summon Malice Doll of Demise."

With a cackle, the evil wooden puppet appeared, hefting its axe. (1,600/1,700)

"Balter, attack the facedown Monster!"

Balter lunged, and a Neo Bug appeared on the card. With one swipe of a claw, it was blasted into bug guts.

"Now, Ha Des, attack the Metal Armored Bug."

"What?" said the Centurion, in surprise.

Ha Des prepared to fire his lethal hex…

"Now, I activate… Bark of Dark Ruler!" shouted Sam, as her facedown card lifted.

Ha Des howled, and Metal Armored Bug cringed.

"I pay 600 Life Points, and your Bug loses the same amount of Attack Points."

Metal Armored Bug fell to an Attack of 2,400. Ha Des blasted his black flame, and cracks appeared all over the huge Bug's armor. It exploded into fiery debris.

"I'm not done yet!" shouted Sam. "Opticlops, Skull Knight, Malice Doll of Demise, attack directly!"

The three Fiends rushed at the armored man. Opticlops charged horn first, Skull Knight slashed with his scimitar, and the Doll hurled his axe. The Centurion staggered back with each blow.

**(S: 4,800) -------------------- (C: 1,500)**

_Well,_ thought Sam. _I guess the Traps were just bluffs._

"She's winning!" cheered Erik. "My baby is actually winning!"

"Who'd have thought…" said Ren, shaking his head.

"Keep it up, Sam!" shouted Yumi. "One more round, and you'll have won!"

She paused.

Now _she_ couldn't believe she was supporting Sam.

"We'll see about that…" said the Centurion.

He drew a card.

He looked at the two cards in his hand.

"Time for this to reach the next level," he said. "Balter can't stop my three Traps from activating, after all."

One of his facedown cards lifted.

"First, a Continuous Trap called Labyrinth of Nightmare."

The Forest darkened, and fog rose from the ground. Wispy, phantom creatures started to fly through the trees.

"Eesh…" muttered Ren. "What on Earth?"

"Listen closely, because I'm only going to explain this once," said the Centurion. "So long as Labyrinth of Nightmare is active, whenever one of us ends his or her turn, all Monsters on his or her side of the field that are face-up move from Attack Mode to Defense Mode, and vice-versa."

"Odd…" said Yumi. "I don't see the point…"

"Now another Trap," he said, as a second Trap lifted. "Soul Resurrection. I'll use this to bring back Neo Bug, and place it in Defense Mode."

Neo Bug appeared, and shielded itself with its pincers. (1,800/1,700) –) (2,000/1,900)

"Next," he continued, "I activate Call of the Haunted."

His last Trap Card lifted, and a tombstone appeared on his side of the field…

"Oh no…" said Erik. "He's gonna bring back that huge Bug!"

"Actually, no…" said the Centurion. "I'm going to bring back my Pinch Hopper."

Pinch Hopper appeared again, in Attack Mode. (1,000/1,200) –) (1,200/1,400)

"Next…" he said, taking a card from his hand, "I'll sacrifice Pinch Hopper, for a Monster in Defense Mode."

Pinch Hopper vanished, and a facedown Monster appeared.

"And since I just sent Pinch Hopper to the grave again," he said, taking the last card in his hand, "I can bring out the queen of my deck! Come out, your royal majesty! I summon Insect Queen!"

In an explosion of energy, an Insect that was just as big as Metal Armored Bug appeared on the field. It was Insect Queen all right… The Monster that had first gained infamy when Joey Wheeler defeated Weevil Underwood in Battle City and won it from him.

The Queen roared in bloodlust…

"And she gains 200 Attack Points for each Insect on the field, including herself, plus another 200 from the Forest Field," continued the Centurion.

(2,200/2,400) –) (2,800/2,600)

Sam stepped back and gulped.

"Now…" said the Centurion. "I sacrifice my Neo Bug so that my Insect Queen can attack…

"_Bon appetite…"_

Insect Queen grabbed hold of the Neo Bug and drooled…

Everyone stared in disgust as she stuffed the smaller Insect into her mouth, and chewed.

"I'm gonna be sick…" muttered Erik.

Quickly, the Neo Bug was devoured. Insect Queen fell to an Attack of 2,600.

"That was an appetizer, Sam," said the Centurion. "She's eyeing you for dessert.

"Insect Queen… Attack Dark Ruler Ha Des! Queen's Hell breath!"

_No…_ thought Sam.

Insect Queen blasted a bolt of venom charged with energy from her jaws. Ha Des screamed as he was enveloped in the vile blast.

Then his breastplate, helmet, and shreds of his clothing fell to the ground, sizzling as if they had been soaked in acid.

**(S: 4,650) -------------------- (C: 1,500)**

"Now…" said the Centurion, "since my Queen crushed one of your Monsters, I get something extra."

Insect Queen squatted, and a large, slime-covered egg came out of her abdomen. It moved next to her. (100/100) –) (300/300)

"It's a mini-Monster called an Insect Token," said the Centurion. "I'm ending my turn now, which means both it and the Queen herself move to Defense Mode, due to my Labyrinth."

Insect Queen sat down and folded her arms.

"So now what?" asked Chelsea.

Yumi paused.

"Why didn't he sacrifice his facedown Monster?" she asked. "He'd have done more damage to Sam… What the heck is it?"

She looked at the facedown Monster.

Then it hit her…

"Sam! Look out! His…" she shouted.

"Quiet, Ms. Mouto!" snapped the Centurion. "This is an official tournament duel, and giving help is illegal!"

Sam looked at her deck.

_I already know what she was trying to warn me about..._ thought Sam. _That facedown Monster is a Nobleman-Eater Bug. When it's flipped, it can destroy two Monsters. What other Flip-Effect Monster in an Insect Deck needs a sacrifice?_

_It wouldn't be a problem if he hadn't taken out Ha Des. When he's on the field, he and all other Fiend-Type Monsters on my side of the field negate the effects of any Monster they destroy. _

_But now… Balter can still negate its effect, but my other Monsters can't. I don't have a choice… I have to destroy that Bug with Balter, or he'll destroy two of my Monsters next round. Three when he sacrifices it to that Queen._

_And if I do destroy that Bug with Balter, and the Token with someone else, that Trap Card will move all my offensive Monsters to defense when I end my turn. If he draws a Monster with a base Attack of even 1,100 next round, he'll be able to destroy Balter and another of my Monsters, taking away my last edge…_

She looked at her deck again.

_The duel isn't over until the last card is played!_

She drew.

The card shone.

"I play… Monster Reincarnation!" she shouted. "Now, I'll toss one card…"

She discarded a Monster Card from her hand.

"And I'll bring Ha Des back to my hand."

The card slipped out of her discard slot.

"Now, I'll sacrifice Skull Knight to summon him again!"

Skull Knight vanished, and Ha Des arose again. (2,450/1,600)

"So you brought him back," said the Centurion. "My facedown Monster might be useless now, but your Dark Ruler can't beat my Queen's Defense. And once your turn is over, Ha Des will move to Defense Mode, where he'll be easy to destroy."

"Oh really?" asked Sam. "I played Monster Reincarnation, remember? Doing so not only brought Ha Des to my hand, it sent another Monster to my Graveyard.

"And as any good duelist knows, sometimes the Graveyard is just a handy shortcut to the field.

"I play Premature Burial."

She fit the card into her Disk, and a small form crawled out of the ground.

"Come on out, Winged Minion!"

The small, winged imp crawled out of the ground and crouched next to Ha Des. (700/700)

"And now, I sacrifice Winged Minion, to strengthen my Dark Ruler…"

Winged Minion hopped on Ha Des's shoulder, and vanished. Ha Des rose to (3,150/2,300)

"All right!" shouted Sam. "Malice Doll of Demise, attack the facedown Monster!"

Malice Doll of Demise threw its axe. A huge Insect appeared on the card. It looked like a much bigger, much bulkier, much fancier version of Man-Eater Bug. The axe cleaved it in half, and the pieces shattered.

"Opticlops, scramble that egg!"

Opticlops charged. He socked the Insect Token with his fist, and it shattered to pieces.

"Ha Des, attack the Insect Queen with Stygian blast!"

Ha Des threw up his arms, and conjured up a huge ball of black flames. He hurled them, and Insect Queen screamed as they erupted around her. She moaned in death throes, and then exploded.

"Dark Balter, attack directly and finish him! Soul rend!"

Dark Balter the Terrible leapt at the armored Centurion, and made a savage swipe with his claw.

He fell on one knee.

**(S: 3,850) -------------------- (C: 0)**

Sam let out a deep sigh of relief as the Forest Field and her Monsters faded away.

"You won!" shouted Erik, running up to her.

He hugged Sam and kissed her deeply.

"You actually won!"

Then they heard laughing…

It was coming from the Centurion, who had turned the voice amplifier off. And the voice was much different now.

"Yes, you won…" he said, in a much different voice. "And I couldn't be prouder of you, Samantha… You've finally found the right deck…"

The Centurion got up, and slowly removed her – yes, her – helmet…

She lifted it off her head…

Sam was shocked…

"MOM?" she shouted.

"Of course it's me," answered Sheena. "Would a real Centurion have offered to let you off if you could have beaten him?"

Sam paused.

"I… uhm, I guess not…" she muttered.

"I'm surprised you didn't recognize my deck," said Sheena.

"Well, uhm… you never used that strategy with the Insect Garden before…" said Sam, shyly. "And I was scared…"

"And you should have been," scolded Sheena. "A real Centurion would have cuffed you and hauled you away at once, young lady. As would I if you had lost. You aren't immune to the rules here. I made that quite clear."

Sam bowed her head.

"Ms. Arachne," said Yumi. "Don't be so hard on her… I don't even think she remembers now what made her so upset. I don't even know…"

"I do, Ms. Mouto," said Sheena. "Let's just say it's a little family secret of Duelatopia… One which she'd best not tell you about…"

"Yes, Mom…" muttered Sam.

"This is so cool…" said Ren. "So… Ms. Arachne… Do you always pose as a Centurion like this?"

"I've been doing this for years," replied Sheena. "I just have to get out of my office every now and then, get some exercise. And I used to technically be one anyway… A very special one, long ago. I believe your dad met me personally in that regard, Yumi. Why don't you ask him about it when you get home?"

Yumi gave her a strange look…

"But anyway…" she continued, "as promised…"

She waved her hand, and Sam's badge changed luster, to Silver.

"Watch yourself, Samantha," she said. "Next time, it likely won't be me under this armor. Even if it is, you won't get off so easily if you don't walk a straight path.

"Spare the rod, spoil the child. I like to think I haven't spoiled you."

"Uh, mom…" muttered Sam. "I'm kinda curious… You said there were six concepts to large-scale conflicts, and you only mentioned five. What was…"

Sheen smiled.

"Another very important one," she answered. "Morale. If your forces don't believe they can achieve victory, odds are they won't. So you have to keep their spirits up, and preserve positive feelings.

"And you had that in spades… The support from your peers in this duel gave it to you.

"You may see Yumi, Ren, and Chelsea as rivals, but that doesn't mean you can't trust them as allies. At least for now, anyway."

She donned the helmet again, and started to walk away. Sam gave an odd look, trying to take in that last statement…

"Well," said Chelsea, "I'm ready. Who wants to come with me to the Museum of Natural History?"

"We've already been to the…" started Ren.

He stopped short.

"You're gonna find that Midnight Caller, aren't you?" he asked, startled.

"Yup," said Chelsea. "I'm gonna challenge this Eliminator, and I'm gonna beat him."

She looked at Yumi.

"I'm no sidekick, Yumi. I want to go to the top in this tournament. I want to win."

She started to walk, and Yumi and Ren followed her, with nervous looks.

"Uh, Chelsea…" called Yumi, "a few things you should know about this guy…"

Sam scratched her chin.

_The Midnight Caller?_ she thought. _Aunt Diane never mentioned anyone named the Midnight Caller… She must be keeping secrets from me…_

She paused.

"Hey you guys!" she shouted. "Wait for us!"

She grabbed Erik's hand, and they ran after them.

None of them knew that Sheena had been listening, using the amplified hearing aids in the helmet.

_So, you're going to challenge the Midnight Caller, Chelsea?_ she thought.

_Well, good luck…_

_Frankly, against him, you're gonna need all the luck you can get…_

_Defeating her disguised mother, Sam is only one step away from qualification for the finals! But now she is hot on the heels of her rival's party, as one of them seeks out a mysterious individual known only as the Midnight Caller, someone who, according to Anastasia, was the model for Vampire Lord. What awaits Chelsea in this vampire's parlor?_

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**INSECT GARDEN (Spell Card)**

**Field Spell**

**Image:** A flower garden seen from the view of a small insect.

**Card Description:** All Insects on your side of the field that are Level Four or lower are transferred to the control of your opponent.

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**INSECT PHEROMONE (Spell Card)**

**Equip Spell**

**Image:** Insect Princess's visage, with glowing wings.

**Card Description:** This card can only be Equipped to "Insect Princess". If the Equipped Monster destroys an opposing Monster as a result of battle, the controller of the Equipped Monster can force one of his/her opponent's Insect-Type Monsters to battle the Equipped Monster in the same Battle Phase.

_Note: "Insect Garden" and "Insect Pheromone" were first used by Missy in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Sad But Truesdale". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**TRAP BOOSTER (Spell Card)**

**Quickplay Spell**

**Image:** A bear trap with rockets on its hinges, flying forward.

**Card Description:** Discard one card from your hand to activate this card. Activate one Trap Card from your hand.

_Note: "Trap Booster" has been used by many characters in "Yu-Gi-Oh GX", originally by Zane in "The Demon". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**MULTIPLE DESTRUCTION (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image:** Three Duel Monsters cards on fire.

**Card Description:** You may activate this card when at least one player has at least three cards in his hand. Both players must discard all cards in their hands, and then draw five cards. For each card that the player who activates this card discards via this effect, he pays 100 Life Points.

_Note: "Multiple Destruction" was first used by Bakura in the original anime episode "Showdown in the Shadows". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**Ren: Yumi, what do you make of this? This guy's strategy is weird…**

**Yumi: I don't know… I've never seen anything like this…**

**Sam: Neither have I. Chelsea may be in trouble…**

**Chelsea: My opponent has five coffins on his side of the field, and with each turn that passes, one of them becomes occupied… What's the whole point?**

**Voice: The point will become clear soon, Chelsea, once I'm ready to unleash terror upon you unlike you've ever seen.**

**Coming up next, "Elimination Duel Two; Tomb of the Elders".**

**You have been warned…**


	26. Elimination Duel Two

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**CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE**

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**Elimination Duel Two**

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**Tomb of the Elders**

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Underneath the Duelatopia Museum of Natural History was a small set of private rooms, where a duelist and his servants lurked…

The biggest room was a large, comfortable-looking chamber, full of large, satin pillows and Persian rugs, with scented candles filling the air with the smells of sage and citrus.

On the far side of this chamber was a magnificent device: a huge, elaborate pipe organ.

It was a working instrument, proven by the fact that the master of this chamber was playing it right now. The haunting piece of classical music he was playing was familiar to most folks, but not many who knew of it knew the piece's exact origins. It was originally played by the title character of _The Phantom of the Opera_, using a similar instrument.

The organist here didn't cover his face with a mask like Andrew Lloyd Webber's title character, but most of his other clothing was similar: black formal tuxedo, with a black cape with red lining. He appeared to be in his early forties, with hair that, while full, was prematurely grey. He was clean shaven, with slate-blue eyes.

Standing behind him, quietly listening to his music, were four young women. Their revealing dress suggested that of harem girls, with a great deal of make-up and fancy hair styles. Each of their outfits was a different color scheme – one orange, one green, one blue, and the last brown.

He played the final stanza, and the last note echoed through the chamber. He turned to the woman in orange.

"Is she coming?" he asked.

She nodded.

He held out his hand, and an orb of blue, flaming energy appeared on it…

He gazed into it, and saw Chelsea, followed by Ren, Yumi, Sam, and Erik, approach the museum entrance.

"Come, my dear…" he said. "I'm waiting… Waiting for you…

"…and for _her_…"

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"So…" said Chelsea, who had been listening to Yumi as they had been walking. "This guy was supposed to be some sort of vampire Don Juan?"

"That's what Anastasia said," replied Yumi. "Although I don't think he ever wooed a woman who was willing."

Chelsea smirked.

"Well, this should be the challenge I've been waiting for," she said. "His deck is likely similar to mine, and I've worked hard to make my deck perfect…

"Now I'll do my best to try to prove that I did."

"We'll soon see…" said Sam.

Yumi frowned. She had read Jaden Yuki's autobiography, published posthumously after his memoirs were found, after his untimely death. (No-one even knew he had written memoirs. Such a thing didn't seem to fit his character.) The part about the Shadow Riders was tame compared to what happened later, but it was still interesting.

_Most_ of that part was tame. The descriptions of Camula were the most chilling in that part.

"Why are you two even following us?" asked Ren, in an annoyed tone. "I thought you two 'had better things to do than hang out with twerps'."

"I'd follow you guys to Taiwan if it meant seeing one of you fall victim to an Eliminator," said Sam. "It might be good for a few laughs."

"Glad to have your support…" muttered Chelsea, sarcastically. "Your faith is reassuring."

They walked around the dinosaur fossils and other exhibits, looking for some sort of sign.

"All right…" said Chelsea. "If I was an entrance to a vampire's parlor, where would I be?"

She looked at the map again.

Then, to her shock, the letters started to change.

She read the new sentence.

_Use your brain to find the place where the brain of one of your ancestors was once housed._

She paused.

"Guys…" she said. "The Cro-Magnon Man exhibit…"

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Five minutes later, they were standing in front of a glass case containing the skull of a Cro-Magnon.

"Well, that certainly housed the brain of one of humanity's ancestors," said Ren. "But now what?"

Chelsea noticed something.

At her feet was an inscription on the floor. It was faint writing…

"What the…" she said. "Some sort of limerick…"

She read the verse slowly.

_There once was a fellow named Ned,_

_Who awoke in a coffin of lead;_

"_It is cozy enough,"_

_He remarked in a huff,_

"_But I wasn't aware I was dead."_

She looked at her deck.

"I probably need a card to get in…" she said, looking through the cards. "And it's likely a common card… One that almost every duelist would have…"

"That limerick seems awfully macabre…" said Erik. "It suggests someone being buried alive."

"Buried alive…" muttered Chelsea.

Her face lit up, and she took a card from her deck.

"Premature Burial! That's it!"

She activated her Disk, and the placed the card in her Spell/Trap Zone. There was a rumbling, and the floor unfolded, opening into a stone, spiral staircase.

She shuffled the card back into her deck.

"After you," sighed Ren. "Just be careful, okay? You know these guys play rough."

Chelsea started down.

"If you lose, I'd die…" he said, under his breath.

Chelsea paused for a minute. Then she continued down, and the others followed her.

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The spiral staircase ended in a small area with a very large set of stone doors.

"So what do we do now?" asked Ren. "Knock?"

The two doors swung open with a rumbling sound.

"Uh, I think someone was expecting us…" said Yumi.

"I'm not scared of this guy," said Chelsea. "You're talking to someone who's been seeing ghosts all her life…"

She boldly walked though the doorway, and the others slowly followed.

They found themselves in the large chamber, with the comfortable-looking pillows and the huge pipe organ at the far end…

And they were all very surprised to see the four harem girls there, watching them enter.

They looked sadly at Chelsea. Then one of them picked up a platter and walked towards her. She saw that it held brie, grapes, and fancy crackers. The girl held it up as if to offer.

"Uhm, gee…" said Chelsea. "Thanks, but…"

"Chelsea, don't even think about it!" shouted Ren. "I'll bet it's drugged!"

Then someone laughed.

"Poisoning one's enemies is what cowards do, Mr. Marris," said the voice. "The proper way to confront someone is to do it face to face…

"And I fully intend to…"

The four girls nervously stepped aside, and they saw the one who had spoken standing in front of the pipe organ. Chelsea wasn't about to believe that he was a real vampire, but he sure fit the profile of one.

"The Midnight Caller, I presume?" she said.

"I am," he replied, "and you are Chelsea Ramset… So nice to finally meet you in person."

She looked at the huge pipe organ.

"Interesting…" she said.

"A family heirloom," he replied. "How they transported it from France was an adventure in itself."

"And these four girls of yours?" she asked.

"I won't lie to you, my dear," replied the Caller. "They are slaves. Duelists who tried to defeat me and failed, enabling me to completely dominate them.

"I always have room for another…"

He waved his hand, and the stone doors slammed shut.

"Terrific…" said Ren.

Chelsea nervously looked at the four girls. Michelle wasn't here, so she hadn't been added to this group. Whether she had even come, of course, there was no way of knowing.

"Here's how it goes," said the Midnight Caller. "That door is the only way out, but the only way you'll ever leave is if you defeat me. If you do, you get an upgrade, a card that I know will benefit you, and one priceless gift that will be worth the trouble. I already have something in mind…

"If I win…"

He pointed to the four girls.

"You join them…"

Chelsea stared at him.

She started to shuffle her deck.

"I'm not afraid…" she said. "It isn't like this is the first time someone made me make a wager like that…"

"I'm a far better duelist than that fool Edan is," he replied.

Chelsea looked at him nervously…

He raised his right arm, and a Disk appeared on it that seemed to lack a tray. Then, a tray unfolded from it that resembled the wings of a bat, made of gold.

"Oh, ladies…" he said. "It's time…"

He waved his hand, and the four harem girls stood up straight. Then they all transformed into globes of light…

Chelsea watched, as the four globes shrank and flew to the Midnight Caller's hand…

Then, there was a flash, and he was holding four Duel Monsters cards.

"You… You turned them into cards!" shouted Chelsea.

"Yes," said the Caller, producing a deck. "One of their functions is to serve as four of the Monsters in my deck…"

He shuffled the four cards into the deck.

"However, my dear, the strategy I use them for requires five Monsters. Until now, I must use them and one normal card. It is sadly… incomplete.

"Once I have you, my deck will be perfect."

"This is insane…" said Ren. "If Chelsea loses, she'll have to be part of this guy's deck?"

"If you can't stomach it," said Yumi, "just think how Chelsea must feel right now."

Chelsea looked hard at him.

_Four Monsters…_ she thought. _But… All four of them can't be Vampire Ladies… He's only allowed to have three copies of a card in a deck. Is there some female vampire I don't know about?_

_Is he using vampires at all? Maybe there's more to this guy than I expected…_

The Midnight Caller placed the deck in his Disk.

"So now that every term and condition is understood…" he said.

The two Disks activated.

"We may begin!"

"Game on!" they both shouted.

**(Chelsea: 8,000) -------------------- (Midnight Caller: 8,000)**

"Make the first move if you desire…" said the Caller. "After all, this will likely be the last time you will ever duel."

"Yeah, yeah, keep dreaming…" said Chelsea, drawing a sixth card.

"I'll summon Zombie Werewolf in Attack Mode," she said.

With a howl, the vicious werewolf appeared in front of her. (1,200/1,200)

"End turn…" she said.

"I must say, Chelsea…" said the Caller, as he drew a card, "you have good taste in Monsters…"

He looked over the cards in his hand.

"I will play… Graceful Charity," he said, holding up a card.

The card glowed, and he drew three cards.

"So three cards go to my hand…" he said.

He discarded two of his cards.

"And two go to the darkness of the grave…

"Next, I summon Gemini Elf."

He played a card, and the two elf twins appeared, their arms around each others' waists. (1,900/900)

_Okay…_ thought Chelsea. _That's certainly no Zombie…_

The Caller chose another card from his hand.

"Now I'm going to Special Summon a Monster, my dear," he said, "and it will certainly be a surprise to you, because it's going to be a surprise to me!"

"Say what?" asked Chelsea.

The Caller fit a card into his Disk.

"I play Mystery Summon," he said.

The card that appeared showed a silhouette of a figure surrounded by question marks.

"This card starts with me paying 1,000 Life Points," said the Caller. "Then, I pick up cards from the top of my deck until I reach a Monster. Then I Special Summon it and Equip it with this card."

He picked up one card, then a second…

He grinned when he picked up the third.

"Well…" he said. "Lucky me… It's my second most powerful Monster! Presenting, Cosmo Queen!"

In a burst of energy, a dark portal appeared on the field, and an intimidating form stepped out of it. It was a grim-faced woman in a maroon robe, wearing a large, exotic headpiece. She looked at Chelsea…

As Chelsea looked back, she saw what looked like the splendor of the galaxy in the Monster's eyes…

(2,900/2,450)

Chelsea gulped.

"Ah, heh, heh…" she said. "Nice hat…"

The Caller returned the two cards he had picked up to his deck, and quickly reshuffled.

"Cosmo Queen…" he ordered. "Attack that Werewolf! Cosmic nova!"

Cosmo Queen put her hands together, and an orb of crackling, black energy formed between them. She hurled it at Zombie Werewolf, who howled before shattering into pieces.

"I activate Zombie Werewolf's ability!" shouted Chelsea. "I get to summon another from my deck. And I'll put this one in Defense Mode."

Another Zombie Werewolf appeared, crouching in defense. (1,700/1,200)

"Gemini Elf," ordered the Caller, "obliterate the second one. Dual magic."

Gemini Elf shot twin blasts of lightning, and the second Werewolf was blown away.

In a burst of shadow, a third Werewolf appeared, also in Defense Mode. (2,200/1,200)

"What's this guy playing?" asked Erik. "Some sort of Spellcaster Deck?"

"He's no amateur," replied Sam. "Cosmo Queen is an incredibly rare card. She's got that Spiral Serpent thing tied for second most powerful Normal Monster in the game. Only my dad's Dragons are stronger in that area."

"Hold on one second…" said Erik. "Did he say that she was his second most powerful Monster? What the heck is his MOST powerful Monster?"

"Heh, heh, heh…" chuckled the Midnight Caller. "You will see, Mr. Matell, you will see…"

He turned to Chelsea.

"My turn is far from over, my dear," he continued. "First, I'll place this facedown…"

He fit a card into his Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

"Next…" he said, "it's time to bring out one of my key cards…"

He opened a slot on his Disk, and placed a card inside it.

"I play… Tomb of the Elders."

An eerie mist covered the field, and the comfortable parlor with its pipe organ vanished, replaced by a dreary dungeon. Behind the Midnight Caller now were five stone coffins, upright against the wall.

"What?" asked Ren.

"Some sort of Field Spell…" said Yumi.

"What's in those coffins?" asked Chelsea.

The Midnight Caller casually waved his hand, and the five coffins opened. They seemed to lack occupants.

"Why, nothing, of course," he said. "For now, that is.

"For the final part of my turn, I play a Spell Card called Field Barrier."

He fit the card into his Disk. It was a Continuous Spell that showed the image of a card surrounded by a dome of green energy.

"Never heard of that one…" said Chelsea.

"To put it simply…" said the Caller, "so long as this card is in play, the current Field Spell cannot be destroyed, nor can either of us play another Field Spell."

"You don't say…" muttered Ren. "I should tell Kenta about this card. He'd have beaten me if he had used this to protect Necrovalley instead of Magic Reflector."

"And now…" said the Caller, "my turn concludes."

**(C: 6,300) -------------------- (M: 7,000)**

Chelsea took a long look at Gemini Elf and Cosmo Queen.

She drew one card.

She played two cards, and a facedown Monster, and a facedown Spell/Trap appeared.

"I activate my facedown card…" said the Caller.

A Trap Card lifted. It was a spooky image of a crystal ball with a ghostly skull inside it.

"It's called Ominous Fortunetelling," he said. "We'll get to what it does when it's my turn."

"Fine," said Chelsea. "I'm ending my turn now…"

"Then I draw…" said the Caller.

He drew a card, and added it to his hand.

"Now then, you're obviously wondering what my Field Spell does, right?" he asked. "Well, let me show you…"

He took his deck and looked through the cards.

"The coffins start out empty, but during each of my Standby Phases, I take one Monster from my hand, deck, or Graveyard, and seal it in one of the coffins. It has to be Level Four or less, but that fits my needs adequately.

"For this round, I think I'll do that with my Dark Elf…"

He held up the card, and the sinister, black-robed, dark-haired twin of Mystical Elf appeared next to him.

Dark Elf walked to the first coffin, and then stepped inside it. She crossed her arms over her chest and closed her eyes, and then the lid closed over her with a low rumbling.

"This is creepy…" said Erik.

"So what happens to her?" asked Chelsea.

"You'll have to wait until all five of them have occupants," said the Caller, "assuming this duel doesn't end before then.

"Until then, on with my turn. I activate the effect of Ominous Fortunetelling.

"See, I choose one card in your hand, and then try to guess what kind of card it is. If I'm right, you lose 700 Life Points."

Chelsea looked surprised. She looked at her hand of four cards.

"Now let's see…" said the Caller. "I believe… That the card on the middle right… Is a Monster."

Chelsea growled, and flipped the card around. It was Ryu Kokki.

A ghostly phantom flew from the Trap Card and dove into Chelsea's chest. Her eyes bugged out, and she clutched her heart…

_That felt like my insides were doused in ice water!_ she thought.

**(C: 5,600) -------------------- (M: 7,000)**

"Now then…" continued the Caller, "I summon Cure Mermaid."

He played the card, and a beautiful mermaid dressed in a pink blouse appeared on the field in flurry of bubbles. She smiled sweetly and waved at Chelsea. (1,500/800)

"I'm beginning to get the picture…" said Chelsea. "Every Monster in your deck is female. It's a regular little black book for you."

"Is that a problem?" asked the Caller. "Are you suggesting that I'm some sort or chauvinist? Or a misogynist? Admiring women doesn't make me a bad person, my dear. Fact is, I value the power that they often have. The Power of the Female.

"Females have more power than you can imagine, my dear… The female is the one who creates life inside her womb. Most say the spirit of the Earth itself is female…

"I seek to harness that power, Chelsea. I do value the fairer gender… And I use their skills to my advantage…

"Cure Mermaid, if you would…"

Cure Mermaid blew a kiss to Zombie Werewolf, and a blast of bubbles shot from her lips…

"I activate a Trap!" shouted Chelsea.

Her facedown card lifted, revealing Widespread Ruin.

"Now your most powerful Monster goes up in flames!"

Cosmo Queen screamed as an explosion of flame erupted around her, and she exploded into pixels.

"Your Monsters will follow…" said the Caller, with an evil glint in his eye.

The blast of bubbles struck Zombie Werewolf, blowing him to bits.

The Caller pointed, and Gemini Elf blasted their lightning bolts. Vampire Lady appeared on the card, and was incinerated.

"This doesn't look good…" moaned Ren.

He paused.

"Chelsea!" he shouted. "Don't give up!"

"By all means, listen to your boyfriend," said the Caller. "After all, you won't remember him after you lose this duel."

"She's not my…" started Ren.

"He's not my…" interrupted Chelsea.

"Certainly…" said the Caller, with a laugh. "My turn is now over…"

Chelsea drew a card, somewhat irked.

"Okay…" she said, "time to take the offensive. Perhaps you've heard of Call of the Mummy?"

She played the card, and it appeared on the field.

"Now, I'll use its effect to summon Ryu Kokki!"

With a rumbling noise, the huge Zombie made of bones and skulls rose out of the ground. (2,400/2,000)

"Ryu Kokki, smash the Gemini Elf!" she shouted.

The Bone Dragon Ogre lunged forward, and slammed its first down. The two elves screamed and flew backwards before they shattered.

"I'll end my turn by setting someone else in Defense Mode," said Chelsea.

A facedown Monster appeared next to Ryu Kokki.

**(C: 5,600) -------------------- (M: 6,500)**

"Then I draw…" said the Caller, drawing a card. "And first, my Mermaid gives me a little gift…"

Cure Mermaid conjured up a large, watery bubble, and tossed it over her head. It showered over the Midnight Caller, and he glowed with energy.

"Now, it's time for my Tomb to get a new resident.

"Chelsea, remember my four slave girls? The ones I turned into cards?"

"Uhm, yeah…" said Chelsea. "Kind of hard to forget…"

"Well, that Dark Elf was not one of them," said the Caller. "She was just an ordinary card.

"However, from now on, if I can, I will use the four of them for my Tomb's effect. I'll bring one out now, but she will look different to you than she did when you first saw her…

"Presenting… Water Magician."

He took a card from his deck, and held it up. I a burst of light, a woman appeared wearing a blue and green wizard's outfit, and a long cape. She wore a porkpie hat with a feather stuck in it, and carried a long staff with a pointed orb at the tip.

She walked to the second coffin and stepped in. She folded her arms just as Dark Elf had, and the coffin closed around her.

"Okay, now I'm getting creeped out too…" said Sam.

"Continuing my turn," said the Caller. "I use the effect of Ominous Fortunetelling. I guess that your card on the right is a Spell Card."

Chelsea looked at the card and then frowned at him.

"It would help it you turned it around…" said the Caller, with a chuckle.

Chelsea snarled and turned the card around. It was Mirage of Nightmare.

The phantom flew from the Trap Card and dove into her chest again. She gasped and panted for breath.

**(C: 4,900) -------------------- (M: 7,300)**

"Now, I move Cure Mermaid to Defense Mode," said the Caller, "and set another Monster in Defense Mode."

The Mermaid curled up in Defense, and a facedown Monster appeared.

"And that's all…"

Chelsea paused. She looked at the two occupied coffins.

[IIs it like a Different Dimension Capsule that seats five?[/I she thought. [IIf it is, I could throw wrench into his strategy by destroying this Field.[/I

She drew a card. She smirked when she saw what it was.

"All right!" she shouted. "I play… Heavy Storm!"

She held the card up, and a fierce wind blew through the Tomb. Her Call of the Mummy card shattered, then the Ominous Fortunetelling card, and finally, the Field Barrier card.

The Midnight Caller grinned.

"My Tomb is unharmed…" he said. "My Field Barrier protected it, even though your Storm destroyed the Barrier itself."

"Fine…" said Chelsea. "I'll tear it down soon enough. I Flip-Summon Blood Sucker."

Her facedown Monster turned around and flipped up. Blood Sucker appeared, and hissed menacingly. (1,300/1,500)

"Ryu Kokki, attack Cure Mermaid! Bone bash!"

Ryu Kokki slammed its fist into the floor, and Cure Mermaid screamed before she shattered into bits.

"Blood Sucker, destroy his facedown Monster!"

"Chelsea! Wait!" shouted Ren.

Blood Sucker lunged for the facedown card.

A ceramic jar appeared on it, and a long, snaky shadow with one eye and a toothy mouth shot out of it. Blood Sucker slashed it to shreds.

"It was a Morphing Jar!" exclaimed Yumi.

"Exactly…" said the Caller. "Now we must each discard the cards in our hands, and draw a new hand of five cards."

He discarded one card, and Chelsea discarded two. They each drew five times.

"So Chelsea…" he said. "Anything else?"

She looked over her cards.

"No, I end my turn," she said.

The Caller drew a sixth card.

"And you know what that means," he said, taking his deck. "My Tomb gets a new occupant."

He held up a card.

"I believe my Harpie Queen will do this time…"

In another flash of light, a new feminine form appeared. It looked similar to Mai Valentine's signature Monster, but far more regal. She had flowing, green hair, beautiful, silvery wings, and was dressed in a lavender leotard and hip boots. Her hands and feet were sharp talons.

She stepped into the third coffin, and folded her wings in front of her. The coffin lid closed over her.

"Is there some sort of a point to all this?" asked Chelsea.

"We're getting there," said the Caller, taking a card from his hand. "Next, I summon Getsu Fuhma."

He played the card, and the armored, redheaded Warrior appeared, holding her katana. (1,700/1,200)

_Oh, no!_ thought Ren.

"Attack her Ryu Kokki!" shouted the Caller.

Everyone gasped…

Getsu Fuhma charged. As she swung her sword, Ryu Kokki lunged with its fist. In a huge explosion, both Monsters were incinerated.

"What?" shouted Erik. "Ryu Kokki should have won that battle!"

"Technically, it did," replied Sam. "But Getsu Fuhma destroys any Fiend or Zombie she battles automatically. With those two Types, even if she loses, she wins."

The Caller placed a card in his Disk, and a facedown card appeared on his side of the field.

"It's your move, my dear," he said. "So time to see what else you can do…"

**(C: 4,900) -------------------- (M: 6,600)**

Chelsea drew a card.

"Heh, heh…" she said with a laugh. "Well, buddy… Guess we aren't gonna see what your Tomb can do after all… I just drew Mystical Space Typhoon!"

She played the card, and the cyclone tore across the field…

"Not so fast, my dear…" said the Caller. "I activate… Curse of Royal!"

His facedown card lifted, and a swarm of phantoms flew out of the card, blocking the whirlwind. It dissipated and died down.

"Curse of Royal?" said Ren. "What the heck is that?"

"A very underrated Counter Trap," answered Yumi. "It can negate and destroy any card that tries to destroy one Spell or Trap. With no cost, no less. It's no good against Heavy Storm, but most anything else…

"And now… Likely the only thing Chelsea has left that can destroy that Field Spell is her Dust Tornado, and her chances of drawing it aren't too good."

Chelsea frowned.

"It's still my move!" she shouted, taking a card from her hand. "And you're defenseless!"

She placed a card on her Disk, and Vampire Bat appeared on the field. (800/800) –) (1,000/800)

Blood Sucker rose to an Attack of 1,500.

"Vampire Bat, attack him directly! Nightmare scourge!"

The swarm of bats flew at the Midnight Caller, and he grunted and shielded himself with one arm as they bit and clawed at him.

"Blood Sucker, you too! Claw rend!"

Blood Sucker pounced, and swiped at him with its talons. He took a step backwards…

"Now you lose the top card from your deck…" said Chelsea.

The Caller took the top card from his deck and looked at it for a second…

He clutched his forehead…

Chelsea looked at him. It seemed those two direct attacks had hurt him a bit…

As she looked, she could swear she saw his teeth taper into points, and his eyes glow with fiery light for a few seconds…

**(C: 4,900) -------------------- (M: 4,100)**

The Midnight Caller shook the fog out of his head, and discarded the card.

"Ugh… Where was I?" he muttered. "Heh… Not bad… You are a frisky one…"

"I try my best…" said Chelsea, nervously. "Make your move…"

"I will…" said the Caller, drawing a card. "And I'll activate the effect of my Tomb again. This time, my Command Knight will suffice…"

He took a card from his deck and held it up. A young woman wearing ceremonial armor and a beret with a sword at her side appeared in front of him.

She walked to the fourth coffin. Once again, she stepped in, closed her eyes and folded her arms over her chest, and the lid closed over her.

"Now then…" said the Caller. "I summon The Unfriendly Amazon to the field."

In a burst of energy, a tall, grim-faced woman with a long ponytail, wearing drab armor and holding a sharp scimitar appeared in front of him. (2,000/1,000)

"Whatever this poor girl did to be labeled 'unfriendly', I don't know," said the Caller, "but she's very strong, so she's a friend to me.

"Attack her Bat!"

The Amazon leapt at the Bat, and slashed with her sword. Vampire Bat shattered into a swarm of smaller bats. Chelsea cringed.

"I activate its special ability!" shouted Chelsea, discarding a card. "I discard another Bat from my Deck, to keep it from being destroyed."

Vampire Bat reformed into a big bat again.

**(C: 3,900) -------------------- (M: 4,100)**

"So you did…" said the Caller, placing two cards into his Disk.

Two facedown cards appeared.

"Well my turn is over, and this duel is reaching its conclusion…"

"He's right…" muttered Ren, getting nervous. "He's filled four of the five coffins… What's going to happen when all five of them are occupied?"

The Caller smiled an evil smile…

Chelsea drew a card.

She looked over her hand for a minute…

"I activate my facedown card," said the Caller. "Scapegoat."

One of his two facedown cards lifted, and four fluffy, multicolored sheep popped out.

Chelsea looked at them.

_Well, THAT'S a surprise…_ she thought.

"I'll move my two Monsters to Defense Mode, and that's all I can do…" she said.

Blood Sucker knelt and shielded itself. Vampire Bat hung upside-down like a sleeping bat.

"Then I draw…" said the Caller, drawing. "And I sacrifice one Scapegoat so I can keep my Amazon for now…"

One of the sheep turned to energy, and was absorbed into The Unfriendly Amazon.

"And it's time for the last of my girls to make her appearance," he said, taking his deck. "I now seal Warrior Lady of the Wasteland in the final coffin."

He held up a card, and the scantily clad, female Warrior with a tattered cape and fedora appeared beside him.

She walked to the final coffin and stepped inside. Once again, she closed her eyes and folded her arms over her chest, and the coffin closed.

"Okay…" said Chelsea, nervously. "So now what?"

"On my next turn…" said the Caller, "its true effect occurs. For now, I summon Manju of the Ten-Thousand Hands."

He played the card, and the Fairy with the multitude of hands appeared on the field. (1,400/1,000)

"What?" said Ren. "He's planning on some sort of Ritual Summon?"

"This is not good…" added Yumi. "Like Heck said before, Ritual Monsters are never good news…"

The Caller took a card from his deck and smirked at it. He added it to his hand.

"Next I activate… Meteorain," said the Caller.

His other facedown card lifted.

"Now, for this round, my Monsters can hurt you even when yours are in Defense Mode.

"Manju, destroy her Bat!"

Manju's many hands glowed, and it shot forth a blast of blinding light, blowing Vampire Bat to shards. Chelsea sweat in pain…

"Amazon, attack Blood Sucker…"

The Unfriendly Amazon slashed with her sword, cutting through Blood Sucker, and then stabbing into Chelsea with the follow-through.

Chelsea panted for breath…

**(C: 2,800) -------------------- (M: 4,100)**

"It's… your move…" said the Caller with a smug smile.

_This is it…_ thought Chelsea. _If I don't draw Dust Tornado this round, there's no telling what his Tomb of the Elders will do…_

She drew a card.

Sadly, it was not Dust Tornado. But it was something she could use to protect herself, at least for a turn.

"Okay…" she said. "First I'll place one card facedown…"

A facedown card appeared in front of her.

"Then I'll play Monster Reincarnation. I'll toss one card, to bring a Monster back to my hand…"

She played the card, and then discarded Mystik Wok. Vampire Lady slipped out of her discard slot.

"Now I'll set it in Defense Mode."

The facedown Monster appeared.

She glared at The Midnight Caller. She looked at her side of the field.

_If it isn't enough…_ she thought, _I guess I end my career using cards, and start my career being one…As well as… some vampire's concubine…_

"Very well, my dear…" said the Caller. "It is time to show you exactly what my Tomb of the Elders can do, now that every coffin is occupied."

He drew a card, and looked at it. He added it to his hand.

"First, every Monster remaining on my side of the field is now destroyed."

Manju, The Unfriendly Amazon, and the three remaining Scapegoats all exploded into pixels.

"But they are quickly replaced…" he continued. "For now, I am able to Special Summon all five of the Monsters that I sealed in those coffins. Come on out, ladies!"

The five coffins slowly opened, and the five Monsters stepped out. First came Dark Elf (2,000/800), then Water Magician (1,400/1,000), then Harpie Queen (1,900/1,200), then Command Knight (1,200/1,900), and finally, Warrior Lady of the Wasteland (1,100/1,200).

Command Knight glowed. Her Attack rose to 1,600, and Warrior Lady's rose to 1,500.

"Finally," said the Caller, "the Tomb itself is removed from play…"

The Field Spell with its five coffins vanished, returning them to the comfortable parlor with the pipe organ.

"Poor Chelsea…" said Sam, shaking her head. "I really don't think her facedown card can save her now…"

Chelsea looked at the facedown card.

_It's my Red Ghost Moon,_ she thought.

She looked at the three cards in her hand.

_And I have Pyramid Turtle that I can use to activate it… I'm safe for this round…_

_After that, it's all up to fate…_

"I know what you are thinking, my dear," said the Caller. "You think I'm going to attack your Monster with my Dark Elf, and then attack you with everyone else…

"Well, I'm not… That would be crude. I have something else in mind…"

His eyes glimmered with evil light…

"Something far more… Overwhelming…"

He took a card from his hand.

"I play this…" he said. "The Ritual Spell known as Unholy Dragon Revival!"

Yumi and Sam opened their eyes in pure horror…

"He can't…" gasped Yumi.

"There are only eight confirmed copies of that Ritual Monster!" shouted Sam.

"Heh, heh," chuckled the Midnight Caller. "Well, you'll only find _seven_ outside of Duelatopia! This ceremony doesn't work like any other Ritual… Rather than sacrificing a set amount of Levels, I must sacrifice five whole Monsters, and each one must be of a different Attribute…"

The five Monsters all walked to the center of the arena, and formed a circle. They threw up their arms, and flaming lines on the floor connected them…

…forming a five-pointed star.

"So now, I combine the energies of Dark, Water, Wind, Fire, and Earth, to call forth my F. G. D… The Five God Dragon!"

The five female Monsters erupted into multicolored bonfires, and were consumed…

…and then, a gigantic form rose behind the Midnight Caller, touching the ceiling of the large chamber. The huge Dragon had a hulking, pale torso with giant, bat-like wings and huge claws, and it had five hideous heads. One was blue and metallic, one was green and scaly, one was yellow with a spiked mane, one was literally made of fire, and the last was pitch black.

It bellowed a terrible roar that shook the whole chamber…

(5,000/5,000)

_It makes sense in an ironic way…_ thought Chelsea, as sweat beaded on her forehead. _That thing was inspired by legends of Tiamat… Likely the most powerful female figure in any mythology…_

"Chelsea, don't panic!" shouted Yumi. "That thing can't attack this round!"

"Mmm, yes, perhaps…" said the Caller. "It can't actually attack on the round I summon it… But what it can do now is destroy everything on your side of the field."

Five blasts of energy shot from the huge beast's mouths, and Chelsea's Vampire Lady and Red Ghost Moon were vaporized.

"I won't give up, Caller!" shouted Chelsea.

"Oh?" asked the Caller. "Well, my four girls… They all fell to their knees and begged for mercy at this point.

"And by the way… My Dragon is almost untouchable. Dark, Water, Wind, Fire, and Earth Monsters can't destroy it.

"And just in case…"

He fit one of his last two cards into his Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

"The turn is yours. Fight on if you can… It will make your defeat all the sweeter…"

Chelsea drew a card.

"I play… Pot of Greed!" she shouted.

She played the card, and the evil jar appeared. She made two draws.

Her face fell when she saw what one of them was…

Dust Tornado… She had drawn it one round too late.

"I place a Monster in Defense Mode…" she said, placing a card on her Disk.

A facedown Monster appeared.

"Sorry, but I can't let you…" said the Caller.

His facedown card lifted.

"I activate Shadow of Eyes."

A pair of evil, hypnotic eyes appeared in front of him, and the card flipped face-up. A large, sandy turtle with a pyramid on its back leapt into Attack Mode. (1,200/1,400)

"No…" moaned Ren. "If that thing attacks her Pyramid Turtle… It's all over…"

Chelsea looked at her cards.

"Change of plans…" she said.

She threw all four of her remaining cards into her Disk, and they all appeared facedown in four bursts of light.

"Your move…" she said.

"Heh, heh…" said the Caller, drawing a card. "I doubt those four cards are anything but a desperate attempt at a bluff, my dear. But I don't have to take chances…

"I play… Giant Trunade!"

He played the card, and a fierce wind started to erupt over the field…

"Chain!" screamed Chelsea. "Go, Emergency Provisions!"

One of her facedown cards lifted, and a huge mouth appeared, swallowing her facedown Dust Tornado, Interdimensional Matter Transporter, and Symbol of Heritage.

"Now your Giant Trunade is wasted…" said Chelsea, with a smirk, "and I gained 3,000 Life Points to buffer your attack."

The Midnight Caller glared at her…

"So be it…" he said. "F. G. D… Incinerate her Pyramid Turtle! Pentecost Holocaust!"

A blast of fire, a cone of ice, a gust of wind, a bolt of lightning, and a beam of pure darkness shot from the Dragon's multiple mouths. The explosion blasted Pyramid Turtle to atoms and threw Chelsea backwards…

**(C: 2,000) -------------------- (M: 4,100)**

"Chelsea!" shouted Ren.

Chelsea slowly got up… Fires were burning around her…

"I activate… Pyramid Turtle's ability…" she gasped. "I get to Special Summon… from my deck… a Zombie with 2,000 Defense Points or less…

"Come on out, Penelope!"

In a flash of light, the imposing form of Penelope, the Lady of the Night appeared in front of Chelsea, brandishing her staff. (1,000/200)

Her eyes narrowed angrily when she saw the Midnight Caller.

He crossed his arms.

"Well, well, well…" he said. "I was hoping to finish you off with one attack from my Dragon…

"But this might be even better… So, Penelope, we meet again…"

"Wha…?" said Chelsea, surprised. "You… You _couldn't_ have dueled someone else who used her… Her card hasn't been distributed yet…"

The Caller frowned.

"I knew the _real_ Penelope…" he said. "Centuries before Duel Monsters ever existed… It was the high point of my… uhm, former life…"

He paused.

"Can you believe this guy?" asked Erik. "He's gotta be pulling our chain…"

"I knew about her for a long time," continued the Caller, "back when the race of vampires was numerous… She had taken it upon herself to hunt us down like some vampire slayer, even though she was one of us. Some called her a traitor, others simply called her insane…

"I wanted her with me… I had many concubines, but no true bride… To possess one who was a slayer was every vampire's dream... A dream that only the most powerful vampires ever achieved. I thought I was the equal of those who had succeeded in that goal…"

"Okay, now I don't think he's kidding…" said Erik, nervously.

"So I lured her to my chambers, and tried to trap her," continued the Caller, "but I underestimated her power, due to my cursed overconfidence. A fight broke out, which lasted most of the night. Neither of us could defeat the other, and she was forced to flee before the sun came up and made an end to both of us.

"I thought that I was safe from her resting in my coffin… After all, how could she attack me during the day? But she had a trick that I didn't anticipate. She used a special talisman that she had taken from another vampire that let her endure the sun for a short time, and she used that short time to find my coffin, and cast an incredibly powerful curse, sealing it shut with magic, and rendering me a prisoner of it.

"I was trapped, helpless. I did the only thing I could do – I entered the Vampire's Sleep, hoping that eventually, perhaps after a few centuries, natural atrophy would cause the curse to erode and lose its power.

"It eventually did, and I finally clawed my way out. I soon learned that Penelope had perhaps done me a favor. Had I not been trapped, I would surely have perished in the Great War where my race was exterminated. I almost thanked her for what she had done. Still, I was alone… Nothing remained of my previous life… I needed to search for a reason to exist…

"And then… Then I learned of another survivor of the war who turned to Duel Monsters… Of course, her methods were cruel even by vampire standards, and she perished. But I put my skills to better use…

"And now, Penelope, we meet again…"

He gestured to the huge Dragon.

"…but this time, the advantage is mine…"

"I don't think so, pal…" said Chelsea. "Because for each Zombie in my Graveyard, she gains 400 Attack Points."

Penelope glowed…

(4,600/200)

"Oh… no…" she muttered.

"HA, HA, HA, HA!" laughed the Caller. "It seems she came up one Zombie short! You should have kept better track, my dear…

"Heh, heh… I'm ending my turn now… But what will you do? No cards in your hand… And even if you draw a Zombie right now, you can't discard it for no reason."

Chelsea gulped…

_It all comes down to this…_ she thought.

Everyone tensed as she drew one card…

She looked at it.

"I play… Graceful Charity!" she shouted.

In a beam of light, the beautiful angel appeared, and her feathers fell on Chelsea's deck. She drew three cards and looked at them.

"Now I discard two of these cards…" she said, "and just so you know…"

She showed him the cards, which were Vampire Genesis and Pyre Ghost.

"…they're both Zombies!"

She tossed the two cards, and Penelope rose to an Attack of 5,400.

"Oh, and one more thing…" she added. "Penelope is a Light Monster, which means she's just the right type of Monster to take down that five-headed freakshow!

"Penelope… Slay his Dragon! Light of Vengeance!"

Penelope leapt into the air, twirling her staff around… The great Dragon roared…

The Lady of the Night shot a blast of burning energy, and the Midnight Caller covered his eyes as the blast hit home. The F. G. D. howled before it was consumed in holy energy and was blasted into shards.

Everyone started cheering.

**(C: 2,000) -------------------- (M: 3,700)**

"I'll place my last card facedown, and end my turn," said Chelsea. "This duel is just about over."

A facedown card appeared.

The Caller glared at her in silence for a few seconds.

Chelsea tensed. There was no doubting the fiery light in his eyes this time. She was beginning to wonder just how much of the Eliminators of Duelatopia was real, and how much was smoke and mirrors…

He drew one card.

"Or so you think…" he said. "I play… The Shallow Grave. Now, we each Special Summon a Monster from our Graveyards in facedown Defense Mode… Since every Monster in your Graveyard is a Zombie, that will certainly bring Penelope's power down a notch."

A facedown Monster appeared on his side of the field, and one appeared on Chelsea's side of the field. Penelope fell to an Attack of 5,000.

"It's your move…"

Chelsea drew a card.

She thought for a minute…

_The Monster I have facedown is Ryu Kokki,_ she thought. _His Monster… It can be one of two things…_

_It could be Getsu Fuhma. If I attacked it with either Monster, it would be destroyed… but if I attacked with Ryu Kokki, I could attack directly with Penelope and win._

_But…_

_It could also be his Dragon. If I attacked that with Ryu Kokki, I'd lose 2,600 Life Points, and I'd lose the duel. But if I attacked with Penelope, the battle would be a draw. Plus, it wouldn't count as a summon, so he couldn't use its effect. And Ryu Kokki would still be in Defense Mode._

_No choice… I have to risk Penelope._

"Penelope, attack his Monster!"

Penelope fired her blast… An explosion burst on the card…

When the smoke cleared, a delicate-looking, female fairy with gossamer wings, clad only in her long, billowing hair, was crouching on the card. (300/1,600)

"Wha?" said Chelsea.

"That's my Sand Pixie," said the Caller. "Penelope cannot kill her, because she can only die in battle if she is attacked by a Monster that is Level Four or less."

"Wait!" shouted Chelsea. "Since when was she in your Graveyard?"

"Since your Blood Sucker made me discard her," replied the Caller. "This duel is not over yet."

Chelsea paused.

_My facedown card is Call of the Haunted…_ she thought. _But there are no Level Four Monsters in my Graveyard that can beat that Defense. My deck wasn't designed with Level Four beatsticks in mind…_

"I have to end my turn…" she muttered.

The Midnight Caller drew a card.

"I play… A Feather of the Phoenix," he said, playing a Spell Card. "First, I discard the other card in my hand. And what use do I have for a Terraforming now anyway?"

He discarded his last card.

"Then I get to take any card I want from my Graveyard, and place it on top of my deck."

A card slipped out of his discard slot, and he placed it on his deck.

"By the way, my dear…" he said, "you didn't see me use this Spell Card either. I discarded it back when I used my own Graceful Charity. Next round, it will be mine.

"Your move…"

"A Spell Card?" asked Ren.

"And I think I know what it is…" said Yumi.

_So do I…_ thought Chelsea. _Fulfillment of the Contract. If he brings his Dragon back with that, Penelope will be destroyed, and I don't know what I'll do…_

She drew a card.

She grinned.

"I activate… Call of the Haunted!" she shouted.

Her Trap Card lifted, and a coffin appeared on her side of the field. It opened, and Vampire Lady stepped out. (1,550/1,550)

"Now I play… Rush Recklessly!"

She played the card she had just drawn, and Vampire Lady shot up to an Attack of 2,250.

"In case you didn't notice," she said, "Vampire Lady is Level Four.

"Vampire Lady, attack the Sand Pixie!"

Sand Pixie cowered in fright. Vampire Lady flew forward, and with one slash of her claw, the Fairy shattered into bits.

The Midnight Caller stepped back in fear…

"Penelope…" ordered Chelsea. "Attack directly! Light of Vengeance!"

The light storm erupted around Penelope, and she cast her lethal spell. The Midnight Caller hollered, and was thrown backwards, and he landed roughly on the floor in front of the organ.

**(C: 2,000) -------------------- (M: 0)**

"Well…" said Sam. "She actually did it… Lucky…"

Penelope grinned. She and Vampire Lady slowly vanished.

The Midnight Caller slowly rose to his feet.

"Well…" he said with a sigh.

He held his gut.

"Oh, my aching kidneys…"

He paused.

"Well," he sighed, "it seems that she hasn't lost her touch, and her power lives on in you, Chelsea… I commend you…"

He waved his hand, and Chelsea's badge changed color, turning to Silver.

"So now I'm supposed to get a card and some other gift?" asked Chelsea.

"Indeed," said the Caller, as he walked up to her.

A card appeared in his hand, and he handed it to Chelsea.

"I've been searching a long time for one whom I could give this special card to," he said. "It's a card that has a little of me in it…"

Chelsea looked at it.

"If you ask me," she said, "it has a LOT of you in it. Are you sure I can use this in the same deck with Penelope?"

"Consider this a peace offering from me to her," he replied. "After all, were it not for her curse, I'd likely be dead.

"As for your gift… I know your power. You can see undead spirits. You also wish to help them, but you are clueless as to how…"

He held Chelsea by the arms.

"Let me help you in that regard…"

His eyes glowed, and he stared at Chelsea without blinking. Her eyes widened in surprise, and then they glowed as well…

"Chelsea!" shouted Ren.

"Wait…" said Yumi.

The glowing stopped, and the Midnight Caller released her.

The large doors behind them slowly opened.

"Go now," he said. "And good luck using what I have given you…"

Chelsea turned to the others.

"What did he do?" asked Ren, anxiously.

"Something that's gonna help a great deal," said Chelsea, as they walked out the doors.

"Starting tonight, I stop easing torment, and start ending it…"

That remark was a little confusing, but she seemed to know what she was talking about. They walked up the stairs, into the museum proper…

…not knowing that somewhere else on the island, another Shadow Charm was starting to wake up…

_Having defeated the Midnight Caller, Chelsea exits the vampire's parlor at Silver status, and possibly with her powers enhanced. But more trouble is brewing… Who will reach the next Shadow Charm first?_

**0**

**0**

**0**

**TOMB OF THE ELDERS (Spell Card)**

**Field Spell**

**Image:** A dark tomb with five sarcophagi against the wall.

**Card Description:** During each of your five Standby Phases after you play this card, so long as it remains on the field, choose one Monster in your hand, deck, or Graveyard that is Level Four or less that can be Normal Summoned and remove it from play. On your sixth Standby Phase after playing this card, so long as this card remains on the field, destroy all Monsters on your side of the field, then Special Summon the five Monsters you removed from play with this card's effect, then remove this card from play.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**MYSTERY SUMMON (Spell Card)**

**Equip Spell**

**Image:** A shadowy silhouette of a man surrounded by question marks.

**Card Description:** Pay 1,000 Life Points. Pick up cards from the top of your deck until you reach a Monster that can be Normal Summoned. Special Summon that Monster in Attack Position and Equip it with this card. Shuffle the rest of the picked up cards back into your deck. If this card is removed from the field, destroy the Equipped Monster.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**SAND PIXIE (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fairy/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 300  
**DEF:** 1,600

**Card Description:** This card cannot be destroyed as a result of battle by Monsters that are Level Five or higher. (Damage calculation still applies.)

**0**

**0**

**0**

**UNHOLY DRAGON REVIVAL (Spell Card)**

**Ritual Spell**

**Image:** A five-pointed star surrounded by flaming braziers.

**Card Description:** This card is used to Ritual Summon "F. G. D.". You must offer as a Tribute from the field or your hand five Monsters, one of each Attribute except LIGHT.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**F. G. D. (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Dragon/Ritual/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level:** 12  
**ATK:** 5,000  
**DEF:** 5,000

**Card Description:** This card is Ritual Summoned via the effect of "Unholy Dragon Revival". You must also offer as a Tribute from the field or your hand five Monsters, one of each Attribute except LIGHT. This card cannot attack on the round it is summoned. On the round this card is summoned, destroy all Monsters, Spell Cards, and Trap Cards on your opponent's side of the field. This card does not take any battle damage and cannot be destroyed as a result of battle with EARTH, WATER, FIRE, WIND, or DARK Monsters. (Battle damage is still inflicted to players.)

_Note: The Ritual version of "F. G. D." (called by its original name here to differentiate it from the Fusion version) was first used by the Big Five in the original anime episode "Merger of the Big Five". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**Ren: It's happening again, Yumi! Another Shadow Charm has appeared, and we have to win it from another of Rasputin's goons.**

**Chelsea: This is too much… We can't take more of these deadly games…**

**Sam: Step aside, twerps… The Consort of Ha Des won't lose to any thug duelist!**

**Yumi: Sam? Be careful… It's gonna be a tough fight.**

**Coming up next, "Sam's Challenge; The Ring of Spirits".**

**Sam: Shadow Game or not, it's still a duel to me.**


	27. Sam's Challenge

_Before this chapter begins, let me explain the credit for a couple of the new cards._

_In March of this year, Shonen Jump announced that a new structure deck would be released soon, staring the B.E.S. Monsters. The new deck would include many of Gin/Lorenzo's cards, like "Assault Core", "Alert", "Shield Recovery", and "Stage Select", and a few never-before-seen cards. They even provided pictures of the new cards, making the set look very authentic._

_This excited a lot of people, not only because the set would make the B.E.S. Monsters playable, but because "Stage Select" would be incredibly powerful in the meta, perhaps even tournament-worthy. Most folks took the upcoming set seriously._

_On April 1__st__, however, the truth was revealed. The whole thing was a very elaborate April Fool's joke. These new cards did not exist. A lot of folks were upset at being tricked, and a lot of folks were surprised that they'd go to such lengths to pull such a prank. (Of course, you never know what outlandish things the Japanese will do – they created _Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo_, after all.)_

_Of course, this is fanfiction, and since someone thought it would be funny to present these cards as a joke, I thought I'd use a few of them. So here's the skinny: Cards that appeared in "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" are the creation of the writers of that show. Who to give credit to for "Second Loop", "B.E.S. Boost Core", and "B.E.S. Shining Core", I don't know. I doubt that anyone who actually works for Shonen Jump will ever read this fanfic, but whoever the prankster is who was ultimately behind this farce, I'm sure he wouldn't mind me using them._

_On with the chapter._

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Sam's Challenge**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**The Ring of Spirits**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

It was almost six PM. Day Three was coming to a close.

Rasputin brooded in his penthouse suite. Olga and Nicholas had both gone out to dinner.

He didn't like restaurants himself. Whenever he was away from home, he usually ordered room service. Sure, it was expensive, but he could afford it.

Right now, he was thinking of doing just that. He picked up the hotel menu and looked at it for a minute.

He frowned when he saw what the special was. It was always hard for someone like him who was allergic to shellfish.

He had discovered an alchemic formula that had stopped him from aging, but he couldn't find one that could help him with that. It was truly ironic.

He picked up the phone and hit the three digit number.

"Room service?" he said. "Yes… This is the penthouse suite. I'd like to order…"

Then he was startled as his amulet started to throb.

"Uhm," he said, getting up, "on second thought, I'll call back later – I don't know what I want yet."

He hung up, picked up his cell phone, and went to his computer.

He looked at the amulet.

"The Ring of Spirits, huh?" he said. "This time, I'm going to simply go with a good duelist…"

He brought up the file on the screen.

"So, let's see which Ascender is farthest along in the tournament…"

He looked over the list. Two Ascenders were at Violet, and one of those didn't really know she _was_ a Ascender, so asking her to possibly get involved in a Shadow Game would likely get a refusal, as well as a refusal to work for him any more.

He sighed. Times like this he wished he had the mind controlling abilities that some of the folks in the past had… He could control a person at times, given the right tools, but he didn't have Marik's Millennium Rod or Sartorious's use of the Light of Ruin, two powers that made it easy. It was much harder in his case.

He looked at the other one.

"Mordent?" he said, rubbing his chin. "Well, he is… eccentric, but he can get the job done…"

He started dialing a number.

"Wonder where he is? Humph, wasting quarters, most likely…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Cassandra shuffled her cards once again.

She picked up the top card.

The Magician. The card that represented Sam.

Her eyes narrowed. She placed it down, and picked up the next card.

The card showed a young man looking up at the night sky as eight wands darted across it.

"Hmm…" said Cassandra.

"The Eight of Wands… A card representing bravery and advancement. Young Samantha is about to meet a crucial situation, and go into it with both barrels loaded, so to speak…

"The question is, is she truly brave, or is she foolhardy?"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In the Entertainment District of Duelatopia…

A small spaceship flew over a volcanic planet, firing at enemy fighters, blasting them all into pieces.

Then, a giant monster the size of a building made of lava loomed up in front of it. The spaceship fired a barrage of missiles at the lava demon, and then dodged its fiery breath. After a battle that lasted about three minutes, explosions rocked over the lava demon's hide, and it melted into formless lava.

The spaceship flew into the planet's orbit, and a group of messages appeared below it:

**Enemy Bonus: 9,500**

**Stage Bonus: 10,800**

**Time Bonus: 11,300**

"All right!" shouted the youth who was playing the video game (which, naturally, was what it was – a recent title called _Gradius 3001_). "Let's see anyone try to beat _that_!"

Then his cell phone rang.

He sighed as he answered it.

"Always when I'm winning…" he muttered, putting it to his ear. "Yeah, boss?"

He listened as he walked out of the arcade (the place was noisy).

"Uh huh… Yeah…

"All right… Gotcha…

"Oh, don't worry… I'm not afraid of any Shadow Games!"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"You know, Chelsea…" said Sam, with a playful smirk, "it was an interesting duel… But I would have loved to see you wear one of those slave girl outfits. I'll bet you would have looked cute."

Chelsea scowled at her.

"Right, Sam…" she said. "Cute… Why don't you find an Eliminator of your own? I'll bet you don't have the guts."

Ren sighed.

"I kinda feel bad for those other four girls, though," he said. "Too bad you couldn't have gotten them out of there…"

"I know, Ren, I know…" said Chelsea. "But I really didn't know what to do. I was already making a heavy wager. I didn't know what else I could have anted that would have been worth their freedom…"

"I'm not sure…" said Yumi, sullenly. "Those four girls… There was something weird about them…"

She paused.

"As soon as I saw them, I was getting a strange feeling… I think they were less slaves and more loyal servants…"

"Yumi…" said Ren, "you can't deny the fact. He turned them into cards."

"That's the whole _reason_ why I think he was deceiving us," replied Yumi. "Those girls… I don't think they were human…"

Everyone stopped. There was silence for a few second.

"Are you suggesting…" whispered Ren, "that those four girls were… Duel Spirits?"

Yumi nodded.

"He probably had a fifth one hiding somewhere who was Dark Elf," she said. "She just kept out of sight to make everyone think his perfect strategy was incomplete."

No-one answered for a long time. Then Sam spoke up, changing the subject.

"Everyone here is at least Violet, right?" she said.

Everyone looked at their badges. They all nodded.

"Let you in on a secret," she said. "There are some secret places in Duelatopia that only let you in if you are of a certain ranking. And I know about a restaurant that serves the best pizza outside of Italy. You have to be at least Violet to get in, so if anyone wants to follow me and Erik to the place…"

She and Erik started walking ahead.

Yumi started to follow, and then she was startled, as Anastasia blocked her path.

"Yumi!" she said, nervously. "Listen closely. There isn't much time. Another Charm… And Rasputin's forces are already heading for it!"

"What? Where?" asked Yumi. "Tell me!"

Everyone turned towards her.

"The Ring of Spirits," said Anastasia. "The Charm belonging to Lunara the Observer... She was an astronomer whose power came from the night itself. The Ring grants the user extra strength and willpower, but only when the sun doesn't shine.

"It's at the armaments museum. Hurry!"

"Everyone!" shouted Yumi. "A new Charm. The armaments museum! We gotta get it before an Ascender does!"

Yumi ran towards the museum, followed by Ren and Chelsea.

"Another Ascender?" said Sam. "Well, I'm not gonna be left out of this one… Come on, Erik!"

They rushed after them.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

There weren't many museums dedicated completely to weapons, and the ones that you could find were small. Duelatopia had the biggest.

Inside this museum, you could find exhibits that were dated from the Bronze Age to the Modern Age, and all of them had a thing in common…

…they were devices that men used to kill other men.

Why did Duelatopia devote one of its biggest museums to weapons? It seemed strange, especially since Seto Kaiba had worked hard to transform KaibaCorp from a military firm that made tools of war into a company that had almost the opposite goal.

Well, since the invention of the Duel Disk, many ideas had been brought up about using Duel Monsters as alternatives to violence. It was a non-lethal form of combat, which could serve to release a person's aggression against another person. Sure, it was still fighting, it was still painful at times, but it was nearly impossible for there to be a loss of life. Some people thought that Duel Monsters could make the need for other forms of violence obsolete.

So the purpose of this museum was to represent the dark side of mankind, the tools used in combat by the only animal who warred against its own species. It served to show mankind's folly.

The five teenagers rushed into the large lobby, which was taken up by a large Vietnam-era tank. Archways opened in all three other walls, leading to exhibits of different eras.

"Okay!" said Yumi. "We have to split up. Look for a fancy ring… But if you see it, don't try to take it! Scream for the rest of us, and keep an eye out for those Ascenders! Duel them if you have to, but _please_ try to do so before you get into a Yami no Oujou!"

They all ran in separate directions.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Sam wandered through the medieval exhibit. Suits of armor holding pole weapons stood along the walls.

"Whoever put Yumi in charge, anyway?" she growled. "She just wants this ring for herself, I'll bet…"

She turned her head.

In the middle of the room was a huge display, surrounded by felt cords. A suit of armor was seated on a plaster horse dressed in barding, holding a long lance…

She noticed that a shiny, golden ring was balanced at the tip of the lance.

Sam grinned.

"Sorry, Yumi…" she said. "This one… Is mine…"

She reached into the pouch where she kept her side deck, and found a card that was a holofoil. Holofoils weighed more than more common cards, and the more a card weighed, the easier it was to do the trick she was about to do.

She lifted the card in front of her face until it was eye-level…

Then, she threw it. It flew at the ring, and it was knocked off the lance, falling to the ground with a clatter.

"Bull's eye!" she laughed.

The next instant, he had her.

She hadn't heard him sneak up behind her. She hadn't known he was there until he had grabbed her and tripped up her legs, forcing her to the ground.

"Thanks for finding it," he said. "Now just sit still…"

Sam struggled as he tried to push her arms together. Then she heard a clicking noise that she recognized…

Handcuffs…

"OH, NO, YOU DON'T!" she shouted.

No way was he going to tie her up.

She wrenched her left arm free, and then swung with her Duel Disk. She heard a groan… Clearly she had hit him.

"ERIK! YUMI!" she shouted.

_Darn,_ cursed the Ascender. _Why didn't I put the gag on her first?_

Yumi and the others rushed in to see the two of them wrestling.

"Sam! Don't!" shouted Yumi.

The Ring of Spirits started to glow with a blinding light…

Then the light enveloped the whole room, seemingly consuming everyone inside it.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The next thing everyone heard was thunder crashing.

They looked around, and they saw that a storm was indeed brewing. And the museum was gone. Yumi and her friends were on a mountain plateau. They looked down behind them, and couldn't see any valley floor – only cloudy mist.

Sam was standing in the center, and the Ascender – who had eschewed the obvious cloak and hood in favor of a silver, gaudy overcoat and a reflective pair of sunglasses – was twenty feet in front of her.

Anastasia appeared again. She sadly shook her head.

"So it begins again…" she said sadly.

"I warned her…" said Yumi. "But she was so tight-cheeked…"

The Ascender grinned at Sam.

"You have a lot of nerve, princess," he said. "I'm not about to lose to some milksop of a rich kid. Why are you even here? Don't rich brats like you spend vacations sunbathing European-style?"

"WHAT?" shouted Sam. "I have never… Oh, you are gonna get such a pounding…"

"As if," he replied. "I eat pieces of trash like you for breakfast!"

"You eat pieces of trash for breakfast?" asked Sam. "How do they taste?"

"Whatever…" said the Ascender. "Take a look!"

He showed her his badge, which was Violet.

"Oh, is that a fact?" asked Sam. "Does this impress you?"

She showed him hers.

"Silver?" he said, stunned. "Uh… You probably got that high by dueling third-rate wimps…"

"Maybe I did," replied Sam. "That's probably exactly why I'm dueling _you_!"

"Right…" he said. "I'm gonna beat you in five rounds!"

"Too bad you can't count that high!" replied Sam.

"_SILENCE!"_ boomed a voice from the storm clouds.

And then, to the surprise of both of them, they were struck on the buttocks, as if from a sharp blow with a paddle.

"Ow!" shouted Sam. "What gives?"

"_If you two will squabble and fight like children,"_ said the voice, which was strict and clearly female, _"then if you don't please me during this duel, I will punish you like children._

"_Mordent… Samantha… Here is the rule, which I call Corporal Punishment. During your Battle Phases, you must either destroy at least one opposing Monster, or inflict battle damage to your opponent. If you fail to do so, you will be spanked."_

"You can't do that!" shouted Sam.

Then she felt the blow across her behind again.

"Ow…" she muttered, rubbing it.

"_Do not contradict me, Samantha,"_ said the voice. _"That is how it will be. The Ring of Spirits used to be mine, and I will set whatever rules I desire when two warriors vie for it. _

"_The first time my rule is enforced, you lose 200 Life Points. The second time, it will be 400, the third, 800, and so forth. And skipping your Battle Phase gets you the same punishment._

"_And if your strategy is a type that does not win by attacking, too bad._

"_Now begin. Honor goes to Samantha."_

"Wow…" said Ren. "She's giving honor to Sam even though she objected to the rules? She's lucky."

"Indeed," said Anastasia. "She should have known better."

"I may have to put up with some insane house rule," said Sam, snatching six cards off her deck, "but I'm still gonna mop the floor with you!"

Lightning flashed…

"Game on!" they both shouted.

**(Sam: 8,000) -------------------- (Mordent: 8,000)**

Sam looked over her hand.

"I summon Malice Doll of Demise to the field…" she said.

With a cackling laugh, the evil puppet appeared in front of her. (1,600/1,700)

"Next, I play… Ectoplasmer."

She played the Spell Card, and it appeared behind the Doll.

"Now I end my turn, and sacrifice my Doll to blast away 800 of your Life Points.

"Extract ectoplasm!"

The Doll slumped over, and the ghostly form shot towards Mordent, striking him in the chest. He grunted.

**(S: 8,000) -------------------- (M: 7,200)**

"Since I can't attack on the first round of the duel anyway," she said, "I don't think I'll be getting a spanking."

She stared at Mordent. He paused.

"Well?" shouted Sam.

He shrugged. He was likely hoping that she would get spanked anyway.

He drew a card.

"I have a question for you, Samantha," he said. "Have you ever dreamed of visiting outer space?"

"Who hasn't?" replied Sam.

"It's been a constant dream for me," said Mordent. "We're so advanced in technology, but space travel hasn't progressed much… Still no manned flights to Mars, no real breakthroughs in sending probes further…

"NASA is concerned about so many details… Like what might happen if an astronaut got sick when on a trip to Mars, when simply getting a message to Earth would take a half-hour…"

He chuckled.

"…or how astronauts would satisfy sexual desire on such a long trip, especially when a crew is composed of both genders.

"I'm serious, you know. NASA is very concerned about that…"

"Sounds like a valid concern," replied Sam, tapping her foot.

"Perhaps…" said Mordent. "But I dream of a day, someday in the future, where man will break the bounds of Earth completely, and wander the cosmos in all its glory, where only the gods now dare to thread…"

"And what does this have to do with our duel?" asked Sam, annoyed.

Mordent grinned, and placed a card on his Disk.

"I summon Gradius in Attack Mode," he said.

With a blast that sounded like the sound barrier breaking, a shining, futuristic jet fighter soared out of the clouds, and hovered over his side of the field. (1,200/800)

_Smarter than I thought,_ thought Sam. _He obviously played a weak Monster so he wouldn't waste a better one when he had to use Ectoplasmer. But why even put that third-rate Machine in his deck?_

"Next…" said Mordent. "I play a Spell Card… the powerful Gradius Missile. This allows Gradius to destroy any one card on the field. And since I don't feel like falling into your combo, I'm going to wipe out your Ectoplasmer."

"Hey…" said Sam.

A missile launched from the jet, and Ectoplasmer was blown to bits in a fiery blast.

"So much for that edge," said Mordent. "You're defenseless! Gradius, attack her directly! Rapid-fire shot!"

Two machine guns unfolded on Gradius's wings…

Sam tried to brace herself as they opened fire, but it was hard to do so as the burning shells stabbed into her torso. She fell over.

"I place this facedown, and end my turn," said Mordent.

A facedown card appeared beneath Gradius.

**(S: 6,800) -------------------- (M: 7,200)**

Sam snarled, and drew a card.

"Due to his effect, my Doll comes back…" she said.

Malice Doll of Demise appeared, in an aura of black flames. (1,600/1,700)

"Next…" she said, "I summon Gil Garth."

In another aura of dark energy, the armored Fiend appeared. (1,800/1,200)

Gil Garth turned to her.

"I stand ready to serve, Dark Mistress," it said, in a tinny, metallic voice.

Sam took a step back.

"You talk?" she said, meekly. "But…"

"In a game of Shadows, our full potential is reached," said the Fiend. "I and the rest of your servants await your command."

The Doll nodded to her.

"Well… Okay…" she said. "I'll try anything once…"

"Malice Doll of Demise, ground his Gradius! Cleaver heaver!"

The Doll threw his axe, and it struck the center of the jet plane. Gradius sparked, and then exploded into flaming debris.

"I activate a Trap!" shouted Mordent, as his facedown card lifted. "Soul Resurrection. "Now I can bring Gradius back, and place it in Defense Mode."

Gradius appeared again in a flash of light, and landed on the ground. (1,200/800)

Sam frowned.

"Gil Garth, destroy it again!" she shouted.

Gil Garth flew at the Machine with his sword held high. With one slash, it was blown apart a second time.

"I place a card of my own facedown," she said, "and that will be all. Seems we're even."

**(S: 6,800) -------------------- (M: 6,800)**

"Soon to change…" said Mordent, drawing a card.

"I play Silent Doom," he said. "Guess who's back…"

Gradius reappeared again, in Defense Mode. (1,200/800)

"Then I set another Monster in Defense Mode, and end my turn."

A facedown Monster appeared.

"Forget the house rule already?" asked Sam, with a grin.

Mordent shrieked as the unseen paddle hit him across the buttocks.

**(S: 6,800) -------------------- (M: 6,600)**

"I don't like this…" said Yumi. "I can't shake the feeling that he's stalling for some reason…"

"I know…" replied Anastasia. "And since he has Gradius in his deck, his true strategy may be one that's difficult to pull off… But deadly if you can actually do it."

"My draw…" said Sam, drawing a card.

"I summon Opticlops."

In another burst of dark energy, the muscular, cyclopsed, horned ogre appeared. (1,800/1,700)

"Malice Doll of Demise, attack Gradius again!"

"My pleasure," cackled the Doll.

He hurled his axe, and the jet exploded for the third time.

"Gil Garth, take out his facedown Monster."

Gil Garth flew towards the facedown card. A man wearing high-tech armor and a visored helmet holding a laser rifle appeared crouching on the card. Gil Garth swung his sword, and he was cut down.

"A Science Soldier?" asked Sam. "Why the heck would you have such a weakling in your deck?"

"I have my reasons," said Mordent.

"Well try to avoid this," said Sam. "Opticlops, attack him directly!"

Opticlops roared, and charged Mordent, ramming his horn into the Ascender's chest. Mordent tumbled over.

**(S: 6,800) -------------------- (M: 4,800)**

"Not bad…" chuckled Mordent, getting up. "But this duel is hardly over…"

He drew a card.

"I play… Pot of Greed…"

The evil jar appeared, and he drew two cards.

"Heh, heh, heh…" he chuckled. "Now my true strategy begins!

"I raise my Science Soldier from the grave with Premature Burial."

He played the card, and Science Soldier appeared, toting his rifle. (800/800)

"But…" he continued, "he's going right back to the Graveyard… Because now I'm going to sacrifice him…"

Science Soldier vanished…

"I summon the mighty B.E.S. Tetran!"

At first, it didn't seem like anything had happened…

Then, with a low, rumbling sound, a huge, hulking shape moved from over the mountain behind Mordent. It was an enormous spaceship, that was both long and wide, but not very thick, with a glowing energy core in its center. Four long tentacles extended from its corners. (1,800/2,300)

"Mighty?" said Sam. "It may be big, but it has exactly the same Attack Score as two of my Monsters."

"Actually, B.E.S. Monsters have a special power," said Mordent, "which gives them an advantage over your penne ante Fiends. They can't be destroyed in battle. Of course, should they ever battle a Monster while their cores are exposed, they'd be destroyed…

"However, right now, my Tetran has three shields protecting its core, each of which can withstand one battle with a Monster.

"And Tetran has another cool ability. I can give up one of its shields in order to wipe out your facedown card."

One of the three shields in front of the core shattered, and a blast of energy fired from one of the tentacles, blowing Sam's Seven Tools of the Bandit to pieces.

"Ah, well," said Mordent. "B.E.S. Tetran… Attack her Gil Garth! Cosmic crusher!"

A tentacle swung towards the Fiend…

"Sorry, Dark Mistress…" it said.

The tentacle slammed into it, and it shattered to bits.

The second shield shattered.

"To finish my turn…" said Mordent, taking the last two cards in his hand, "I'll play a pair of Spell Cards…

"First, Boss Rush…"

He placed a card in his Disk, and a Continual Spell Card appeared.

Then, his Field Slot opened, and he slipped a card inside it. The sky started to darken.

"What's happening?" gasped Ren.

All of a sudden, the clouds cleared, revealing a night sky… Not a _normal_ night sky, however. A huge, gaseous planet was now on the horizon, and planets, moons, stars, and comets all floated through the ether.

"It's called Second Loop," said Mordent. "I'm sure our host will find it fascinating…

"When I play this card, I have to make a choice… option one, or option two…

"And I think I'll choose option two…"

**(S: 6,800) -------------------- (M: 4,000)**

"What does option two do?" asked Ren. "I have a feeling we're not going to like it…"

"It's a powerful combination with Boss Rush," said Anastasia. "One that is nearly unstoppable… Sam is in big trouble…"

"So what does B.E.S. stand for?" asked Chelsea.

"Bacterion Elimination Squadron," answered Anastasia. "My dad was a big fan of an old video game called _Gradius_, and he made a bunch of Monsters based on the spaceships and creatures in the game. Not all of them truly caught on, but they can be powerful if used right."

Sam drew a card.

She smirked.

"I sacrifice my Doll…" she said.

Malice Doll of Demise vanished in a burst of energy.

Lightning flashed…

"…to summon Dark Ruler Ha Des!"

A dark bonfire appeared next to Opticlops. The smaller Fiend got down on one knee, as Ha Des appeared out of the bonfire. (2,450/1,600)

"All right!" shouted Erik.

"Her best Monster!" shouted Ren.

Ha Des turned, and took Sam's hand.

"Consort," he said, in a deep, commanding voice. "Fear not… I will help you to victory through this game of Shadows. This cretin with his dreams of space travel is no match for the powers we possess."

"Good!" said Sam. "Opticlops… Attack the B.E.S. Tetran and take out the last shield!"

"You heard her!" commanded Ha Des.

Opticlops growled, and leapt at the huge spacecraft. He struck the final shield with his fist, and it shattered, but he was thrown back by the backlash and was blown to pieces.

"Ha Des, attack!" shouted Sam. "Aim for the core!"

Ha Des blasted a bolt of black fire, piercing the Tetran's center. An explosion erupted in the glowing core, and then explosions started to burst all over the craft. Finally, the whole spaceship went down in flames, falling into the ravine behind Mordent. After a few seconds, it must have crashed, because an explosion blasted up from below.

**(S: 6,800) -------------------- (M: 3,350)**

"She did it!" shouted Erik.

"She did it!" repeated Chelsea.

"Congratulations…" said Mordent. "You did it… But it was pointless.

"Weren't you wondering at all what this Spell Card here does?"

He pointed to the Boss Rush card.

"What it does is let me bring out a new Bacterion spaceship anytime one on the field is destroyed. So now, let's bring out… B.E.S. Crystal Core!"

With another rumbling noise, a new craft appeared over the mountain. True to its name, this one appeared to be made completely out of crystal, with only two tentacles, and again had a glowing core in the center. (2,100/1,000)

Sam frowned.

"Of course…" said Mordent, "when a Bacterion Monster is Special Summoned, it comes without any shields.

"But that isn't a problem thanks to my Second Loop. Since I chose option two, any Bacterion Monster that is Special Summoned is considered Normal Summoned as soon as it reaches the field. So…"

Crystal Core glowed, and three shields formed in front of its core.

"What if you had chosen option one?" asked Sam.

"Then I would have been able to add one shield to a Bacterion Monster during each of my Standby Phases. Each option has its advantages depending on the situation. But don't worry, the only way I can change to option one at this point is for the card to leave the field and for me to play is again."

Sam fit a card into her Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

"Your move…" she snarled. "But your new spaceship is too weak to take out Ha Des either."

She carefully read the text on the Boss Rush card.

_It's a powerful card, all right…_ she thought. _But it does have a weakness, if I can just find a way to exploit it…_

Mordent drew a card.

"We'll see about that," he said. "First, I set one card facedown."

He placed the card in his Disk, and it appeared in front of him.

"Now then," he said, "true, your Dark Ruler's Attack Score is pretty high, but his Defense Score isn't nearly as good. And my Crystal Core has the ability to switch a Monster to Defense Mode."

B.E.S. Crystal Core emitted a wave of blue energy, and Dark Ruler Ha Des strained under it. He was forced to his knees, and knelt in Defense.

"Now, attack!" shouted Mordent. "Plasma blaster!"

The Crystal Core fired a laser beam from its tentacle, and Ha Des exploded.

The first shield shattered.

"You may have defeated Ha Des…" snarled Sam. "But he leaves behind a little gift…"

Her facedown card lifted, showing the image of a crab-like, alien creature flying amid the clouds.

"It's a Trap called Option Hunter," she said. "Now I gain Life Points equal to the Attack Score of my Monster that was just destroyed."

Sam glowed with a golden aura.

**(S: 9,250) -------------------- (M: 3,350)**

Mordent frowned.

"It's your move…" he said.

Sam drew a card.

She glared at him, and then set a card on her Disk. A facedown Monster appeared.

"I end my turn," she said.

"Seems you forgot the rules this time!" laughed Mordent.

Sam shrieked as the paddle slammed across her behind.

She closed her eyes tightly.

**(S: 9,050) -------------------- (M: 3,350)**

Mordent drew a card.

"Crystal Core…" he said, "attack her Monster."

Crystal Core fired its laser. Skull Knight #2 appeared on the card, and was blown to pieces.

"Fortunately," said Anastasia, "Crystal Core can't switch a Monster to Attack Mode."

"Next…" said Mordent, "I activate my Trap Card… Compulsory Evacuation Device."

His facedown card lifted.

"Nice move…" said Erik. "That's a powerful Trap that can send one of Sam's Monsters back to her hand… But you made a mistake… You just destroyed the only Monster she had on the field, dummy!"

"I'm well aware of that," said Mordent. "But my Trap Card can also return one of _my_ Monsters to _my_ hand. And that's exactly what I'm gonna do… To my Crystal Core."

Crystal Core vanished, and the card appeared in Mordent's hand.

"Of all the stupid…" said Sam. "You can't Normal Summon any Monsters when Boss Rush is on the field! When it's my turn, you'll be defenseless!"

"No I won't…" said Mordent, taking the card he had just drawn. "I have a rare Monster called B.E.S. Boost Core. When Boss Rush is on the field, and I have no other Monsters out, I can Special Summon it from my hand. So I'll summon it in Defense Mode for now."

He placed a card on his Disk, and another huge spaceship landed on the plateau. It looked like Tetran, only smaller and without the tentacles. (1,500/500)

"It's your move…"

Sam drew a card.

_That's it…_ she thought.

"I summon Archfiend Soldier!" she shouted.

She played the card, and the diabolic shock troop appeared in front of her. (1,900/1,500)

"I stand ready to serve, mistress," he said in a deep voice.

"All right…" she said. "Destroy his Boost Core! Sword of Perdition!"

Archfiend Soldier leapt at the craft, and brought his blade down on it, cleaving it in half. The two pieces shattered into triangles.

"Thank you…" said Mordent. "Boost Core has another effect. When it's destroyed, I get to draw one card."

He made a draw.

"And now… Since Boss Rush works on it too… I'll use my Spell Card's effect to summon… Big Core!"

With another rumbling, the largest spaceship yet appeared over the mountainside. Again, it had a glowing core, but it also had guns, cannons, and armor all over its immense hull. (2,300/1,100)

"This is going from bad to worse…" said Sam.

"And of course…" said Mordent, "my Loop gives it three shields…"

Boss Rush glowed, and three shields appeared in front of the craft's core.

"I end my turn…" muttered Sam.

Mordent drew a card.

"I place a card facedown," he said, fitting a card into his Disk.

"And then I attack with Big Core! Attack her Archfiend Soldier with photon torpedoes!"

A volley of missiles fired, honing in on Archfiend Soldier. The Fiend was consumed in a massive explosion.

The first shield shattered.

"Heh, heh…" chuckled Mordent. "That's enough for my move…"

**(S: 8,650) -------------------- (M: 3,350)**

Sam angrily drew a card.

_Ooh…_ she thought. _This will help him as much as it will me… But it's either this, or take a direct attack from that thing…_

She set a Monster on her Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared.

"That's my turn," she muttered.

"And you couldn't follow the rules," said Mordent. "So… Bottom's up!"

Sam screamed as the paddle lashed across her buttocks, this time two times.

"Sam!" shouted Erik.

Sam didn't answer. Tears welled in her eyes…

Her mother had never once spanked her. No matter how naughty a girl she had been at times, her mother had never laid a hand on her. She never realized until now how grateful she was for that fact.

**(S: 8,250) -------------------- (M: 3,350)**

"Just move, okay?" she said.

"I will…" said Mordent, drawing a card.

He looked at it and added it to his hand.

"Big Core, attack!"

Big Core fired its missiles. A Morphing Jar appeared on the card, and was blown to dust.

The second shield shattered.

"Heh…" said Sam. "Now we have to discard all the cards in our hands, and draw five more."

"Figures," said Mordent, tossing his three cards. "How long did it take you to get mommy to buy you that?"

Sam gave him a dirty look as they both made five draws.

"For your information…" she said, though her teeth, "I traded a Card Trooper for it, and I got the Card Trooper from a lucky pull."

Mordent shrugged.

"Whatever…" he said. "And thank you so much for sending my Crystal Core to the Graveyard," he said. "Now I can do this…"

His facedown card activated.

"Call of the Haunted!"

In a burst of energy, B.E.S. Crystal Core reappeared next to Big Core. (2,100/1,000)

It glowed, and three shields appeared on it.

"And my Battle Phase isn't over yet…" said Mordent.

"Good lord…" said Erik.

"Crystal Core…" ordered Mordent, "attack her directly!"

B.E.S. Crystal Core fired its twin lasers, and an explosion centered on Sam. When the smoke cleared, she was on her knees.

**(S: 6,150) -------------------- (M: 3,350)**

_The pain…_ she thought. _So real… So this is a Shadow Game…_

"Heh, heh…" chuckled Mordent. "And get this… When one of my spaceships attacks directly, it _doesn't_ lose one of its shields!

"It's your move…"

Sam slowly got up. She took some deep breaths. She drew a card.

"Say goodbye to your Crystal Core…" she growled. "I play Mystical Space Typhoon! Now I can destroy your Call of the Haunted, and your Monster will go with it!"

The cyclone tore across the field, and the Trap Card shattered. Then the Crystal Core shattered as well.

"Not bad…" said Mordent, with a smile. "Unfortunately, when that happens, it still counts as destroyed, fool. And Boss Rush activates when one of my spaceships is destroyed by _anything_. So now, I can simply summon another Crystal Core from my deck."

A new Crystal Core appeared, flying from over the mountain.

"And thanks to my Loop, it's as good as new."

"Oh, Sam made a big mistake…" muttered Ren. "What she should have done was destroy that annoying Boss Rush card. She might have stopped him from summoning these things."

"Yeah, well…" said Chelsea. "I wouldn't be surprised if his deck had three copies of Boss Rush. What she should have done was destroy the Field Spell. It would have made him run out of Monsters quicker."

"Can we stop with the should haves?" shouted Erik. "Sam is in trouble!"

Sam stared at her opponent.

"I'm hardly done," she said, taking another card. "I play Premature Burial. Return, my Skull Knight!"

The ground cracked, and the armored, skeletal warrior appeared, holding his scimitar. (1,000/1,200)

"Now I sacrifice him," she continued. "It's time for Dark Ruler Ha Des to return!"

Skull Knight vanished in a bonfire of black flame, and the Dark Ruler stepped out, glowing with a dark aura.

"Good to be back…" he muttered.

"Good to have you," replied Sam. "Next, I activate Skull Knight's special ability, allowing me to Special Summon another one. Defense Mode!"

A second Skull Knight appeared, kneeling in defense. (1,000/1,200)

"Now, Ha Des, attack his Crystal Core!"

Ha Des gestured, and his Stygian blast struck the craft's first shield, shattering it and causing the ship to tremble.

**(S: 5,350) -------------------- (M: 3,000)**

Sam fit a card into her Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

"End… turn," she said.

"Pathetic…" said Mordent, drawing a card.

He looked at it, and added it to his hand.

"Obviously, you forgot about my Crystal Core's special ability. It can move your Monster into Defense Mode."

Crystal Core emitted a wave of energy at Ha Des.

"Not again…" he muttered.

He crouched in Defense Mode.

"I'll get to him in a second," said Mordent. "First… Big Core, obliterate her Skull Knight!"

Big Core launched its volley of missiles again, and Sam shielded herself as Skull Knight was blown to particles. The final shield on Big Core shattered into pieces.

"Crystal Core… Attack her Dark Ruler!"

Crystal Core aimed its tentacle…

"Not this time!" shouted Sam. "I _didn't_ forget about its ability! And you made a big mistake attacking my Skull Knight first!"

Her facedown Trap Card lifted.

"I activate Bark of Dark Ruler! Now, I pay 500 Life Points, and for this battle, your Crystal Core becomes too weak to beat his Defense."

An aura of dark energy surrounded Crystal Core, and it fell to an Attack of 1,600. It fired its plasma blaster, but Ha Des swatted it aside, and the second shield shattered.

**(S: 4,850) -------------------- (M: 3,000)**

"Crap!" shouted Mordent. "Ooh… I end my turn…"

"All right!" shouted Erik. "Go baby, go!"

Sam drew a card.

"I play… Pot of Avarice!" she exclaimed.

The goofy pink jar appeared, and five cards slipped out of her discard slot: Her first Dark Ruler Ha Des, Archfiend Soldier, Opticlops, and both Skull Knights. She combined them with her deck, and reshuffled. Then she drew two cards.

She smiled.

"I move Ha Des back to Attack Mode…" she said.

Ha Des stood up.

"Next I summon… Giant Orc!"

In another burst of dark energy, a hulking, bald, muscular ogre with pale skin, holding a huge, bone club appeared next to Ha Des. (2,200/0)

"Ironic, isn't it," asked Ren. "That's about the most primitive Monster you can get, and yet, it's strong enough to help take down that high-tech spaceship."

"Mmm…" said Chelsea. "Ironic."

"Giant Orc…" ordered Sam, "attack the Crystal Core and destroy the last shield! Bone basher!"

Giant Orc roared, and leapt at the huge Machine, its club held high. It clobbered the central part with its club, and the final shield shattered.

"Ha Des, finish the job," said Sam.

Ha Des fired his Stygian blast into the craft's core, and explosions started to erupt from it just like before. The B.E.S. Crystal Core crashed into the crevice behind Mordent and exploded once again.

**(S: 4,850) -------------------- (M: 2,550)**

"Who cares?" asked Mordent. "I can just activate the effect of Boss Rush again. I may be out of Crystal Cores… So I'll summon another Big Core!"

With another rumbling, a second Big Core appeared over the mountain. (2,300/1,100)

Giant Orc dropped its club, and fell on its behind, its eyes in a daze.

"My Dark Ruler still has more points than either of them," said Sam. "Soon, you're gonna run out…

"I end my turn…"

Mordent angrily drew a card.

He smiled an evil smile.

"I don't think so, bitch," he said.

"What did you call her?" shouted Erik.

"I called her a bitch," said Mordent, "and now she's gonna get it good. I just drew a powerful Monster called B.E.S. Shining Core."

"It's in your hand," said Sam. "So long as Boss Rush is on the field, you can only summon those things from your deck."

"Only if I Normal Summon them," replied Mordent. "And this one can't be Normal Summoned at all, and it can't be Special Summoned with Boss Rush's effect either. But I can Special Summon it from my hand, so long as I meet some specific requirements.

"Case in point, I have to sacrifice one Monster, and also my Boss Rush card. So I'll sacrifice the Big Core that's out of shields."

The first Big Core and the Boss Rush card vanished into glowing globules of energy.

"So… Now, as promised, I get to summon B.E.S. Shining Core."

From behind the mountain, another huge spaceship, with a brilliant silver hull, again with a glowing energy core in the center, flew into view. (2,200/2,000)

"What?" said Sam. "That isn't even as strong as your Big Core."

"I was getting to that," said Mordent. "As always, it comes with three shields. But now, I can expend all three of them to destroy all cards on your side of the field, except those that are right in front of it. And since I was careful to put it in a space in my Monster Zone where nothing is in front of it…"

The three shields shattered, and a storm of missiles shot from the craft. Sam covered her head, as a violent series of explosions erupted on her side of the field, and Dark Ruler Ha Des and Giant Orc were blown to pieces.

"You crummy…" she said.

"Now I've got something special for you," said Mordent. "Two direct attacks! Big Core… You first!"

Big Core shot its own volley of missiles…

"My wall of Kuribohs will protect me!" shouted Sam, discarding one of her cards.

A swarm of Kuribohs sprang up in front of her, and the missiles exploded as they hit them. None of them reached Sam.

"Clever…" said Mordent. "But do you have another one? Shining Core… Attack with master blaster!"

Shining Core launched an assault of its own, and this time Sam had nothing to defend herself with. She screamed as the missiles hit home and she was thrown backwards.

**(S: 2,650) -------------------- (M: 2,550)**

"So…" laughed Mordent. "You like that?"

Sam was on her knees, panting for breath.

"Oh yeah…" she muttered. "I haven't had this much fun since I had my wisdom teeth taken out…"

"Of course…" he said, "even if it makes a direct attack without a shield, it doesn't last…"

B.E.S. Shining Core exploded, and debris rained down on the field.

"Okay, let's see if I understand this…" said Ren. "If one of them makes a direct attack, it doesn't lose a shield… But if one of them makes a direct attack without any shields, it's still destroyed?"

"Will you shut up?" growled Erik. "Good grief, Sam just got nailed, and all you can do is try to figure out the technical matters?"

"And since Boss Rush is gone," continued Mordent, "I can set and Normal Summon Monsters again. So I'll set this in Defense Mode…"

A facedown Monster appeared.

"And I'll end my turn there…" he said with a chuckle.

Sam looked at him. She struggled to get up…

…only to fall down again.

"Get up, baby!" shouted Erik.

Sam grit her teeth, and pulled herself up.

"My… move…" she growled.

She drew a card.

"I play… Pot of Greed…" she muttered.

She played the card, and drew twice.

"You're going down…" she said.

She played a card.

"I play Silent Doom."

Gil Garth appeared on the field, and crouched in Defense Mode. (1,800/1,200)

"Are you kidding?" asked Mordent. "Defending with that guy is asking to lose."

"Who's defending?" asked Sam.

She showed him the card she had just drawn.

"It can't be…" he gasped.

"Oh, but it is…" she replied. "I returned this card to my deck when I played Pot of Avarice."

Gil Garth vanished…

For the third time, Dark Ruler Ha Des appeared in a bonfire of black flames. He glared at Mordent with a look of fury. (2,450/1,600)

"Now I play… Monster Reborn…"

She played the card, and Giant Orc appeared in front of her again. (2,200/0)

"Giant Orc, attack his Big Core!"

Giant Orc roared, and leapt at the spaceship, clobbering the core with its club. In a burst of energy, Giant Orc was incinerated, but the first shield shattered.

"Ha Des, attack that blasted Big Core again!" shouted Sam.

Ha Des scowled angrily. He shot black fire at the Big Core, and it quivered as the second shield shattered.

**(S: 2,550) -------------------- (M: 2,400)**

"Bet you're starting to regret sacrificing your Boss Rush now, huh?" asked Sam. "Make your move…"

_This will not do…_ thought Mordent, as he drew a card. _My Boss Rush is gone, I had to discard another one when she used that Morphing Jar, and my third is nowhere in sight! If the Big Core is destroyed, there'll be no replacement…_

"I shift Big Core into Defense Mode…" he said.

Big Core slowly landed on the surface of the plateau.

"Then I set another Monster in Defense Mode…"

A facedown Monster appeared next to the other one.

"That's all I can do…"

"Then let's see how you like it," said Sam.

Mordent yelped as the blow slammed across his behind, twice.

**(S: 2,550) -------------------- (M: 2,000)**

Sam drew a card. She quickly took the other one in her hand.

"I summon… The Bistro Butcher!" she exclaimed.

In a dark shadow, the diabolic chef appeared, holding aloft his cleaver. (1,800/1,000)

He chuckled.

"Today's special is… destruction a la carte!" he laughed.

"Well said," said Sam. "Now take out the last of those shields."

The Butcher looked at the huge craft, and then hurled his cleaver directly at the center. It stabbed into one of the shields, smashing it to pieces. The craft shuddered again.

"Ha Des… destroy it…"

Ha Des fired his blast, and the Big Core erupted into flames again. It burst into scrap metal.

"Humph," said Ha Des, dusting off his robes. "Hunk of junk…"

"You said it," muttered Sam. "I end my turn."

"So much for that," said Yumi.

"And without Boss Rush, he can't summon any more," said Erik. "I think he was getting low on them anyway."

Mordent nervously drew a card.

"I play _my_ Pot of Avarice," he said.

He played the card, and combined his two Big Cores, his two Crystal Cores, and Tetran with his deck. He reshuffled, and drew twice.

_Hey…_ he thought, looking at the cards in his hand. _A strategy is forming…_

He played a Spell Card.

"Okay, you bimbo," he said. "I play… Stage Select."

"Stage Select?" asked Sam. "What on Earth does that do?"

"I does two things," said Mordent, walking forward. "First, I get to shuffle your deck. So get over here!"

Sam growled. She walked to the center of the arena.

"If even a common card is damaged," she said, as she handed him her deck, "you are one dead duelist."

Mordent started to shuffle.

"Have you forgotten the stakes of this duel already?" he asked.

He gave it one last cut, and handed it back.

"Then we get to the second effect," he said, as he walked back to his position. "I get to take any card I want from my deck, and put it on top. Next round, it will be mine…"

He leafed through his deck, and found what he wanted. He placed it on top of his deck.

"What do you think that card is?" asked Yumi.

"Not sure…" said Anastasia. "I don't know what else in _Gradius_ he could possibly throw at her at this point…"

"Anyway…" said Mordent. "It's still my turn, and I'm far from done. I'll flip my two facedown Monsters into Attack Mode. First, my Assault Core."

His first card flipped, and a new spaceship rose up behind him. This one was smaller than the other Cores, but still somewhat big; possibly, it was a fighter ship. (1,300/1,700)

"Next… my Moai Interceptor Cannons."

The card flipped, and three stone Easter Island statues with cannons in their mouths appeared where the card had been. (1,100/2,000)

"Moving on…" he continued. "I play Junk Dealer…"

_Junk Dealer?_ thought Sam. _That… Sounds familiar…_

"This card lets me summon up to two Warriors or Machines from my Graveyard, so long as their combined Levels don't exceed seven, and I cut their Attack Scores in half. So I'll bring back Gradius and Science Soldier."

Gradius appeared on the field, appearing dented and broken. (1,200/800) –) (600/800) Then Science Soldier appeared, his armor worn and decrepit. (800/800) –) (400/800)

"Now…" said Mordent, "I play Warp Beam!"

A new Spell Card appeared on his side of the field.

"Warp Beam?" said everyone watching.

"This gets complicated, so try to follow," started Mordent. "I choose any number of Monsters on my side of the field. I think I'll choose my Assault Core, and my Moai Interceptor Cannons. Then, for each Monster I chose, I send another Monster on my side of the field to the Graveyard. So I use my Gradius and my Science Soldier for that."

Gradius and Science Soldier disintegrated into grains of light.

"Now, for this round, the Attack Scores of the Monsters I chose become 600 apiece, but they're both able to attack directly.

"So attack!"

Assault Core and Moai Interceptor Cannons fell to 600 Attack. Assault Core blasted laser beams, and the Cannons blasted flames from their barrels. Sam cringed under the two blasts.

She panted for breath…

**(S: 1,350) -------------------- (M: 2,000)**

"Now…" said Mordent, "due to the effect of Moai Interceptor Cannons, I can flip them back into facedown Defense Mode…"

The Cannons vanished, and were replaced by a facedown Monster.

"I'll set a card facedown, and take a break…" he said.

A facedown card appeared.

Sam drew a card.

Her eyebrow lifted when she saw what it was. She looked at the other card in her hand.

"Ha Des…" she ordered. "Attack his facedown Monster!"

Ha Des fired his black flame.

"Go! Negate Attack!" shouted Mordent.

His facedown card lifted, and a vortex shot from it, swallowing Ha Des's blast.

"Sorry, Sam," said Mordent, "but your attacks have just been called off."

Sam frowned. She threw both of her remaining cards into her Disk, and two facedown cards appeared.

"That's all…" she said.

She screamed as the paddle hit her across the buttocks three times. She fell to her knees.

She sobbed quietly for a few seconds.

**(S: 550) -------------------- (M: 2,000)**

"No…" moaned Erik. "If that happens again, she'll lose 1,600 Life Points, and that's more than she has…"

"Oh, don't worry," said Mordent, "she's gonna die this round…"

He drew a card and looked at.

Sure enough, it was the card he had put there – the most powerful Monster in his deck, which could win this duel in a single shot.

"I sacrifice my Moai Interceptor Cannons and my Assault Core…" he shouted.

The two Monsters vanished into grains of light…

"To summon the mothership of the Bacterion fleet… The B.E.S. Covered Core!"

The sky darkened, and the biggest ship of all loomed over the mountain. It was thick, and disk-shaped, and covered with laser turrets and other powerful weaponry. Lights flickered and flashed all over its armored hull. Unlike the others, its core was not visible. Everyone assumed that, like the name of the craft suggested, its power source was covered by the thick hull. (2,500/800)

"NO!" screamed Erik. "If he attacks The Bistro Butcher with that thing…"

"…this duel is over," finished Mordent. "So what do you say now, you slut?"

"I say…" said Sam, through tears.

One of her facedown cards lifted.

"…go to Hell."

It was Ring of Destruction.

"WHAT?" shouted Mordent.

"That's right," said Sam. "And I'm using it on your Covered Core!"

"Are you mad?" he shouted. "The blast will kill both of us!"

"Mad?" she asked. "Buddy, I am _steamed_! And by the way, I'll survive, thanks to my other card."

Her other facedown card lifted.

"My Mystik Wok Spell Card. By sacrificing Ha Des, I gain 2,450 Life Points to buffer the blast."

Ha Des turned to Sam and nodded, and then vanished into grains of light.

"By the way, continued Sam, as she glowed with energy, "thank you so much for shuffling my deck. I probably never would have drawn Mystik Wok otherwise."

The B.E.S. Covered Core started to glow with fiery energy.

"If this were a video game, Mordent," said Sam, "now would be the part where you'd be seeing a certain phrase on the screen…

"Game… Over…"

Mordent screamed, as the B.E.S. Covered Core's core apparently ruptured, and the huge spaceship was blown apart in a huge explosion. Both he and Sam were thrown off their feet from the shockwave, as was everyone watching…

**(S: 500) -------------------- (M: 0)**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

A dark fog lifted, and the group was back in the museum.

Sam noticed that the Ring of Spirits was now on her left ring finger. She had worked harder for this piece of jewelry than any of the other expensive – and oftentimes needless – toys her mother had given her… It was a gold band with a large diamond, with the Eye of Wdjat carved on the face of the stone.

She rubbed her behind.

"You okay Sam?" asked Yumi. "You took quite a beating…"

"I will be…" she muttered. "I just hope I don't have to… sit down for a few hours…"

They looked over at Erik, who had just taken the Ascender's pulse. He looked up.

"Well?" asked Sam. "Make with the CPR."

"Wouldn't do any good, Sam," said Erik, slowly.

They all stared for a second.

Everyone bowed their heads. Chelsea made the sign of the cross over her chest.

Ren started dialing his cell phone.

Yumi went up to Sam and put her hand on her shoulder.

"Sam…" she said.

"Oh, who cares?" muttered Sam. "It was him or me, remember? And he was a bastard who kept making fun of me… Watch me cry…"

She sighed, and looked at the Ring of Spirits.

"Still, when I find Rasputin, I'm gonna hand him his head…"

"Sam…" said Yumi, looking at the Ring. "Maybe this is for the best for now… Like I told Ren and Chelsea, the more of us who have them, the stronger we'll be as a whole."

"Maybe…" replied Sam. "But don't think this means I'm not going to royally humiliate you when we finally do duel…"

Yumi nodded.

"I wouldn't have it any other way," she said.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

After an explanation to the Centurions and a dinner of pizza that was eaten mostly in somber silence, the two groups went their separate ways.

It was now eight PM. Chelsea sat at the computer that was provided in her hotel room, and smiled, having found the website she wanted.

"Oh, Chihiro…" she said in a gentle voice.

The sound of soft sobbing filled the room, and the ghost girl appeared next to her.

"You… you want to see me?" she asked. "What is it Chelsea?"

"I found something you might be interested in," said Chelsea. "Read the text that's on the screen… right here…"

Chihiro looked up curiously.

"Stomach cancer?" she said.

"Read where it says symptoms," said Chelsea.

Chihiro slowly read. She became spellbound by the text as she read further.

"This…" she said softly. "This is what my mother had! This is exactly the same thing!"

"Uh huh…" said Chelsea. "Stomach cancer. One of the rarest and deadliest forms of cancer. It's what killed your mother."

Chihiro started to sob again.

"Why do you show me now?" she said.

"Because I needed to show you it wasn't your fault, Chihiro," said Chelsea. "Look at the rest of the description. Even in modern times, this disease is incurable, and it's fatal nearly a hundred percent of the time. Surviving it would take _more _than a miracle."

Suddenly, Chihiro's crying stopped.

"Then, you mean…" she said.

Chelsea held her arms.

"I mean…" she replied, "that no matter how fast you ran, no matter how early you went, no matter what medicine you brought back, it would have made no difference. She'd have died anyway. All this time, you've been blaming yourself for nothing."

Chihiro was silent for a minute…

Then, for the first time since Chelsea had known her, she smiled…

"Now please go…" said Chelsea. "Go to your mother… She misses you so much, I just know it…"

Chelsea hugged her, and the ghost girl nodded.

Then she glowed with a soft light, and slowly vanished, fading away.

Chelsea made a mental scan.

Chihiro was gone. Her curse had been lifted, now that she had realized the truth.

Chelsea sighed, and went back to her computer.

One ghost taken care of, a gaggle to go…

And now that the Midnight Caller had opened her eyes more, she could help all of them.

She heard thunder rumble outside.

It looked like a storm was brewing, not from any Shadow Game, but from Mother Nature.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

At around midnight, thunder still rumbled. A few folks were still out – Duelatopia never truly closed. And a few duels were still going on between night owls who couldn't sleep.

At the docks, one duel was happening…

On one side, was the duelist whom Nicholas had beaten in his first duel, the one with the Warrior/RFG strategy. He had been having good luck since his defeat at Nicholas's hands, winning back Orange and then climbing all the way to Violet.

Right now, his side of the field was once again stacked. He had two Marauding Captains, two Command Knights, and Freed the Matchless General. He also had The A. Forces, one facedown card, and Dimensional Fissure was still present, despite the fact that he had no more use for it. The only thing keeping him from winning this duel right now was the Swords of Revealing Light that his opponent had played last turn. Other than that, all his opponent had was a facedown card.

His opponent was very calm, despite the overwhelming opposition. He was a youth clothed in a dark trenchcoat, with long, black hair worn loose. His badge was also at Violet.

He drew a card.

"Your strategy is clever…" he said. "Little do you know, the more Monsters you summoned, the deeper you were falling into my Trap…"

His facedown card lifted, and a Dust Tornado blasted apart the Dimensional Fissure.

"Big deal…" said the Warrior duelist. "I didn't exactly need that any more…"

A Spell Card appeared on his opponent's side of the field.

"Huh?" he said. "What the heck is that?"

The duelist went for his deck…

The Warrior duelist didn't know if his eyes were deceiving him or not… A sword appeared on his opponent's hip… He reached for it and grabbed the hilt…

Then, a blast of energy shot forward. His five Warriors screamed in agony. The duelist screamed too, and fell to his knees, as an explosion erupted around him…

His opponent smiled. He slowly sheathed the sword, and it vanished.

He looked at his badge, which was now Silver.

"You may be a king, or a lowly street sweeper," he said, "but the Angel of Death gives quarter to no one…"

He shuffled his deck, and then turned and walked away…

_Yumi's group increases their grip on their power, as the Ring of Spirits is claimed by Sam. The heroes become more powerful as they gain experience, and there may yet be more power to gain. The battle is well-waged…_

**0**

**0**

**0**

**B.E.S. BOOST CORE (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Machine/Effect  
**Attribute: **Wind  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,500  
**DEF:** 500

**Card Description:** When there is a "Boss Rush" on your side of the field and you have no Monsters on your side of the field, you may Special Summon this card from your hand. If this face-up card is destroyed, draw one card.

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**B.E.S. SHINING CORE (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Machine/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level:** 7  
**ATK:** 2,200  
**DEF:** 2,000

**Card Description:** This card cannot be Normal Summoned or set. This card can only be Special Summoned by sending one face-up "Boss Rush" and one Monster from your side of the field to the Graveyard. When this card is Special Summoned in this way, place three counters on it. This card is not destroyed as a result of battle. If this card battles a Monster, remove one counter from this card. If this card battles without a counter, destroy this card at the end of the damage step. Once per turn you can move this card to an adjacent unused space in your Monster Card Zone. Remove three counters from this card to destroy all cards on your opponent's side of the field, except those in the same column as this card.

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**0**

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**SECOND LOOP (Spell Card)**

**Field Spell**

**Image:** Big Core flying through deep space.

**Card Description:** When this card is activated, chose one of the following effects. The chosen effect becomes the effect of this card for as long this card remains on the field.

- Once per turn, during each players' Standby Phase, he/she may put one counter on a "B.E.S." Monster or a Monster that is named "Big Core" that he/she controls.

- When a "B.E.S." Monster or a Monster that is named "Big Core" is Special Summoned, it is considered to be Normal Summoned. Such a summon does not count as the player's Normal Summon for the turn.

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**GRADIUS MISSILE (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** Gradius firing a missile.

**Card Description:** You may only activate this card if you control a face-up "Gradius" on the field. Destroy one card on your opponent's side of the field. If you control a face-up "Gradius Option", you may pay 500 Life Points for each one you control. If you do so, you may destroy one additional card on your opponent's field for each "Gradius Option" you control.

_Note: "Gradius Missile" was created by Man Called True for use in his fic "Tilting the Balance". Creative credit goes to him._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**JUNK DEALER (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** A ragged and muscular junk man.

**Card Description:** Special Summon up to two Warrior- and/or Machine-Type Monsters from your Graveyard whose combined Levels do not exceed seven in Attack Position. The ATK of these Monsters is reduced by half. These Monsters cannot attack during the round you use this card. You cannot offer these Monsters as a Tribute for a Tribute Summon.

_Note: "Junk Dealer" was first used by Alister in the original anime episode "Flight of Fear (Part Two)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**WARP BEAM (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** A generator emitting a beam of pure light.

**Card Description:** Select any number of Monsters on your side of the field. Send Monsters from your side of the field to the Graveyard equal to the number of selected Monsters, other than the selected Monsters themselves. This round, the ATK of the selected Monsters becomes 600, and they may attack your opponent directly.

_Note: "Warp Beam" was first used by Zane in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Tough Love". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**ASSAULT CORE (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Machine/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level:** 3  
**ATK:** 1,300  
**DEF:** 1,700

**Card Description:** When this card is face-up on the field, it is treated as if its name included the word "B.E.S."

**0**

**0**

**0**

**STAGE SELECT (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** A very old-fashioned video game screen, featuring a measuring tool on a grid.

**Card Description:** Shuffle your opponent's deck. Then, select any card from your deck, and place it on the top of your deck.

_Note: "Assault Core" and "Stage Select" were first used by Lorenzo in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Duelfellahs". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**Chelsea: Yumi, we're getting into serious territory! Both of us are at Silver! One more victory, and we'll be in the finals!**

**Ren: Sam too, I might add…**

**Chelsea: Maybe I should duel that guy over there… He's at Silver…**

**Ren: Him? Oh no… Isn't he the guy who can finish an opponent in one turn?**

**Yumi: This could be a very short duel…**

**Coming up next, "****Ichigeki Hissatsu; Chelsea's Bid For Gold".**

**Be on your toes, Chelsea… They say you never hear the one that gets you…**


	28. Ichigeki Hissatsu

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**CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN**

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**Ichigeki Hissatsu**

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**Chelsea's Bid For Gold**

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Midnight.

Sheena Arachne sat in her dark office.

She turned on a recording device on her desk.

"Log of Sheena Arachne, CEO of KaibaCorp, supplemental," she said, as it recorded. "Now, the actions of this League of Ascension have resulted in a death. I consider myself lucky that it was a death of one of their own number, and not an honest guest or one of my employees, even though this is cold comfort. Even criminals have families… Did this one have a wife? Children? Parents? If he did, I must explain what happened once he is identified…

"Their actions are becoming more and more dangerous. If I raise an alarm, I risk causing panic. But I can still do more to stop them…

"Once this entry is recorded and saved, the alert level of the Centurions will be increased again, to level eight. I'm willing to raise it further if I have to, to find the one behind these rogues…

"This must end…

"It's times like this that I miss dear Siegfried with all my soul…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

It was six AM the following morning.

The beginning of Day Four. A foggy mist was covering the shores of the island, which was still a bit chilly…

On the streets of the Entertainment District, a duel was in progress between two early risers…

"Idaten…" shouted Olga, "attack Ebon Magician Curran!"

Cyber Angel Idaten charged at the small, child Spellcaster, who screamed and covered her head before she was smashed flat.

"So much for her," said Olga, to her opponent, an older girl with short, strawberry-blonde hair. "So, Natasha… Want to show me just how you became the national champion of Russia? Or are all the duelists there wimps?"

**(Olga: 7,400) -------------------- (Natasha: 6,300)**

"I'm still standing…" said Natasha, drawing a card. "And my true strategy has yet to be unleashed.

"I play Pot of Greed."

The jar appeared in front of her, and she drew two cards. She looked at them.

She smirked. She played two cards, and a facedown card and a facedown Monster appeared in front of her.

"That all?" asked Olga, drawing a card.

She added it to her hand.

"Idaten, attack!"

Idaten charged. A Mystic Tomato appeared on the card, and was blown to pieces.

"I activate my Trap!" shouted Natasha, as her facedown card lifted. "Michizure… I hope your Angel isn't afraid of heights…"

The ground shook, and then cracked open. Idaten screamed as she was swallowed into the abyss.

"And due to Mystic Tomato's destruction…" continued Natasha. "I can summon a Dark Monster with 1,500 or fewer Attack Points. Meet the diva of my deck…"

She placed a card on her Disk, and a dark shadow crept across the arena…

"I summon… Reficul, the Fallen Angel Nurse. She'll give you the prescription for death…"

A man-sized, female figure appeared in front of her. She was covered in bandages from head to toe, and had long, purple hair, and huge, leathery wings. Most remarkably, her wrists, ankles, and neck were bound by chains that had been broken, as if she were a prisoner who had broken free from some place. She looked at Olga with an evil smile. (1,400/600)

"Urk!" exclaimed Olga. "Okay, that's… very scary… But she isn't exactly the strongest Monster in the world…"

She looked at her cards.

_I could defend myself with Cyber Petite Angel… _she thought, _but then I might lose the chance to get rid of this thing…_

"I… have to end my turn…"

Natasha drew a card.

"Reficul, attack her directly!"

Reficul flicked her head forward, and her hair shot forward. Olga hollered.

It was razor-sharp…

"I've heard of bad hair days, but that's ridiculous…" muttered Olga.

**(O: 6,000) -------------------- (N: 6,300)**

"I place three cards facedown," continued Natasha. "And that will be all…"

Three facedown cards appeared.

Olga drew a card. It was Shining Angel.

"Okay…" she said. "Time to bring out Idaten's sister… I summon Cyber Petite Angel…"

She played the card, and the tiny Fairy appeared. (300/200)

"I activate a Trap Card!" shouted Natasha.

One of her facedown cards lifted.

"Huh?" asked Olga, looking at it. "Dark Cure? What does that do?"

"Whenever you summon a Monster," said Natasha, "it gives you Life Points equal to half the Monster's Attack Score."

"What?" said Olga with a laugh. "I can't believe there even IS a Trap that does that! How do you expect to win that way?"

"Did I forget to mention Reficul's powerful effect?" asked Natasha. "When she's on the field, any effect that would increase your Life Points does the opposite, taking them away instead…"

Reficul's eyes glowed with fiery pinpoints, and Olga felt a twinge of pain…

She looked at her hand.

_Okay, so it's a pretty good combo,_ she thought. _I'm going to lose a few Life Points… but this Fallen Angel has got to go..._

"Due to Cyber Petite Angel's effect," she continued, "I get to pull Machine Angel Ritual from my deck."

She took the card.

"Now I use it, and sacrifice it, and Shining Angel, to summon Cyber Angel Benten!"

Shining Angel appeared on the field. Both Fairies turned to metal, and vanished into motes of light…

Benten appeared on the field, and gave a fierce battlecry. (1,800/1,500)

Reficul's eyes glowed again, and Olga sweat as the burning pain coursed through her…

**(O: 4,950) -------------------- (N: 6,300)**

"I activate my other Trap!" shouted Natasha.

Her second facedown card lifted.

"Sadistic Potion…" she said. "Now, whenever you take effect damage, and you just did, Reficul gains 1,000 Attack Points for the rest of the turn. So now your Angel isn't strong enough to kill her."

Reficul grinned evilly, and her Attack grew to 2,400.

"I should probably mention," said Natasha, crossing her arms. "Reficul just despises other Fairies. They're the ones who locked her in chains in the first place."

"Given the nature of her powers…" muttered Olga, "I'm guessing she has only herself to blame…"

She placed a card in her Disk.

"I'll end with this."

A facedown card appeared.

Natasha drew a card.

"I activate another Trap Card," said Natasha, as her third facedown card lifted. "It's called Gift Card.

"Normally, this Trap would increase your Life Points by 3,000. But…"

Reficul's eyes burned with fire, and Olga screamed in pain.

Reficul rose to an attack of 2,400 again.

"Next, I summon Burning Algae…" she said.

In a burst of flame, a Monster that looked more or less like a bush that was on fire appeared in front of her. (500/1,500)

_Oh no…_ thought Olga. _When Burning Algae goes to the Graveyard, I'd normally gain 1,000 Life Points… But with Reficul on the field…_

"Burning Algae…" ordered Natasha. "Attack Cyber Angel Benten!"

The fiery bush shot a wave of flame at Benten…

"Sorry…" said Olga, "but I'm going to nip your plan in the bud…"

Her facedown card lifted.

"I activate Doble Passe. Now your attack turns into a direct attack on me…"

Benten leapt out of the way, and Olga winced as the flames hit her.

"And even better, now Benten gets to attack you."

Benten leapt at Natasha, and smacked her upside the head with her fans. She shrieked and fell over.

Natasha angrily got up.

"Let's see her avoid this!" she shouted. "Reficul, attack Benten!"

Reficul's hair-blade slashed forward. Benten screamed before she was literally cut in half.

**(O: 850) -------------------- (N: 4,500)**

"So what will you do now?" asked Natasha. "If you summon anything with an Attack Score of 1,700 or more, Reficul will finish you off!

"But just in case…"

She took the last card in her hand.

"I play Swords of Revealing Light."

The cage of shimmering swords fell around Olga.

Olga drew one card.

"I play… Pot of Greed…" she said.

She drew two cards.

"And I have just enough Life Points left to play this… Brain Control!"

She played a Spell Card.

"Reficul, get over here!" she shouted.

A fiendish brain appeared on her side. Reficul gasped as two long arms reached out and grabbed her, pulling her over to Olga's side.

"Fat lot of good that will do you," said Natasha. "That only lasts for one round, and you can't attack with my Swords in play."

"Which is why Reficul is going to be leaving," said Olga.

"I sacrifice your Nurse… To summon Cyber Prima."

Reficul bowed her head, and then vanished, and in her place rose a much more beautiful female figure. She wore a silver bodysuit, with golden hoops around her waist, and a Mardi Gras-style mask over her eyes. (2,300/1,600)

"Your Dark Cure is still active," said Olga, "but Reficul is gone, meaning I gain 1,150 Life Points.

"And that's not all. When Prima is summoned, all Spell Cards on the field are destroyed."

Prima's eyes glowed, and the Swords shattered into shards of light.

**(O: 1,200) -------------------- (N: 4,500)**

"Now that I have Life Points to spend, I'll spend 800 of them, to play Premature Burial. I'll bring back my not-so-gruesome twosome that you destroyed on your first turn, Gellenduo."

She played the card, and two cute-looking creatures that looked like they were shaped like little hearts, one pink and one green, appeared in front of her. (1,700/0)

"That means I get 850 more Life Points back right away, thanks to your Dark Cure…

"Next, I play Double Summon. This means I get to make another Normal Summon this round."

A Spell Card appeared on the field, showing an image of a sorceress casting a spell at an onrushing Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts.

"Now I can sacrifice Gellenduo to summon someone else. And when they're sacrificed to summon a Light Fairy, they can count as two sacrifices.

"So, I sacrifice them to summon Guardian Angel Joan!"

Gellenduo vanished in a burst of brilliant light, and the mighty form of Guardian Angel Joan flew out of the light. (2,800/2,000)

Natasha stepped back in fear…

"That means your Dark Cure kicks in again…" said Olga.

**(O: 2,650) -------------------- (N: 4,500)**

"Guardian Angel Joan…" ordered Olga, "attack her Burning Algae with searing light of Heaven!"

Joan blasted beams of pure light, and Burning Algae was vaporized. Olga glowed with energy as she was healed once more.

**(O: 4,150) -------------------- (N: 2,200)**

"Ho boy…" said Natasha.

"Now the fun part…" said Olga. "Prima… Attack directly!"

The Warrior charged at Natasha. Prima kicked her in the gut, and she flew backwards.

Natasha fell to the ground. She was out cold.

**(O: 4,150) -------------------- (N: 0)**

Olga looked at her badge.

_Silver at last…_ she thought. _I'm even with Yumi…_

_Maybe I should check up on her and the rest of them…_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The warm sun finally rose, and burned away the fog.

At the border of the Hotel Strip and the Restaurant District sat a large coffee house called the Daily Grind. Coffee house chains didn't last long these days with Starbucks dominating the business, but Sheena didn't like monopolies, something that Starbucks was threatening to become with each passing year, and adamantly refused their petitions to open one in Duelatopia. They had made several offers, but no amount of money could tempt a company as rich as KaibaCorp. (The fact that KaibaCorp was somewhat of a monopoly itself in the world of dueling was always answered with the explanation that it would only become one if it owned Industrial Illusions, which was something that would never happen, due to a clause in the company charter set by Seto Kaiba himself. He didn't like monopolies either, mostly because his stepfather had loved them so much. Industrial Illusions had a similar clause. The two companies were currently allies, but would never be owned by the same group.)

Thus, this independent coffee shop had opened here, and this morning, Yumi, Ren, and Chelsea were at a table, drinking mocha lattes and sampling bear claws. Chelsea was wearing sunglasses for some reason.

"Gee, Chelsea," said Ren, "why the shades?"

"Uhm…" she said. "I didn't get to sleep until one in the morning last night…"

She smirked a little.

The Midnight Caller had helped a great deal. She now knew how to help all the ghosts who had come to her, and had started to do so. She had started with Chihiro because she was the most tragic, but she had gotten to others.

Sir Percival had been easy. He hadn't been looking for an object all this time at all. It seemed that he had a beloved niece that he had an argument with before he left on the trip where he had lost his life. He now simply had to find her descendant and apologize, and he'd be released. She was even able to direct him to that descendent – she was living in Nikko.

The Baroness had been a little harder. Her curse had been inflicted on purpose by her rotten husband, who wanted to punish her dearly for her infidelity – which, of course, she had been innocent of. He had called in a favor of some royal court magician to cast the most diabolic curse before he murdered her. Both her husband and that magician were burning in Hell now, but that hadn't lifted the curse.

Chelsea told her what to do, however. Since the curse had royal authority, she had to enter a structure that represented a completely different monarchy which was older than that of her home country, and thus had a higher authority as far as spiritual energy went. The Emperor's Palace in Tokyo fit the bill. Once she went there, it would act as an escape route, and the curse could do nothing to stop her.

Both Sir Percival and the Baroness had wasted no time in leaving, nor did two other ghosts she had spoken to last night. Chelsea could hardly believe she was going to miss them and Chihiro, but at least they could rest in peace now… She'd get to less tragic ones tonight.

Of course, it did little to ease their most recent troubles. A Shadow Game had occurred, and this time, the loser had paid with his life. They all tried to reason that he was a jerk who'd have killed Sam without a second thought, but it was still a lot to take in.

"Well…" muttered Ren. "Some pizza last night…"

He sipped his coffee.

"First the Eliminators, now secret restaurants… What else in this place is secret?"

"All resorts have their secrets," replied Yumi. "According to legend, Disneyland Anaheim has a secret, hidden restaurant where only a few select members are allowed entrance."

"That place?" said Chelsea. "Oh, it's real. Dad told me that according to what folks say at work, Maximillion Pegasus was a member."

She sipped her coffee.

"I mean, think about it… The guy was a billionaire, and he played a Toon Deck. It kind of makes sense that he would belong to the most exclusive club in Disneyland.

"Anyway, the place is located in the New Orleans section of the theme park, behind a nondescript door. But even if you know what you're looking for, you can't get in… Members only.

"And becoming a member is hard. It only has about five-hundred members, and it takes nine years to get membership, at least. Then you have to pay a fee of $9,500 to become a member, and after that, the annual membership fee is $3,175. That doesn't cover the cost of a meal, but if you have reservations at the restaurant, admission to the park itself is free.

"Anyway, it's certainly a posh club. The restaurant is five-star, and according to the legend, it's the only place in the park that serves alcohol."

"So who the heck are members of this place?" asked Ren.

"Dunno…" muttered Chelsea. "I'd assume A-list actors, musicians, and celebrities, former and current heads of state, basically people with more money than they know what to do with."

"Hey…" said Ren, pointing to a table. "Isn't that Heck?"

It was indeed. The V-through-Z cowboy duelist was sitting alone at a table with a cappuccino, looking somewhat sullen.

"Hey, Heck," said Yumi, as they walked up to his table. "What's up? Blue, I see…"

"Yeah, ah'm Blue…" replied Heck. "But ah'm thinking of throwing in the towel, Yumi… It seems every time ah get Violet, ah lose it again. Too many good duelists, and not many top ranking ones left… Word is that so many of them are getting sloppy, finding the Eliminators and being wiped out…

"Ah hear the Eliminators have the right to lock you up or something if they beat you. Ah'm not that dumb."

Yumi gave a nervous look, remembering how Mystara had threatened to seal her in amber. Mystara did indeed have the power to seal a person in a gemstone – the Gift of Diamond was proof. She doubted Mystara would have imprisoned her forever… But there was the possibility that if she had lost, she would have been trapped until the end of the tournament…

The door opened, and _he_ entered.

Everyone turned to take notice. It was the duelist in the dark trenchcoat with long, dark hair. He looked around, and strode up to the bar.

"Surreal…" muttered Ren.

"Ah've heard of that guy…" muttered Heck. "They call him Angel…"

"Angel?" asked Yumi.

"Short for Angel of Death…" replied Heck. "Ah've never actually seen him duel, but they say his strategy is lethal… His deck is based on a concept called… Oh, what is it now…

"Ichigeki Hissatsu… Whatever that means…"

Yumi looked at him.

"I know what it means…" she said. "It's a term used in some martial arts, like Karate and Iaido. It refers to the ability to finish off your opponent with a single strike."

"Whoa…" muttered Ren. "So he has some sort of OTK Deck?"

Chelsea looked at him.

"Let's find out…" she said.

"Chelsea!" said Ren. "You aren't gonna do what I sure hope you aren't gonna do…"

Chelsea walked up to the dark figure, who was drinking a large coffee.

"Angel?" she asked.

He turned to her.

"I hear you're good."

He looked at her.

"Yes," he said, in a soft voice. "Seeing as your badge is one step away from Gold, you must be no slouch yourself."

"Well then…" she said. "I'm at Silver, you're at Silver… If we were to duel, the winner would get the first spot in the finals, I believe…"

"She's crazy…" said Heck.

"Heh, heh," said Angel, with a small grin.

It was a very small grin. It sort of looked like it would hurt his face if he actually smiled.

"I have to warn you…" he said. "Since I started using my current deck, I've only lost three times. The three folks who beat me knew exactly what the key card in my deck was.

"Several other of my opponents knew, but they lost anyway.

"But if you're really serious…"

He stood up, and Chelsea flinched a little. He stood about six-foot-four…

"I'll gladly accept your challenge…"

Chelsea was quiet for a few minutes.

"You're on!" she said.

"Then I'll meet you outside…" said Angel.

He walked past her and head for the door.

"Chelsea!" shouted Ren. "What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking I'm going to be facing a valid challenge…" she answered, "or make a complete and absolute fool of myself.

"But I'm not scared…"

Yumi looked at her.

"Chelsea, it's one thing not to be scared, and another thing to be stupid," she said. "Are you sure?"

"Let me put it this way…" said Chelsea. "He's at Silver. That means we likely would have had to duel him eventually. It might as well be now."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Yumi, Ren, and Heck followed Chelsea as she walked out.

"Cyber-Stein Deck?" asked Ren.

"Cyber-Stein is illegal," answered Yumi.

"Cyber Jar Mill Deck?" he asked.

"Also illegal," replied Yumi. "Let's face it… They try their hardest to outlaw cards that make OTK strategies easy. But there are several legal methods. I have no idea what he might have waiting for Chelsea."

"So, you came," said Angel, as Chelsea approached him. "I wasn't sure if you would… Folks who challenge me have been known to chicken out at the last minute and run out the back door."

Chelsea's Disk activated.

"Does this look like I'm chickening out?" she said. "I'm starting to like you less and less…"

Angel's Disk activated.

"Let me tell you one thing, Chelsea," he said. "A lot of people don't like me… And you know what? I really don't care whether they do or not…

"In this game, you don't have to worry about people liking you… Especially your opponents. You crush your opponents. That's the way it is…"

He pointed to Ren and Yumi.

"I mean, what's going to happen if you should win?" he asked. "You'd have to duel them in this contest eventually. Would you all still be so friendly once you became rivals?"

"I'll cross that bridge when I come to it…" said Chelsea, with a sneer. "And you have a lot to learn about being a good sport."

"There's an old saying," said Angel, as his eyes narrowed. "It says that nice guys finish last. I play to win. So I'd rather not be a nice guy."

"Game on!" they both shouted.

**(Chelsea: 8,000) -------------------- (Angel: 8,000)**

"Here goes…" said Chelsea, drawing her first card.

She looked over her hand.

"I summon Blood Sucker in Attack Mode," she said.

She played the card, and in a burst of darkness, the bat-like Zombie appeared. (1,300/1,500)

"One…" said Angel.

Chelsea looked at him funny.

"Uh, yeah…" she said. "Then I'll toss two cards facedown, and that will be my turn."

Two facedown cards appeared behind Blood Sucker.

"Two, three," he said, "and the turn comes to me…"

He drew a card, and looked at it.

"I set a Monster in Defense Mode, and end my turn," he said.

A defensive Monster appeared.

"Well, Chelsea's still alive…" said Ren. "But I think he's up to something…"

Chelsea drew a card.

"I summon Zombie Werewolf in Attack Mode," she said.

In another burst of dark energy, the vicious Werewolf appeared and howled. (1,200/1,200)

"Blood Sucker…" ordered Chelsea, "attack the facedown Monster!"

Blood Sucker lunged forward. The creature that appeared on the card was a weird-looking Fiend with red skin, green trousers, and eyes all over its body. Blood Sucker slashed with its claw, and it shattered.

"Thank you…" said Angel, again with that small grin. "That was a Monster called a Big Eye, and due to its Flip-Effect, I now get to take the top five cards on my deck, then look at them, and then rearrange them any way I want…"

He took five cards off of his deck and looked over them. He made one adjustment, putting one card underneath the one he would draw on his next turn, and then put them back.

"I don't know what your game is," said Chelsea, "but now your side is clear! Zombie Werewolf, attack Angel directly! Terror claw."

Zombie Werewolf flew forward and made a slash with his claw, and Angel staggered back.

**(C: 8,000) -------------------- (A: 6,800)**

"Heh, heh…" said Angel. "Nothing I like more than a little pain… Especially when I'm the one dishing it out…

"By the way… Four…"

He drew a card.

"I play a Spell Card," he said, holding a card up. "It's called Obligatory Summons, and it works like this… I choose one Monster on your side of the field, so I think I'll choose your Zombie Werewolf.

"Zombie Werewolf is a Dark Attribute, Zombie Type, Level Four Monster. Now, you must Special Summon all the Monsters you can from your hand or deck that fall into those three categories."

Chelsea gave him a funny look.

"Whatever you say…" she said, taking her deck.

She played three cards, and her three Vampire Ladies appeared in front of her. (1,550/1,550 x3)

Angel nodded.

"Five, six, seven…" he said, "all good girls go to Heaven…"

He took another card from his hand.

"Now I play Mischief of the Goddess…" he said.

A shower of sparkling motes showered on Chelsea. She stood spellbound, as a beautiful maiden appeared behind her and let out a girlish giggle.

"Now I get to look at your hand," continued Angel, "and if there's a Spell Card there, I can set it facedown."

The maiden gently took hold of Chelsea's right hand. Chelsea didn't resist as her hand of cards was turned around.

"Book of Life will do," said Angel.

The maiden plucked the card from Chelsea's hand, and then slid it into her Duel Disk. Then she kissed Chelsea on the cheek, and vanished.

Chelsea held her head as the facedown card appeared.

_Weird…_ she thought. _This whole strategy is weird…_

"Now…" said Angel, taking one more Spell Card from his hand, "you all wanted to know what my kill-card was? I'll bet you're… dying to find out."

An ominous wind started to pick up around the field. Everyone started to shiver…

A Spell Card appeared on his side of the field, showing the image of a hand pulling a sword from a sheath.

"I play… my Slash Draw," he said. "I'll explain this in small words. First, I discard one card from my deck at random for each card on the field. In other words, eight…"

Eight cards shot out of his deck, and he caught them. He threw them into his Graveyard slot.

"What's the point?" asked Chelsea.

"Then I get to draw one card," continued Angel. "If it happens to be another Slash Draw, all cards on the field are destroyed… and, then, this is the part I savor… you lose 1,000 Life Points for each one."

"One grand for each one?" shouted Heck. "If he draws it, she'll be wiped out!"

Ren's eyes opened wide.

"He rearranged the cards on the top of his deck…" he said, aghast. "He knows exactly what the top card is…"

Yumi shook her head.

"Poor Chelsea…" she muttered.

Angel reached for his deck. He drew a card.

In a flash of light, a sword – a katana blade – appeared on his hip. He grasped it by the hilt, and with one swift motion, drew it from its sheath…

"DIE!" he shouted.

A blade of energy shot towards Chelsea's side of the field. An explosion erupted over Chelsea and her Monsters, and her scream could be heard over the blast…

The explosion and the flames slowly started to subside…

Angel smirked again, and slowly returned the sword to the sheath.

"That's it…" said Angel, as it disappeared. "Game over…"

The smoke cleared. Chelsea was crouched down, with her chin to her knees, her whole side wiped out, with smoke rising from her body…

"But you did have guts, kid," he continued. "Not many would have…"

"Uh, Angel," interrupted Ren. "Better check the score…"

"Huh?" he said.

**(C: 3,550) -------------------- (A: 6,800)**

"What the…" said Angel, in shock. "No way! That's not possible!"

Chelsea slowly staggered to her feet, holding her chest. She coughed, and gasped for breath.

"Oh but it is…" she said, slowly. "Close, but no banana, Angel."

He glared at her.

"See, one of the facedown cards I set on my first turn was Mystik Wok. I chained it just as you played your Slash Draw, sacrificing a Vampire Lady. And as a serious duelist knows, Quickplay Spells gain priority over Normal Spells.

"So when your Slash Draw's effect hit, there were only six cards on the field, so I only lost 6,000 Life Points. In addition, due to the effect of Mystik Wok, I gained 1,550 of them before I lost any.

"This duel is not over yet. Seems your strategy has a few flaws that you have to work out."

"How-dee!" shouted Heck. "That was the best save ah've seen since Macintosh recovered the fumble at the Superbowl last year."

Angel growled.

"You must think you're so smart…" he said. "Well, it's still my turn… I'll set a Monster in Defense Mode, and that will be all."

A facedown Monster appeared in front of him.

Chelsea drew a card.

"I play Pot of Greed," she said, playing the card.

She drew two cards. She looked at them

"All right!" she said, throwing a card into her Disk. "I play… Symbol of Heritage. Since there are three of the same Monster in my Graveyard, I can summon one of them to the field, so long as I Equip it with this."

The strange variation of the ankh symbol appeared on her side of the field, and Vampire Lady appeared in front of her. (1,550/1,550)

"Attack his facedown Monster!" she shouted.

Vampire Lady flew forward. A Mystic Tomato appeared on the card. With one swipe of her claw, it was blown into tomato paste.

"I activate Mystic Tomato's effect," said Angel. "I don't use this guy very often… I keep him in my deck because he's sort of… symbolic…

"I summon Demise Lord."

A shadowy aura appeared over the arena, and ghostly, demonic shapes started to fly around the two duelists. A tall, diabolical figure appeared. He was a man-shaped creature in a fiendish, flowing brown robe and a helmet with a long cape, holding a scythe. (1,300/2,000)

"Ugh," said Chelsea. "Okay… That's… creepy… But he's all bark and no bite."

Angel just glared at her.

Chelsea placed a card in her Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

"My turn is over…" she said.

Angel drew a card.

"I play my own Pot of Greed…" he said.

He played the card, and then made two draws.

He fit a card into his Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

"That will do for now…" he said.

"Huh?" said Ren. "His Lord is clearly weaker than Vampire Lady… Yet he kept him in Attack Mode?"

"Something is up…" said Yumi.

Chelsea drew a card.

She raised an eyebrow. It was the card that the Midnight Caller had given her. She had taken Ryu Kokki out of her deck to make room for it…

[IHis facedown card is likely some Monster-killing Trap,[/I she thought, looking at the card. [IBut if it is, he'll be in for a surprise.[/I

"I sacrifice my Vampire Lady…" she said.

Vampire Lady vanished.

"To summon someone I had to defeat in order to get this card… Meet The Midnight Caller!"

In a dark shadow, a tall form appeared in front of Chelsea. Ren and Yumi were surprised. The Monster looked exactly like The Midnight Caller whom Chelsea had dueled against – every exact detail was there. (2,400/1,000)

"Is that cool or what?" asked Chelsea.

"I'll give it an 'or what'," replied Angel.

"Fine…" said Chelsea. "Attack his Demise Lord! Dark curse!"

The Midnight Caller's eyes glowed red, and he held his hand out. The Lord strained, and then shattered into pieces.

**(C: 3,550) -------------------- (A: 5,700)**

"Well, so much for him…" said Chelsea. "I end my turn…"

"Not before the effect of my Lord activates," replied Angel. "He has an effect that can be used once per duel…"

The ground started to crack…

"If he's destroyed in battle and sent to the Graveyard, he makes a quick recovery… Only he comes back much stronger than he was before…"

Demise Lord burst out of the ground, holding his scythe menacingly. His eyes burned with fire. (3,000/2,000)

"Three G's?" exclaimed Heck.

"Not only that…" replied Angel, "but his new ability is unlocked… He can't be destroyed by card effects from this point on. Not even my own Slash Draw.

"You probably thought that my deck didn't have any offensive power. Well, as you can see, you were wrong. The first rule of dueling is, always bring a backup plan.

"And since that was the end of your turn, it's my move…"

He drew a card.

"I play Pot of Avarice," he said, playing a card.

The goofy, pink version of the Pot of Greed appeared in front of him.

Five cards slipped out of his discard slot. He combined them with his deck, reshuffled, and then drew two cards.

"I place one card facedown…" he said.

A facedown card appeared.

Then he played a Spell Card.

"Now, Magical Stone Excavation," he said. "I just have to toss two cards, and a Spell Card comes back to my hand."

He tossed his A Feather of the Phoenix and Exchange of the Spirits into his Graveyard. Then a card slipped out of his Graveyard.

"Slash Draw, right?" asked Chelsea.

Angel nodded.

"But before I use it…" he said.

His first facedown card lifted, showing the image of a mad scientist in a cramped study.

"It's a Trap called Fruits of Kozaky's Study," he said. "Now I get to look at the top three cards on my deck, and rearrange them however I want…

"It goes without saying that when a card plays such a vital role in your deck, you always have to have three copies of it."

He took the three cards and looked at them. Again, he gave that small smirk… He made one adjustment.

"It's okay!" gasped Ren. "He can only destroy three cards… Chelsea will survive…"

"But after that, what will protect her from his Monster?" asked Yumi.

Angel placed the cards back.

"Now, I play Slash Draw again," he said, playing the card. "And since there are four cards on the field…"

Four cards shot out of his deck, and he caught them, and quickly discarded them.

"Now…"

He quickly drew the top card from his deck…

The sword appeared by his side again. He grabbed hold of the hilt and drew it again…

The blade of energy shot towards Chelsea again. Angel's facedown Monster Reincarnation lifted up and shattered as the explosion centered on Chelsea again. Chelsea was barely visible, staggering against the blow…

But when the smoke cleared, she was grinning. And The Midnight Caller was still standing.

**(C: 2,550) -------------------- (A: 5,700)**

"NOW WHAT?" shouted Angel, with his eyes opened wide.

"The Midnight Caller has a special ability of his own," said Chelsea. "If I toss a Monster from my hand that's Level Four or greater, he becomes immortal for one round. Of course, I can only use that effect three times, and there's a hefty price if I use it a third time… But whatever works…

"Not only that, I chain-activated my Rush Recklessly, which removed it from the field and raised his Attack to 3,100. That's a Quickplay too, in case you didn't know. So your Slash Draw only destroyed one card this time – yours."

Angel angrily sheathed the sword, and it vanished.

"You're getting on my nerves, Chelsea…" he growled.

He frowned.

Then he made that slight smirk again.

"Although, I must admit, this is the best challenge I've had in a long time. It's kind of… Invigorating…

"I'll end my turn there."

Chelsea made one draw.

_Nuts…_ she thought, adding it to her hand.

"I move The Midnight Caller to Defense Mode," she said.

The Caller knelt down, and covered himself with his cape.

"That's all I can do…" she said. "But what will you do? You're all out of Slash Draws."

"We'll see, won't we?" asked Angel, drawing a card.

"Demise Lord, attack The Midnight Caller!"

The Lord's eyes glowed, and his mouth twisted into an evil smile. He made a slash with his scythe, and The Caller exploded into shards.

"Didn't have a Monster you could discard, huh?" he asked. "Your move."

Chelsea looked at the two cards in her hand.

Both of them were Monsters, but one of them was only Level Three, and the other was too valuable to discard. Not to mention it was one of only two cards in her entire deck which might be able to defeat his Lord.

She drew a card.

_Will this work?_ she thought, looking at the Lord. _I'm not sure if…_

"Angel… question…" she said. "Is your Monster a Zombie or a Fiend?"

"Fiend," he replied. "Why?"

"Because now that means I can take it down without losing my own Monster…" said Chelsea.

She played a card, and Premature Burial appeared on the field. In a burst of shadowy darkness, Vampire Lord appeared in front of her. (2,000/1,500)

"Wait a second…" said Angel. "When was he in your Graveyard?"

"I discarded him to activate The Midnight Caller's effect," replied Chelsea. "And now, I remove him from play, to bring out Vampire Genesis!"

Vampire Lord vanished, and the mighty vampire deity appeared, glowing with his dark aura. (3,000/2,100)

"Lovely…" said Angel. "Now we've got a standoff."

"Not quite…" said Chelsea, taking the last card in her hand. "Since I haven't Normal Summoned yet, I summon Vampire Bat."

A swarm of bats flew onto the field, forming into one giant bat. (800/800)

Vampire Genesis grew to an Attack of 3,200, and Vampire Bat grew to 1,000.

"Uh oh…" said Angel.

"See?" said Chelsea. "Vampire Bat increases the Attack Score of all Zombies on the field. So if your Lord were a Zombie, it really would have been a standoff.

"Vampire Genesis… Attack his Lord!"

Genesis burst into his crimson shroud, and plowed into Demise Lord. He tried to shield himself from the onslaught, but toppled over and shattered into pieces.

"Vampire Bat, attack directly! Nightmare scourge!"

Angel covered his head as the swarm of bats flocked at him, biting and clawing. He grunted and fell on one knee.

**(C: 1,750) -------------------- (A: 4,500)**

"So, what do you have to say to that?" asked Chelsea.

Angel got up.

"I say," he said, "bring it."

He drew a card.

"I place this in Defense Mode…" he said.

A facedown Monster appeared.

"Next I play The Shallow Grave. Now we each summon a Monster from our Graveyards in facedown Defense Mode."

Another facedown Monster appeared in front of him, and one appeared in front of Chelsea.

"Your move…" he said.

Chelsea drew a card.

_Hmm, Zombie Bed,_ she thought. _Couldn't hurt…_

She placed it in her Disk, and the facedown card appeared.

"I Flip-Summon my facedown Monster," she said. "You remember The Midnight Caller, right?"

The facedown card flipped, and The Midnight Caller appeared again. (2,400/1,000) – (2,600/1,000)

"Attack the Monster on the left!" she shouted.

The Midnight Caller's eyes glowed, and he held out his hand.

Magician of Faith appeared on the card, and she cowered before she was blasted into pieces.

"Oh, great…" said Ren.

"Thanks…" said Angel. "Now one Spell Card comes back to my hand…"

One of his copies of Slash Draw slipped out of his Graveyard, and he added it to his hand.

"I'm not done with you…" said Chelsea. "Genesis, attack the other Monster!"

Vampire Genesis erupted into his crimson shroud and flew at the facedown Monster. A fiendish-looking reptilian creature appeared on the card, and was blasted to pieces.

"A Des Feral Imp?" said Chelsea, startled.

"Uh huh…" said Angel. "Thanks again…"

A second copy of Slash Draw slipped out of his discard slot. He placed it in his deck and reshuffled.

"Having a strategy where you pitch so many cards into your Graveyard is usually a problem… But it does have an upside."

"I'm still not done…" said Chelsea. "Vampire Bat… Attack directly!"

Angel covered his face as the cloud of bats swarmed at him again.

**(C: 1,750) -------------------- (A: 3,500)**

"I have to end my turn…" said Chelsea.

Angel drew a card.

Then he placed two cards in his Disk, and two facedown cards appeared.

"Well, Chelsea…" he said, holding up his last card. "One copy of Slash Draw is right here, and the last one is in my deck…"

He played the card.

"They say third time's the charm, and I don't see any way you could dodge it this time… Not even if that facedown card could remove all three of your Monsters from the field."

"You're drawing blind this time," said Chelsea. "No Big Eye, no Kozaky's Study… No way of knowing what your top card is."

"True…" said Angel.

He held up six cards.

"But after I discard these, I'll only have nine cards left in my deck. So my chances are better than you think. And to tell you the truth, I've always wanted to try it without help…"

He discarded the cards. Then he reached for his deck. Everyone tensed…

He quickly drew the card…

There was dead calm…

Nothing… The sword didn't appear.

Chelsea smirked.

"Well…" she said with a small laugh. "I guess that without help, that card is just a shot in the dark that isn't worth taking."

"Oh, just finish it…" growled Angel.

"I will!" said Chelsea, drawing a card.

"Midnight Caller, direct attack!"

The Caller's eyes glowed with evil energy. He cast his dark curse, and Angel hollered.

"Vampire Genesis, your turn!"

Genesis flew forward, and Angel was propelled backwards.

**(C: 1,750) -------------------- (A: 0)**

"Phew!" said both Chelsea and Ren at once.

Chelsea took off her badge, which was now glowing Gold.

"YES!" she shouted, holding it up. "Duelatopia, I'm heading for the top!"

Yumi and Ren ran up to her, and she was beset by hugs.

"Uhm, guys…" she muttered. "You're hugging me…"

Angel walked up to them.

"Chelsea," he said, "I don't say this often, but I'm impressed. Maybe I shouldn't be so sure of myself.

"Here… uhm, take this too."

He handed her a piece of cloth parchment.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Someone slipped this under my door," he said. "It's a map to an Eliminator. I know you can't use it, but maybe you know someone who can."

"Uh…" she said. "This Eliminator… Did you beat him?"

"Of course I beat him…" he said. "I wouldn't be here if I didn't, would I? Wasn't that hard… Won in one turn…"

"Let me see!" said Ren.

He looked at it.

Angel started to walk away as Ren looked at it.

"Both of you are ineligible," he said, "but I still have a chance… And I was psyched by the two of you…"

He looked at the inscription.

_Seek the place where Pendragon held court, and challenge the one who stands guard over the Siege Perilous._

"Pendragon?" he said, confused.

"That was King Arthur's last name, I believe…" said Yumi. "In some versions of the story, at least. The place where he held court would be…"

They paused.

"Camelot!" they all said at once.

Ren looked at the map again.

"There's an Eliminator lurking under our hotel?" he mused.

Not far away, Angel shuffled his deck.

"That was humiliating…" he muttered. "I hate losing…

"Chelsea has no reason to duel me again unless I get into the finals, a goal which just became harder… But I'll settle for letting her see her boyfriend sacrificed on the Siege Perilous…"

He chuckled.

"I didn't fib… I beat that Eliminator in one turn… But that one turn was NOT my first turn… Far from it…"

"Incredibly diabolical…" said a voice.

Angel turned and saw Nicholas standing in front of him.

"I see you're at Violet now," said Nicholas. "So am I… Care to try to gain back the rank you just lost?"

Angel made that slight smirk again…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Sheena stood on the bridge of Duelatopia.

Her cell phone rang. She looked at the number.

"Talk to me," she said, answering it.

"Good news," said Descartes voice. "We've caught one of the Ascenders. And he isn't being very cooperative, I might add. He's screaming about suing for false arrest."

"Figures," said Sheena. "Take him to the brig, and I'll be there to have a word with him."

"Ms. Arachne," said one of the technicians. "We have a Gold Alert. The first finalist has been decided."

"Oh?" she asked. "Who?"

"Ms. Chelsea Ramset," replied the technician. "She's…"

"I know who she is," replied Sheena. "You know what to do…

"I'll be back shortly…"

_Chelsea has defeated a duelist's OTK strategy, and has become Duelatopia's first finalist! More are sure to follow, as Ren seeks out a challenge of his own. Can his Horn of Chance bring him the luck he needs to survive the Siege Perilous? And what the heck IS the Siege Perilous? And where are Sam and Erik anyway?_

**0**

**0**

**0**

**REFICUL, THE FALLEN ANGEL NURSE (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fairy/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,400  
**DEF:** 600

**Card Description:** When this card is face-up on your side of the field, any effect of increasing your opponent's Life Points is changed to inflict the same amount of points in damage to your opponent's Life Points.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**DARK CURE (Trap Card)**

**Continuous Trap**

**Image:** A dark angel with large, feathered wings, holding a glowing orb of light.

**Card Description:** Whenever your opponent Normal Summons, Flip-Summons, or Special Summons a Monster, his/her Life Points increase by an amount equal to half of that Monster's base ATK.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**SADISTIC POTION (Trap Card)**

**Continuous Trap**

**Image:** A ghostly, angelic form embracing a burly muscleman who is chained with shackles.

**Card Description:** You can activate the effect of this card whenever your opponent receives damage from a card effect. Increase the ATK of a "Reficul, the Fallen Angel Nurse" on your side of the field by 1,000 until the End Phase of the current turn. This effect can only be used once per turn.

_Note: "Reficul, the Fallen Angel Nurse", "Dark Cure", and "Sadistic Potion" were used by Prof. Fontaine in a third season episode of "Yu-Gi-Oh GX". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**OBLIGATORY SUMMONS (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** The image on this card was not clear.

**Card Description:** Choose one face-up Monster on your opponent's side of the field. Your opponent must Special Summon from his/her hand or deck all the Monsters he/she is able to that have the same Type, Attribute, and Level of the chosen Monster.

_Note: "Obligatory Summons" was first used by Kaiba in "Yu-Gi-Oh! The Movie: Pyramid of Light". Creative credit goes to the screenplay writers of that movie._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**MISCHIEF OF THE GODDESS (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** A smiling beauty lurking behind a duelist holding a hand of cards.

**Card Description:** Look at your opponent's hand. If he/she is holding one or more Spell Cards, choose one, and set that card in one of their spaces in their Spell/Trap Zone.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**SLASH DRAW (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** A hand drawing a sword from a sheath.

**Card Description:** Send cards from your deck to your Graveyard at random equal to the number of cards on the field. Then, draw one card from your deck. If the drawn card is "Slash Draw", destroy all cards on the field, and for each card destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, inflict 1,000 points of damage to your opponent's Life Points. When this effect is activated, it cannot be destroyed by the effects of Spell, Trap, or Monster cards, nor can its effect be negated. After the effect is resolved, discard the drawn card.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**DEMISE LORD (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fiend/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level:** 5  
**ATK:** 1,300  
**DEF:** 2,000

**Card Description:** If this card is destroyed as a result of battle and sent to the Graveyard, Special Summon it during the next End Phase with a base ATK of 3,000. When this card is Special Summoned this way, it cannot be destroyed by card effects. This effect can only be used once.

_Note: "Mischief of the Goddess", "Slash Draw", and "Demise Lord" were first used by Lucien in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Don't Fear the Reaper". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**THE MIDNIGHT CALLER (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Zombie/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level:** 6  
**ATK:** 2,400  
**DEF:** 1,000

**Card Description:** If you discard from your hand a Monster that is Level Four or greater, this card cannot be destroyed via battle or by card effects for the remainder of the round (damage calculation still applies). This effect can only be used three times during the course of the duel. If you use this effect a third time, remove this card from play at the next End Phase, and inflict 3,000 points of direct damage to your Life Points.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**Ren: I knew this would happen sooner or later…**

**Chelsea: We should have expected it… Darkness is being opposed by light…**

**Yumi: It's been like this since the dawn of time… Darkness opposes Light… So every duelist who plays a deck of Dark Monsters should expect a challenge like this…**

**Voice: One cannot know Light if there is no Darkness, but that does not mean the two forces are equal. It is time to see which one is superior, Ren…**

**Coming up next, "Elimination Duel Three; The Siege Perilous".**

**My light will overcome your darkness…**

**0**

**0**

**0**

_Before I leave…_

_The secret restaurant in Anaheim Disney is very real. An article about it was published recently in _The LA Times. _If anyone here ever becomes incredibly rich and famous, and is interested, the only advice I can give you is to ask around at other high-society clubs. Maybe you'll meet another incredibly rich person who's a member, and he can refer you._


	29. The Siege Perilous

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**CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT**

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**Elimination Duel Three**

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**The Siege Perilous**

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Sheena watched as two Centurions dragged a struggling man in a black cloak into the room.

"Give it up…" said Sheena, rolling her eyes. "Their armor makes them even stronger than an Olympic-level weightlifter."

The Ascender growled at her.

"Who is this?" she asked Descartes, who was next to her.

"Louis Grimes," he replied. "And we had to confiscate his wallet to find that out."

"My lawyer's going to hear about that, too!" shouted the Ascender. "I was in the middle of a duel, when these jerks…"

"You are here due to an unapproved guest list," said Sheena, "so you are not a legitimate guest. I never invited anyone named Louis Grimes to this tournament."

"Yeah?" he said. "Well listen, bitch… Your so-called police didn't issue an arrest warrant, didn't state the reason for the arrest, and didn't read me my rights! I'm going to sue you for everything you'll make for the next…"

"You want us to use tear gas?" asked Descartes.

"Oh, I dare you, you bastard," said the prisoner. "I'll…"

Sheena reached out and shut his mouth with her thumb and forefinger.

"Mr. Grimes…" she snarled. "This is a privately owned resort with its own charter, and is not under any nation's authority. Only KaibaCorp has authority. In short, we decide the law here. My security force is not required to read you any Miranda rights, and they can make an arrest without a warrant. When we turn you over to the authorities of your home country, _they_ will issue the warrant and read you your rights.

"This is my world, Mr. Grimes. And anyone who threatens it will be dealt with according to KaibaCorp's rules, not the rules of any other country.

"Now sit down and be quiet, stop screaming and making threats you'll never be able to back up, and start listening! Or I will indeed give them permission to use tear gas, which I can do, and I _will_ do if you shout at me one more time…"

The Ascender looked at her, and a look of fear crossed his face…

He sat down.

Rule one of dealing with Sheena Arachne:

Don't make her angry.

"Do I get one phone call?" he muttered.

"Eventually…" replied Sheena.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**(Nicholas: 8,000) -------------------- (Angel: 8,000)**

The situation was just how Angel wanted it.

He had one facedown Monster. Nicholas, on the other hand, had five Monsters: two Beetron-1 Beetletops (1,700/1,500), two Beetron-2 Beetle Turbos (1,500/1,800), and Beetron-3 Spider Base (1,000/2,000), as well as three facedown cards.

Angel drew a card.

"I Flip-Summon my Big Eye," he said.

His Big Eye flipped into Attack Mode. (1,200/1,000)

He took the top five cards from his deck and looked at them. He stared at Nicholas as he made one adjustment.

"Now…" he said. "I play Slash Draw!"

He played the card, and quickly discarded nine cards…

He drew a card off the top of his deck, and Nicholas shielded himself as the explosion blasted all four Monsters apart…

"Hmm…" said Angel, holding the sword in front of him.

The smoke cleared.

"HUH?"

Nicholas was looking at him with a wicked smile…

**(N: 4,000) -------------------- (A: 8,000)**

"A strategy is no good if your opponent can prepare for it…" said Nicholas. "One of my facedown cards was Emergency Provisions. I used it to send my other three cards to the grave before you did, and gained 2,000 Life Points in the process."

"I can't catch a break here!" shouted Angel, sheathing the sword.

"And not only that…" continued Nicholas, "one of those facedown cards was Ojamagic, so my three Ojamas come to my hand…"

Three cards appeared in his hand.

Angel snarled as the sword at his hip vanished. He played a card, and the Pot of Greed appeared. He drew two cards.

He looked over his new hand of six cards. He played two of them, and a facedown Monster and a facedown card appeared in front of him.

Nicholas drew.

"I play… Pot of Greed," he said, playing the card. "So I draw two cards…"

He made two draws.

"Next, I play Polymerization. Come on out, Ojama King!"

The three Ojamas appeared on the field, and then exploded into a burst of stars. The impressive form of Ojama King appeared on the field. (0/3,000)

"However…" said Nicholas, "I choose not to use his effect."

"Say what?" said Angel. "Why did you do that? Don't you know you could have sealed three spaces on my Monster Zone and kept me from using them?"

"I was well aware of that," said Nicholas. "Let's just say it isn't always the best idea. Next, I'll play my Ojamandala Spell Card. I'll give up a thousand Life Points to bring back the regular Ojamas."

In three flashes of light, Ojama Yellow, Ojama Black, and Ojama Green appeared next to the King, crouching in Defense Mode. (0/1,000 x3)

"Now…" he said. "I play Ojama Delta Thunder!"

Thunder rolled, and Angel screamed as lightning struck him.

**(N: 3,000) -------------------- (A: 5,000)**

Nicholas took his Ojama Delta Hurricane card from his deck and discarded it. A fierce wind blew over the field, and Angel's Magician of Faith and Mirror Force were blown to bits.

Nicholas took the last card in his hand and set it facedown.

"That's enough for one turn…" he said.

Angel drew a card.

"Go, Trap Card!" shouted Nicholas. "Ojama Trio!"

His facedown card lifted, and three more Ojamas appeared on Angel's side of the field. (0/1,000x3)

"What?" he said. "Why are they on my side of the field?"

"So you can't use it," answered Nicholas. "Those tokens take up space, and can't be sacrificed."

"Ooh!" shouted Angel, getting angry.

He took a card from his hand.

"I'll place a Monster in Defense Mode, and end my turn…"

A facedown card appeared.

Nicholas drew a card.

"I play Ojamoney," he said. "How's that for a perfect draw?"

"What does that do?" asked Angel.

"I get to pay 1,000 Life Points to draw one card for each Ojama on my side of the field," said Nicholas. "However, at the end of my turn, all cards in my hand and on my side of the field go to the Graveyard.

"Anyway… I count four…"

He made four draws.

"Heh, heh…" he chuckled, looking at them. "Looks like my luck was a lot better than yours, Angel.

"I shift Ojama Yellow to Attack Mode…"

Ojama Yellow stood up, and smiled a smile that Angel did not like.

"Now I play… Shien's Spy."

He played a card, and a woman wearing a peasant's outfit, a straw hat, and a veil, with a pack over her back, appeared behind the Ojamas.

"Her Spell transfers one of my Monsters to your side of the field."

The Spy's eyes glowed, and she waved her hand. Ojama Yellow floated over to Angel's side of the field.

"Now…" said Nicholas, playing a card, "I summon Gyaku-Gire Panda!"

In a burst of energy, a very angry-looking giant panda holding a bamboo branch appeared in front of him. (800/1,600)

"Ha, ha, ha," chuckled Angel. "A big, teddy bear. With only 800 Attack Points. I'm so scared…"

"He has a special effect," said Nicholas. "For every Monster on your side of the field, he gains 500 more Attack Points."

(3,300/1,600)

"Bet you're scared _now_," said Nicholas, "Finally, I play the Spell Card, Double Attack."

He played the card.

"Now I just have to toss my Level Four Beetron-3 Spider Base, and my Level Three Panda can attack twice.

"And by the way, if he attacks a Monster in Defense Mode, the difference between his attack score and that Monsters Defense Score is taken out of your Life Points."

"It is?" gasped Angel.

Nicholas discarded the card.

"Gyaku-Gire Panda," he shouted, "attack the… oh, attack the green token!"

The Panda pounced, and walloped the token with its bamboo stick. It was smashed to pieces, and Angel screamed.

"Now, attack Ojama Yellow!"

Gyaku-Gire Panda turned to the true Ojama, and smashed it with its weapon. Angel screamed again, and fell flat on his back.

**(N: 2,000) -------------------- (A: 0)**

The Panda and the remaining Ojamas vanished.

"Well, that was fun," said Nicholas, shuffling his deck. "Let's do it again sometime…"

_Well, that was one wasted wisecrack, _he thought. _Likely, the only thing he can hear right now is the sounds of little birdies flying around his head…_

_I'm even with Yumi now, but Chelsea is out of my reach unless I make the finals. Olga and I had better make them soon…_

_Still, I don't even know why Rasputin wants us to win so badly… What does he have to gain from one of us winning? He's already a billionaire…_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"You sure you want to do this, Ren?" asked Chelsea, nervously. "I mean, beating that F. G. D. wasn't easy for me…"

"I'm not gonna wimp out guys," said Ren. "Besides, if I'm gonna lose this tournament, I might as well lose big…"

They were in the lobby of their hotel, where the artwork was dominated by images of King's Knight, Queen's Knight, and Jack's Knight, three Monsters that Yugi Mouto Sr. had added to his deck after obtaining Slifer. The combo he could use with these three Warriors made it possible to get three Monsters on the field quicker, which was what he needed to do in order to summon a God Monster, not that the three Knights weren't useful in other ways.

Ren looked around, and his eyes turned towards a nondescript door with two words written on it:

_**Siege Perilous**_

"Huh?" said Chelsea, as they looked at it.

"The Siege Perilous," said Yumi. "It was a special seat of honor at King Arthur's Round Table, reserved for the knight that succeeded in the quest for the Holy Grail. Anyone else who sat there would die. The seat eventually went to Galahad or Perceval, depending on which version you're reading."

Ren tried the door. It was locked.

"So how do I open this?" he mused.

He looked at the map.

Then he was surprised to see writing on it that wasn't there before:

_If Pendragon's favor is something you would savor, pull the lever._

Ren looked around…

His eye caught a small lever, right above the floor next to the door.

He reached down, and pulled it down. The door opened a crack.

He shrugged. He gave it a push, and it opened.

A stairway led down, into darkness. He nodded, and started going down. Yumi and Chelsea followed.

As he walked down the stairway, torches lit up on the wall. Eventually, a group of torches lit up in a large chamber…

They were shocked to see that the chamber contained several slabs of marble, and on five of them were young people – four males and one female. They were slowly breathing, but were apparently asleep.

They looked to the far end of the chamber, and saw a large set of double-doors, made of stained glass, or something similar.

Chelsea put her hand on one of the sleepers' wrist.

"Alive…" she said. "But why are they here?"

Ren looked at the map.

"Got to be some way to get in…" he muttered.

He turned the map around.

He raised an eyebrow. Again, a question was written on it that he didn't notice before.

_What question can you never honestly answer yes to?_

He read it out loud.

"What sort of a question is that?" asked Chelsea.

"I have to admit, I'm clueless myself…" said Yumi.

Ren looked at one of the sleepers. He rubbed his chin.

Actually, he had heard that sort of thing before…

"Are you asleep?" he asked.

The stained glass door in front of them glowed with an array of colors. Then, with a tinkling sound, it swung open.

"Heh," said Ren. "That was easy…"

"Don't get so sure of yourself…" muttered Yumi, as they walked in. "I have a feeling it's gonna get much harder."

They entered a beautifully decorated chamber, where the color of gold was predominant. On all the walls were coats of arms, each one different. Between each coat was a suit of armor, with a sword at its hip and a halberd in its hand.

At the far end of the chamber was a golden chair, studded with jewels, above which was the fanciest coat of arms. It depicted a dragon in front of a magnificent palace.

"Interesting…" said Ren. "So… Where is this Eliminator?"

"Patience…" said a woman's voice. "Being impulsive will not get you far… Many who have come here did so thinking they were knights, but they turned out to be only fools."

Their eyes turned towards the corner of the room, where they saw a young woman who had her back to them. She had her blonde hair tied in a long braid, and she was apparently wearing an Elizabethan-period costume.

She turned and looked at them. She didn't seem to be any older than they were, and was quite beautiful. Her eyes were deep, sea green, and her costume was accented by a simple tiara.

Yumi's eyes narrowed a little.

"Uh… Hullo…" said Ren, nervously. "And you are?"

"I am Guinevere," she answered.

Yumi looked at her again.

"Uh, do I know you?" she asked.

The young princess looked at her.

"I don't think so," she said. "But that is besides the point. I believe Ren is the one who desires the power that is in this chamber…"

"Power?" asked Ren. "Wait… That chair… Is that…"

Guinevere nodded.

"The Siege Perilous, in all its glory," she answered. "It has lost much of its power over the centuries, but it still has enough energy to reward you should you be the victor in this confrontation… And punish you should you lose…"

"What do you mean?" asked Ren.

"Let me explain its powers," replied Guinevere. "If a man who truly desired nothing, a very hard thing to find, were to sit in it, it would not do a thing."

"Then it gives you what you desire?" asked Ren.

"No…" replied Guinevere. "It shows you what you desire, and shows you what to do to obtain it."

"And if I lose?" asked Ren.

"Then you still get the Siege Perilous," she replied, "but it doesn't release you. There can truly be too much of a good thing in this case. The ones you see sleeping in the other room won't wake up, as they've taken too much. They'll sleep forever, and dream of their desires always out of their reach."

Ren took a slight step back…

"You weren't thinking of leaving, were you?" she asked.

With a crash, a set of portcullis bars crashed down in front of the door where they came.

"Ah heh…" muttered Chelsea, backing up. "Good luck, Ren…"

Guinevere lifted her arm, and a swirl of lights enveloped it. A silvery Duel Disk with the tray resembling an ornate axe-head appeared on it.

Yumi looked at Guinevere closely.

Something wasn't right. She was speaking in English, in a British accent, and it might have fooled most people into thinking she was British. But you couldn't fool a native of Japan… She was acting, and she was as much from their country as they were.

_I know I've seen her somewhere before…_ she thought. _I just wish I knew where. Maybe it will come to me when I see her duel._

"Prepare yourself, Ren," said Guinevere. "One way or another, the Siege Perilous awaits."

Ren's Disk activated.

"Game on!" they both shouted.

**(Ren: 8,000) -------------------- (Guinevere: 8,000)**

"I'll let you go first," said Guinevere. "I never go first if I can help it…"

_Is that because she's generous,_ thought Ren, drawing a sixth card, _or because she's cautious?_

He looked over his hand.

_I'd better be a little cautious myself…_

"All right," he said, placing a card on his Disk. "I'll set this in Defense Mode, and that will be all…"

A facedown Monster appeared.

Guinevere made her first draw.

She played two cards, and a facedown card, and a facedown Monster appeared.

She nodded.

"Oh, the strong, silent type, huh?" said Ren, drawing a card. "Well, I can deal with that…

"And this duel is gonna be dull if we only defend. So… I summon Getsu Fuhma!"

He played the card, and in a shadowy aura, the lovely female ronin appeared. (1,700/1,200)

"Attack!" he shouted. "Whirlwind blade!"

Getsu Fuhma leapt up, and drew her katana in mid-air…

A man in a toga with feathered wings appeared crouching on the card. With one swipe of her blade, Getsu blasted him to pixels.

"Crud…" muttered Ren.

Guinevere smirked, and took her deck.

"I'm certain you know what happens when Shining Angel falls in battle," she said.

Guinevere placed a card on her Disk.

"I choose to summon Queen's Knight."

An orb of light appeared on the field, and a Warrior stepped out – a beautiful woman with waist-length, blonde hair, scarlet armor, a helmet shaped like a tall crown, a triangular shield, and a long sword, all of them decorated with playing card symbols.

Her eyes narrowed as she looked at Ren. (1,500/1,600)

"She kind of looks like me…" said Guinevere. "With armor…"

"Okay…" said Ren. "Nothing I can't handle…"

"Be careful Ren!" shouted Chelsea. "You know what's coming next!"

"I assure you, he doesn't," said Guinevere. "Anything else, Ren?"

Ren looked over his hand.

"No…" he said, "that's it…"

Guinevere drew a card.

Then she played a card. Ren had never seen it before. It had the image of a handsome knight embracing a beautiful princess.

"I play the Spell Card, Rewards of Chivalry," said Guinevere. "There are those these days who think that chivalry is an old and outdated concept…"

"I still believe in it!" protested Ren.

"Then there's hope for you," said Guinevere. "Because it does have rewards in the long run. And as far as this Spell Card is concerned, for each Light-Attribute Warrior I manage to Special Summon this round, I get to draw one card during my End Phase."

_Huh…_ thought Ren. _If she uses the Knight Combo, that will only be one…_

"Now, I play Reinforcement of the Army," she said. "Now I can take one Warrior from my deck, so long as it's Level Four or less…"

She took a card from her deck.

"And I choose Queen Knight's brother… King's Knight. Now I'll summon him…"

She played a card, and a new Warrior appeared. He had golden armor, a helmet shaped like a crown that covered his right eye, a round shield, and a blue cape. Again, his armor was covered with playing card symbols, and he had a full beard. (1,600/1,500)

"You probably know…" continued Guinevere, "when King's Knight is summoned while Queen's Knight is on the field, their older brother comes out as well. I summon Jack's Knight."

In another flash of light, another male knight appeared. He had long, blonde hair, and his armor was sapphire blue, again decorated with playing card symbols. He held a longer sword, and his shield was crest-shaped. (1,900/1,000)

"Okay…" said Ren. "That's a problem…"

"I'm not done…" said Guinevere. "I play a Spell Card…"

She played a card.

"It's called Royal Flush."

"Royal Flush?" said Yumi, in surprise. "Now THAT one I've never heard of…"

"Your grandfather never heard of it either, Yumi," said Guinevere. "I can only use it after I've summoned Jack's Knight using King's Knight's effect.

"I pay 1,000 Life Points…

"And then, I get to summon from my deck, Ten's Knight and Ace's Knight."

Ren stepped back in further shock, as two glowing orbs appeared to either side of the three knights…

On one side, a young girl wearing a page's outfit, (still decorated with the playing card symbols) and holding a long dagger appeared. (1,000/800)

On the other side, a hulking figure appeared. He was clad head to toe in pure, white plate armor, with a large, black spade on the breastplate. He held a huge sword in his hands. Even though Ren couldn't see his face though his helmet, it was clear he was looking at him. (2,300/1,700)

"See?" she said. "Royal Flush."

"Four more Monsters in one turn?" gasped Chelsea.

"That's an even bigger problem…" muttered Yumi.

"Even more so…" replied Guinevere. "I activate my Trap Card… Solar Ray."

Her facedown card lifted.

"Now you lose 600 Life Points for each Light Monster on my side of the field. And I have five."

Ren's eyes opened wide…

A scorching beam of light shot out of the Trap Card. He screamed as it hit him.

**(R: 5,000) -------------------- (G: 7,000)**

Chelsea froze in fear. She did some quick calculations…

If Guinevere could destroy Ren's facedown Monster with King's Knight or Queen's Knight, she'd wipe Ren out this round…

"Ace's Knight…" commanded Guinevere, "slay Getsu Fuhma!"

Ace's Knight lifted his greatsword and charged. Getsu Fuhma dropped her katana and cowered…

The whole chamber shook as she was smashed to pieces by the strike.

"Jack's Knight, destroy the other Monster!" she commanded.

Jack's Knight leapt towards the facedown card.

To everyone's surprise, it was Familiar Knight. With one swipe of his sword, Jack's Knight blasted him to bits.

"HA!" laughed Ren. "Gotcha. I had a knight of my own. And when Familiar Knight goes down, both players can summon a Level Four Monster from their hands. You don't have room another, but I sure do…"

He threw a card on his Disk.

"I summon Dark Blade!"

In an aura of shadow, Dark Blade appeared, holding aloft his swords. (1,800/1,500)

"Humph," said Guinevere. "Your dark knight may have saved you for now, but next round will be different.

"I'm sure you remember my Rewards of Chivalry card. Since I Special Summoned three Light Warriors, I now get to draw three times."

She made three draws and looked at them.

"The move is yours."

**(R: 4,400) -------------------- (G: 7,000)**

Chelsea caught her breath. Ren might have a chance after all.

Ren, however, was not as confident as she was.

_What do I do?_ he thought. _How do I take down an army of knights?_

He drew a card.

His eyes lit up.

_Guess I'll take them down one at a time…_ he thought.

"I sacrifice Dark Blade…" he said.

Dark Blade vanished into shadow.

"To summon Penumbral Soldier Lady!"

In a burst of darkness, the sexy, female Warrior, holding her longsword and large shield appeared. (2,100/1,400)

Guinevere raised an eyebrow.

"Know what the definition of darkness is?" asked Ren. "Most of the time, it simply means 'absence of light'. Penumbral Soldier Lady takes that one step further. As a Dark Warrior, she doesn't represent the absence of light, she represents the _negation_ of it. As a result, she gains 1,000 Attack Points in battle against Light Monsters. And I'm willing to wager any amount of money that every Monster in your deck qualifies.

"Now…"

He paused.

He thought.

_Got to be careful,_ he thought_. I could do the most damage by going after Ten's Knight. But Ace's Knight is the most dangerous right now. I can't risk the possibility that she might have an Axe of Despair or something like that…_

_So…_

"Attack the Ace's Knight!" he shouted. "Sword of shadows!"

Penumbral Soldier Lady slashed at the much larger Warrior with her blade, and he groaned, before he fell backward and shattered like glass.

**(R: 4,400) -------------------- (G: 6,200)**

"Not bad…" said Guinevere. "You surely have the luck of fools, whether you are one or not…"

_Be careful, Ren,_ thought Yumi. _You have the advantage for now, but those three Knights have more secrets to them… And apparently, they have secrets that even my family didn't know about…_

Guinevere drew a card.

"I shift all four of my Knights to Defense Mode…" she said.

Ten, Queen, King, and Jack knelt and shielded themselves.

"Then I place this facedown," she said.

A facedown card appeared.

"Your move."

Ren drew a card.

_Sakuretsu Armor…_ he thought. _Might be just what I needed…_

"I place this facedown," he said, fitting it into his Disk.

The card appeared as he took another card from his hand.

"Then I summon Double Pinaska!"

The Spaniard somersaulted onto the field, and brandished his blades. (1,500/1,500)

"That foolish rogue is out of place here," said Guinevere.

"Oh, really?" asked Ren. "Pinaska, attack Jack's Knight."

"Yield," said Guinevere, as her facedown card lifted. "I activate Staunch Defender. Now all your attacks this round must be directed towards the Monster I choose, and I choose Ten's Knight."

"Drat…" muttered Ren. "Well… You heard her…"

Double Pinaska leapt towards Ten's Knight. The page covered herself with her hands before his blade fell and she shattered to bits.

"I end my turn…" he muttered.

Guinevere drew a card.

She held up a card in her hand.

"I play Polymerization," she said.

_Oh… no!_ thought Yumi.

The three Knights stood up. Then they all turned into colored orbs of light, that swirled together…

"I fuse together Queen's Knight, King's Knight, and Jack's Knight," she continued, "to summon a far more powerful Warrior. Appear before me, exalted warrior of the Higher Plane… Come forward, Arcana Knight Joker!"

In a blinding flash, a Knight appeared who was even bigger than Ace's Knight. His elaborate, fancy armor was royal purple, with a crown-like helmet over his raven hair, a small shield, and a very fancy sword. He radiated pure light like a holy flame.

His eyes narrowed as he glared at Ren… (3,800/2,500)

"Thirty-eight hundred Attack Points?" shouted Ren.

"Exactly…" said Guinevere. "Even with your Soldier Lady's bonus, he'll still slay her.

"Arcana Knight Joker, attack Penumbral Soldier Lady! Royal straight flush rush!"

The powerful knight roared, and charged at Penumbral Soldier Lady…

"Go, Sakuretsu Armor!" shouted Ren.

His Trap Card lifted.

"I don't think so…" said Guinevere, throwing a card into her discard slot.

Joker paused, and the Trap Card shattered.

"What?" said Ren, shocked. "He's immune to Traps?"

"No…" said Guinevere. "But if he's targeted by a Spell, Trap, or Monster effect, I can discard a card of the same type to negate it, like that copy of Beckoning Light.

"Now then… I believe your Warrior was about to die…"

Penumbral Soldier Lady fell to her knees as Arcana Knight Joker prepared to strike.

"Oh no you don't!" shouted Ren. "Double Pinaska, I'm using your effect _now_!"

There was a loud clang…

When everyone looked, Double Pinaska was standing in between Joker and his target, angrily holding Joker's sword back with his rapiers. The two Warriors glared at each other…

Pinaska kicked the larger Warrior in the chest, and he staggered back.

"Heh, heh…" said Ren. "He can deflect one attack per duel… Guess you didn't have a Monster you could discard, huh?"

Guinevere didn't answer. She looked at another card in her hand (one that, apparently, she had been intending to use a minute ago).

She placed it in her Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

"It's your move…" she said.

_Something about this girl keeps bugging me,_ thought Yumi. _Something about how formal she is, how she never loses her cool…_

_Wait… Guinevere… Could that be another way of spelling…_

_It can't be…_

_I haven't seen her since we were both ten…_

_Well, I'll ask if Ren wins… Or if he loses and her threat turns out to be real…_

Ren drew a card.

He smirked.

"I Equip Penumbral Soldier Lady with Fusion Sword Murasame Blade!" he exclaimed.

Penumbral Soldier Lady's sword vanished, and a much fancier one appeared in her hand. Her Attack Score rose to 2,900.

"And now she's just strong enough to take down your Joker," said Ren. "Penumbral Soldier Lady, attack Arcana Knight Joker!"

The female Warrior lifted her sword.

"Not yet," said Guinevere. "I activate De-Fusion."

Her facedown card lifted, and Joker burst into three globes of light…

The globes hovered over Guinevere's side of the field, and formed into Queen's Knight (1,500/1,600), King's Knight (1,600/1,500) and Jack's Knight (1,900/1,000), all of them in Defense Mode.

Ren shrugged.

"I'll just have to take them out one at a time," he said. "Attack Queen's Knight!"

Penumbral Soldier Lady made a slash with her blade. Queen's Knight gave a cry, and fell backwards before she shattered.

"Double Pinaska, attack Jack's Knight!"

The Spaniard leapt up, and slashed with his rapier, blasting Jack's Knight to pixels.

"It's your move," said Ren. "So now what? I can hardly wait to see what comes next."

Guinevere drew a card.

She played it, and the Pot of Greed appeared in front of her. She ignored it, and drew two cards.

"Oh, I'll bet you can't…" she said, with a slight smile.

She played a card.

"I play The Warrior Returning Alive," she said. "I'll use it to get back Queen's Knight. And then I'll summon her again."

She took the card from her discard slot, and then placed it on her Disk. Queen's Knight appeared, and gave Ren a dirty look. (1,500/1,600)

"Next," she said, "I play Premature Burial, to bring back Jack's Knight as well."

She played the card, and Jack's Knight appeared in a flash of light. (1,900/1,000)

"So what?" asked Ren. "They can't beat my Warrior."

"Overconfidence leads to defeat, Ren," said Guinevere, taking a card from her hand. "I play a new Spell Card. This one is called Royal Straight."

"Oh no!" gasped Yumi.

"What?" asked Chelsea.

"This one I know about…" replied Yumi. "It's really bad…"

"This powerful Spell lets me sacrifice my three Knights…" continued Guinevere.

The three Warriors burst into pixels… Guinevere took a card from her deck.

"And in return, I get to summon someone more powerful. My Royal Straight Slasher."

In a burst of light, a new Warrior appeared on the field. This one was muscular and imposing, but his attire suggested a cross between a knight and a jester, again covered with playing card symbols. His face was covered with white makeup, with black markings around his eyes that were pools of silvery light. Again, his hair was blonde and worn long. (2,400/1,350)

"Oh-kay…" said Ren. "My Penumbral Soldier Lady can still beat him…"

Guinevere took her deck.

"No she can't," she replied, "because she dies now. Slasher's effect lets me discard five Monsters from my deck, of Levels One through Five, to wipe out every card on your side of the field."

Ren stepped back in shock.

Quickly, Guinevere discarded five cards: a Winged Kuriboh, a Skelengel, a second Ten's Knight, a second Shining Angel, and a second Jack's Knight.

Royal Straight Slasher's eyes glowed with energy…

Then Penumbral Soldier Lady and Double Pinaska burst into shards.

"I'm not done," said Guinevere. "Slasher, attack him directly."

Royal Straight Slasher's right hand glowed with energy. He leapt at Ren, and Ren cried out in pain as the Warrior made a savage chop to his torso.

**(R: 2,000) -------------------- (G: 5,400)**

Ren held his chest and glared at the Warrior…

"I'll place a card facedown," said Guinevere, "and end my turn."

Ren sweat as he drew a card.

"I activate my Trap Card," said Guinevere, as her facedown card lifted.

"Ray of Hope. Now, two Light Monsters from my Graveyard go back to my deck."

One Jack's Knight and one Ten's Knight slipped out of her discard slot. She combined the two cards with her deck, and reshuffled.

"This assures that I'll have the cards I need to activate Slasher's effect again," she said.

_If she does, I've had it,_ thought Ren, looking at the card he had just drawn.

"I play Pot of Greed…" he muttered.

He played the card, and drew two cards.

"If that's the case…" he muttered, "I'd best take him out this round…"

He threw a card on his Disk.

"I summon Zombyra the Dark."

A dark portal opened, and Zombyra flew out. He struck a heroic pose. (2,100/500)

"Not quite strong enough," said Guinevere.

"He will be, once I combine him with Rush Recklessly," replied Ren.

He played the card, and Zombyra rose to an Attack of 2,800.

"Attack her Royal Straight Slasher!" he shouted. "Super powered punch attack!"

Zombyra flew forward, and socked the harlequin in the gut. Slasher groaned, and was blasted into pixels.

Zombyra held his chest, and fell to an Attack of 1,900.

"That's my turn, Guinevere," he said, "and you seem to be almost out of big guns."

**(R: 2,000) -------------------- (G: 5,000)**

Guinevere drew a card.

She placed a card on her Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared.

"We'll soon see, won't we?" she asked.

She waved her arm.

Ren drew a card.

He smirked. It seemed that the tide was about to turn.

"I play Frontline Base," he said, playing a card.

"Now, I'll use its effect to Special Summon Pitch-Dark Dragon…"

The small Dragon materialized on the field. (900/600)

"And since that was a Special Summon, I can sacrifice it, to summon The Fiend Megacyber!"

Pitch-Dark Dragon vanished, and the hulking, cybernetic Warrior appeared. (2,200/1,200)

"Zombyra, attack her facedown Monster!"

Zombyra leapt forward. Queen's Knight appeared on the card, and with another blow, she was eradicated.

Zombyra clutched his chest again, and fell to an Attack of 1,700.

"Megacyber, attack Guinevere directly!"

Chelsea cheered as the hulking Monster bore down on the princess and slashed across her chest with his blades. Guinevere gave a small cry and fell over on her behind.

**(R: 2,000) -------------------- (G: 2,800)**

"Okay, that's all for my turn," said Ren with a chuckle. "So, what else have you got?"

Guinevere got up holding her chest, and glared at him.

She drew a card.

She quickly placed it in her Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

"End turn…" she said.

Ren nervously drew a card.

_Somehow… I don't think she's bluffing…_ he thought.

He looked at the facedown card.

_If it's Sakuretsu Armor, I'm relatively safe. If it's Mirror Force, I'm likely dead. If it's Magic Cylinder, I'm probably dead._

He looked at the one card in his hand.

"I'll… place this facedown," he said, "and end my turn…"

Guinevere smirked.

"Afraid, Ren?" she asked. "Where in you is the knightly trait of courage?"

She drew one card.

"I place another card facedown, and that will be all."

A second facedown card appeared.

Ren drew a card.

It was Crescent Moon Queen. He rubbed his chin.

"I activate my facedown card," said Guinevere. "Call of the Haunted."

One of her facedown cards lifted, and a coffin made of pure silver appeared on her side of the field. It opened, and Ace's Knight stepped out of it. (2,300/1,700)

_Well,_ thought Ren, looking at the card he had just drawn, _no choice now but to go for broke…_

"I trade my Fiend Megacyber and Zombyra the Dark…" he said.

The two Warriors vanished into orbs of shadow…

"And summon Crescent Moon Queen!"

In a burst of darkness, the royal dark Warrior appeared, brandishing her blades, her eyes glowing with pinpoints of light… (2,600/1,700)

Guinevere's eyes narrowed.

"Attack her Ace's Knight!" shouted Ren.

Crescent Moon Queen raised her blades.

"Trap activate!" shouted Guinevere.

Her other facedown card lifted.

"What?" said Ren, looking at the odd Trap. "Blast Held by a Tribute?"

"I can only activate this when you attack with a Monster that you summoned via sacrifice," replied Guinevere. "Now your Queen will perish, and 1,000 of your Life Points will go with her."

Crescent Moon Queen hollered as flames erupted over her skin. Then she literally exploded, knocking Ren over.

**(R: 1,000) -------------------- (G: 2,800)**

Guinevere smirked.

"Sorry, Ren," she said, "but this duel is over…"

Ren smirked back as he looked up.

"I couldn't agree with you more," he said. "Especially now that you've used up the Trap that I was worried about. You see…"

His own facedown card lifted.

"I had my own Call of the Haunted set."

Guinevere gasped as another coffin, this one made of mahogany, appeared on Ren's side of the field. It opened, and a very pissed-looking Crescent Moon Queen stepped out. (2,600/1,700)

"Crescent Moon Queen…" ordered Ren, "let's try this again. Attack Ace's Knight!"

The Queen charged, and with a swipe of her sword, the knight shattered into shards.

"Now, attack directly!"

The Queen's other sword slammed into Guinevere, and this time she truly screamed.

She fell to her knees.

**(R: 1,000) -------------------- (G: 0)**

Crescent Moon Queen looked at her for a minute…

Then she smiled slightly, before vanishing.

"You are triumphant…" said Guinevere, slowly. "You truly have the heart of a knight, Ren."

"Maybe the heart of a Samurai too…" said Yumi, getting up. "Isn't that right… Gwendolyn?"

Guinevere looked up.

"How did you…"

"Know?" replied Yumi. "Well, 'Guinevere' is a similar name, and your mom was so fond of Light Monsters too, and I just have a pretty good memory…"

"Yumi, uhm…" said Ren. "You know her?"

Guinevere stood up. She blushed and sighed. Then she addressed them in Japanese for the first time.

"I've been going to private schools for a long time…" she said. "We haven't seen each other since we were all ten…

"My true name is Gwendolyn Prospero… Jade Valentine was my mother."

Yumi nodded. Chelsea and Ren were shocked.

Then Ren laughed nervously.

"So then…" he said. "I guess that thing's powers must be a sham…"

He pointed to the Siege Perilous.

"No, they are quite real," said Gwendolyn. "And you have earned it. But first…"

Ren's badge changed color, changing to Silver.

"Second…"

Her hand glowed, and a card appeared in it.

"Add this to your deck," she said. "It is quite powerful if used right, and fits your strategy quite well…"

Ren took the card and looked at it.

"Indeed…" he said.

"Now…" said Gwendolyn.

She motioned to the Siege Perilous. Ren flinched a little.

"Uhm… It is safe, right?" he asked.

"I can control its powers," replied Gwendolyn.

Ren looked at Yumi and Chelsea.

He nervously went up to the golden chair. Even though it was an ornate throne made of precious metals and gems, it seemed as threatening as an electric chair.

Slowly, he sat down…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Louis was speaking on the phone in the penthouse suite. Olga and Nicholas were nearby, going over their cards.

"Okay, okay, I'll tell him…" said Louis.

"BOSS!" he shouted.

"Ugh…" said Nicholas. "Louis, you think you can do that again? I can still hear a little out of this one."

"What's all the ruckus?" asked Rasputin, walking in.

"Bad news, boss," said Louis. "Four Ascenders have been arrested in the past three hours, and…"

His phone rang again.

"What?" said Rasputin. "But how?"

Louis listened on the phone.

"Uh, boss?" he said. "Make that _six_ have been arrested… Seems the Centurions are rounding up everyone who fits the profile and not listening to excuses."

Rasputin mouthed an obscenity and reached for his own phone.

"I thought the black cloaks would intimidate other duelists…" he muttered. "Arachne, it seems, is not a woman who will be intimidated by a costume…"

He dialed a special number – the multi-call number.

"Attention all Ascenders remaining in Duelatopia," he said. "The plan has been changed. Remove and destroy anything that physically identifies you as a member of our group. Also, do not make any challenges unless ordered to, and refuse any from normal contestants. Concentrate all efforts on locating the remaining Shadow Charms. The Centurions are making a conscious effort to look for us, and we must now remain inconspicuous."

He hung up the phone and sat down.

He looked at Nicholas and Olga.

"The three of us are the only legitimate tournament guests in the true League," he said. "So if anyone working for me who is privy to the plans is going to win this tournament, it has to be one of us…"

"Pardon me for asking," said Nicholas, "but why do you want to win the tournament? I thought we were here to get the Charms, and you have more money than you know what to do with."

Rasputin crossed his arms.

"Some things you just can't buy, Nicholas," he said, "mostly because some people aren't willing to sell them.

"Seto Kaiba lived most of his life thinking that magic didn't exist. But that changed when he was chosen to protect the Mandate, whatever that was.

"According to legend, he amassed a vast library of supernatural lore in the subbasements of the Domino KaibaCorp building, an archive that is second to none.

"This legend was recently confirmed to be true. If I could have only an hour in that archive, the things I could discover…

"But it isn't open to the public. Only the top brass at KaibaCorp are allowed to view it.

"But if this tournament were to be won…"

He chuckled.

"The request…" said Olga. "You could have unlimited access to it…"

"Indeed…" said Rasputin. "Arachne said anything KaibaCorp could provide, the entry rules don't specifically forbid it, and if she were to refuse, my lawyers would be able to sue on the grounds that a promised contest winning was not given.

"I want access to that library… Once I have it and the Shadow Charms, a new era will dawn…

"One which will see the rise of a new Sorcerer King…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Ren couldn't believe his eyes…

He was in the most beautiful garden he had ever seen. Surrounding him were flowers, and lush fruit trees. Playful rabbits hopped in the underbrush. The temperature was perfect, and the air was fresh and sweet.

This was how he imagined the Garden of Eden. What other place could be so beautiful?

He was confused, though. The Siege Perilous was supposed to show him his greatest desire. Was it Eden?

Somehow, he knew there was more to this. He started to walk forward…

Then, he saw her. She was clothed in a gown of pure white, that contrasted her short, dark hair only slightly. She smiled sweetly.

Ren held out her arms and she ran to him. They embraced…

Slowly, they kissed…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Ren opened his eyes.

He slowly stood up, getting off the golden chair.

Gwendolyn looked at him. She nodded.

"Well?" asked Chelsea. "What did you see?"

Ren looked at her and smirked.

"I'll… uhm… tell you someday, Chelsea…" he said. "But for now, there's more to do…

"The tournament is far from over, and we've got to win it!"

Yumi nodded, as they headed for the door. Gwendolyn smiled.

"Good luck…" she said.

_Ren has defeated the daughter of his father's old ally, and gotten a great deal for the trouble. Chelsea is now qualified for the finals, while Yumi and Ren are merely one away. And the day is just beginning!_

**0**

**0**

**0**

**OJAMONEY (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** The three Ojamas frolicking in a big pile of money.

**Card Description:** Pay 1,000 Life Points. Draw one card from your deck for each "Ojama" Monster face-up on your side of the field. At the End Phase of the turn in which you use this card, send all cards in your hand and on your side of the field to the Graveyard.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**REWARDS OF CHIVALRY (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** A gallant knight embracing a beautiful princess.

**Card Description:** You may only play this card during your Main Phase 1. For each LIGHT Warrior-Type Monster you Special Summon during this turn, draw one card from your deck during the End Phase of the turn.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**ROYAL STRAIGHT (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** A hand holding a ten, queen, king, jack, and ace, all of spades.

**Card Description:** Offer one "Queen's Knight", one "King's Knight" and one "Jack's Knight" on your side of the field as a Tribute. Special Summon one "Royal Straight Slasher" from your hand, deck, or Graveyard.

**0**

**0**

**0**

ROYAL STRAIGHT SLASHER (Monster Card)

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level:** 6  
**ATK:** 2,400  
**DEF:** 1,350

**Card Description:** This card cannot be Normal Summoned or set. This card can only be Special Summoned via the effect of "Royal Straight". Once per round when this card is face-up on your side of the field, you may discard from your deck five Monsters of each of the first five Levels to destroy all cards on your opponent's side of the field.

Note: "Royal Straight" and "Royal Straight Slasher" were first used by Yugi in the original multi-part anime episode "Sinister Secrets". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**ROYAL FLUSH (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** A hand holding three playing cards, with Queen's Knight, King's Knight, and Jack's Knight as the Queen of Spades, King of Spades, and Jack of Spades respectably.

**Card Description:** You may activate this card when you have one "Jack's Knight" on your side of the field that was Special Summoned via the effect of "King's Knight". Pay 1,000 Life Points. Special Summon one "Ten's Knight" and one "Ace's Knight" from your hand and/or deck.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**TEN'S KNIGHT (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Warrior  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level:** 3  
**ATK:** 1,000  
**DEF:** 800

**Flavor Text:** A young page who is just learning the ways of chivalry. She strikes fast and quick with her long dagger.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**ACE'S KNIGHT (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Warrior  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level:** 6  
**ATK:** 2,300  
**DEF:** 1,700

**Flavor Text:** A hulking brute in armor. He defends his comrades at all costs with his deadly greatsword.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**ARCANA KNIGHT JOKER (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Warrior/Fusion/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level:** 3  
**ATK:** 3,800  
**DEF:** 2,500

**Card Description:** "Queen's Knight" + "King's Knight" + "Jack's Knight"

A Fusion Summon of this card can only be done using the above named Fusion Material Monsters. When this card is face-up on the field, if it is targeted by the effect of a Spell, Trap, or Monster, you may discard a card of the same type from your hand to negate the effect.

Note: "Arcana Knight Joker" is a Japanese card that has not yet been released in the United States.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**Ren: I wonder where Sam is today? She's only one step away from Gold herself.**

**Chelsea: Maybe she'll find an Eliminator of her own.**

**Yumi: I'm not sure if Sam wants to take such a risk…**

**Anastasia: Oh but she will…**

**Sam will not only challenge an Eliminator, but one who guards a great secret… Ancient, forbidden power that possibly only Sam may unlock…**

**Coming up next, "Elimination Duel Four; Shaolin Dragon".**

**What secrets lie buried in Duelatopia? Sam is about to find out…**


	30. Shaolin Dragon

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CHAPTER TWENTY NINE**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Elimination Duel Four**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Shaolin Dragon**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

While Chelsea's duel with Angel was ending, Olga had come back to the hotel, having beaten that Russian duelist with that creepy Fairy.

She took a scrapbook out of her suitcase. She sat on her bed and looked through it.

There was a picture of her and Rasputin, standing in front of the newly renovated London Gentleman's Club six months ago…

Chauvinist's Club might have been a better name for it, until she had helped Rasputin take control of it…

She remembered that night well…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Inside the very fancy and posh bar, a man in an expensive suit looked over a deck of Duel Monsters cards. He was sweating nervously.

"I say, Tulsey," said an older man. "You look like the end of the world is afoot."

"It may well be…" said Tulsey. "The judge ruled in favor of the plaintiff again. My last appeal has been denied.

"Now that snake gave me a choice…

"Either I hand over what he was awarded, or I can wager my position as president of this club in a duel against his representative.

"I can't come close to paying him, my two ungrateful sons won't lend me the money, so I have to take the second option."

"You disowned your sons when you still had money, remember?" said the older man. "You forbade them from marrying those girls you didn't approve of, and they chose them over you. Seems their choice was the right one."

Tulsey glared at him.

"Oh, don't worry, old sport," he continued. "How hard could it…"

A young waiter ran up to Tulsey.

"Sir," he said. "Rasputin's representative is here…"

Tulsey gulped.

"Send him in…" he said.

"Uh, that's just it, sir," said the waiter. "It isn't a 'him'…"

"Out of my way!" shouted a voice from the entrance.

Olga walked in, ignoring the fact that every set of eyes were on her.

"What is the meaning of this?" asked Tulsey. "No women are allowed in this club."

"That's exactly why Rasputin sent me, your honor," said Olga, saying the title sarcastically. "When he's president of this club, the ban on female members is the first rule he's going to abolish."

Everyone gasped.

"Oh please…" said the older man. "Even if such a rule were proposed, no member would vote to support it."

Olga grinned.

"Check your club charter, pal," she said. "Page three, paragraph four, subparagraph two, a clause included by Jacob Humphrey, this club's esteemed founder."

She pointed to a portrait on the wall, of a stern-faced man wearing the clothes of nobility from several centuries ago.

"And Rasputin intends to take _that_ down as well," she added.

The older man turned pale…

"Tulsey…" he said in a scared voice. "I… I know about that… The president has the authority to kill any rule banning a demographic from membership, so long as said demographic has had a member serve as a member of Parliament or Prime Minister of Britain. For decades now, that rule could have been done away with by a single stroke of a pen."

"How could Humphrey have been so stupid?" asked Tulsey, in fear.

"I doubt he ever believed that a woman would ever hold such a high place in government," said the older man. "But times change…"

Tulsey looked at Olga.

"This club has existed as a men's-only club since the days of Henry VIII…" he said, terrified. "We will not allow that tradition to die…"

"It's an outdated and misogynistic idea," said Olga. "And anyone who objects to the rule being abolished will have his membership card burned. Unless you can beat me, of course."

"I will not duel a woman!" shouted Tulsey.

"You can't renege on the deal you made with Rasputin," replied Olga, crossing her arms. "You and he agreed to it in writing. If you don't duel me, you forfeit. That's what he said…"

"Tulsey…" said the older man. "You duel her right now! And God help you if you lose!"

He gave the younger man a shove.

Everyone glared at him with looks of fury.

"Fine…" he said. "How hard could it be…"

Their Disks activated.

**(Olga: 8,000) -------------------- (Tulsey: 8,000)**

"I'll go first…" said Tulsey, drawing a sixth card.

"Chauvinistic AND rude, I see…" muttered Olga.

Tulsey played a Spell Card.

"I play the Spell Card, Ancient Rules," he said. "Now I can Special Summon a Normal Monster from my hand, no matter how powerful it is.

"And I choose to summon the Red Eyes Black Dragon!"

In a roar, and a burst of dark energy, a Dragon just like the ace of Joey Wheeler's deck appeared above him. (2,400/2,000)

"Of course, I can't actually attack with it on the first turn, but I can play this… the Spell Card, Inferno Fire Blast!"

He played the card, and the onlookers cheered as the huge Dragon launched a stream of flames at Olga. She closed her eyes and sweat as the fire hit her.

**(O: 5,600) -------------------- (T: 8,000)**

"Are you quite done?" asked Olga.

"Not by a long shot," he replied. "Moving to my second Main Phase, I play Polymerization, to fuse it together with Summoned Skull…"

The intimidating form of Summoned Skull appeared next to Red Eyes, and the two merged into a dark vortex…

"I summon the Black Skull Dragon!"

Out of the vortex came a giant, fiendish thing, resembling a Dragon with a skull-like face and a bony exoskeleton. (3,200/2,500)

"And to think we were worried…" chuckled someone who was watching.

Tulsey crossed his arms.

"Do you want to know why Humphrey didn't allow women into this club?" he said with a frown. "Because he knew the cold, hard, fact. Men are superior. I mean, just look at Seto Kaiba. Did he ever use a female Monster in his deck? No!"

Olga chuckled.

And then she laughed. She laughed out loud.

"What?" asked Tulsey.

"Blue-Eyes is a female Dragon," she said.

"That's absurd!" shouted Tulsey.

"Obviously you didn't read Kaiba's autobiography," said Olga. "In it, he tells the story of a beautiful, blue-eyed woman named Kisara… Although her life was tragically cut short, she was reborn, as the spirit of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon.

"Anyway, is that your turn?"

"Yes!" shouted Tulsey.

"Well, you certainly know how to combo," said Olga, drawing a card.

She played a card, and the Pot of Greed appeared in front of her. She drew two cards.

"But then again, so do I…

"I play Magical Market," she said, playing a Spell Card. "I have to give up half my Life Points, but then I choose one Spell Card in my hand. Then I get to take all other copies of it from my deck, and they go to my hand as well…"

Her Life Points dipped, as she took two cards from her deck.

"And the three Spell Cards I have now are called Advanced Ritual Art. They work as follows… When I use one, it serves as a substitute for a Ritual Spell Card, and instead of sacrificing Monsters on the field or in my hand, I summon the Ritual Monsters by sacrificing Normal Monsters from my deck."

She took a card from her deck.

"So, for the first one, goodbye Gyakutenno Megami, hello Cyber Angel Idaten."

She discarded the card, and Idaten appeared, scowling at Tulsey. (1,600/2,000)

"Second time…" said Olga, playing the second one, "I'll get rid of another Gyakutenno Megami, and bring out Benten."

She discarded another card, and Cyber Angel Benten appeared, just as angry. (1,800/1,500)

"Third time's the charm," she continued, playing the third card. "I'll bid adieu to Cosmo Queen, and we can all welcome Dakini."

She discarded another card, and Cyber Angel Dakini appeared in a maelstrom of energy. (2,700/2,400)

"And due to Dakini's effect, you can kiss your big scary Monster goodbye."

Dakini's eyes glowed with fire, and Black Skull Dragon exploded into shards.

"I'm not finished yet!" shouted Tulsey.

He looked at the last card in his hand, which was Fusion Recovery. Any number of draws on his next turn would allow him to summon his other Black Skull Dragon, or his Meteor Black Dragon, which was even better.

"Oh?" asked Olga, playing a Spell Card. "I play Reckless Charge. So long as this card is in effect, all battle damage I do to you is increased by fifty percent. Of course, in exchange for that, all battle damage _you_ do to _me_ is _doubled_, but we won't really have to worry about that, now will we?

"Ladies… Attack him directly!"

Tulsey screamed as the three Cyber Angels mercilessly plowed into him…

He fell to his knees…

**(O: 2,800) -------------------- (T: 0)**

There was dead calm in the room. Tulsey had been beaten – by a girl – in her first turn…

Olga deactivated her Disk.

"Men are superior…" she said with a scowl. "You'll note I'm not the one who's just been reduced to her knees.

"Rasputin will be by soon to do the paperwork."

"Over my dead body," said Tulsey, reaching into his jacket. "I'm thinking we could just do away with you and tell him that you never showed up…"

He pulled a gun out of his jacket.

"I see one thing wrong with that plan," said an angry voice from the door. "I've been here the whole time."

Everyone looked up in fear, and saw Rasputin standing there, accompanied by four hulking bodyguards.

"The punishment for committing a crime with a firearm in this country is _very_ severe, Tulsey," he said. "Your own security cameras have a perfect view of this room. And if anyone here harms a single hair on her head, I'll make certain his punishment won't stop when the law is done with him. So drop it now."

Tulsey sadly dropped the gun.

"You agreed to my terms," said Rasputin, "and you lost, so this club is now mine… Anyone who doesn't like it… Tough…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Olga had enjoyed that. Rasputin did indeed lift the ban on female members, and a great many women joined. A lot of longtime members soon found out that his threat to expel anyone who objected was not empty. Women could come to that club without fear now…

Sadly, Rasputin had another, less noble reason for wanting control of the club – it made a good front for many illegal activities. Sure, the place was more enjoyable for more members of the community now… But as enjoyable as it was, it was controlled by the underworld, just as gangsters had seemingly owned the best nightclubs during the Prohibition Era in America...

Olga lay back on her bed…

She closed the scrapbook, and shook her head sadly…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Sam was going through some things in her suitcase at her hotel room with Erik watching.

"Those twerps think they're so hot," she muttered, tossing things out of her suitcase. "They can beat Eliminators, huh? They think I'm too scared to face one of them, huh?

"Well, I'm gonna get Gold by doing just that… I'm sick of trouncing common duelists anyway…"

"Sam…" said Erik, "your aunt is an Eliminator… She likely knows the others. They might not even accept your challenge."

"Taken care of…" said Sam, taking something from her suitcase.

She held it up. It was a doll-like mask, one which would make the wearer's face look like that of a porcelain figurine.

Sam placed it on her face and fit together the straps as Erik nervously watched. Then she tied her hair up with a comb, and covered it with a bandana.

"See?" said Sam, picking up her Disk. "I'll just keep my identity secret for this duel."

"Are you sure you can beat one of them?" asked Erik, nervously. "I mean, the threats they make…"

"Oh, I can beat them," said Sam. "I know about all of them, and all of their strategies. That Midnight Caller was a surprise, but if I know where to go, they can't surprise me.

"Come on…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In the Duelatopia Topiary Park, a small clearing stood where there were grouped miniature shrines. These were commonly found in Japanese rural areas; superstition said you could use them to leave offerings to spirits, strange beings who presided over nature.

Sam walked to the center of the clearing. On the paved ground was carved a strange glyph that looked similar to a kanji symbol.

"I… can't seem to tell what that means…" muttered Erik. "It isn't Japanese…"

"It's Chinese…" replied Sam. "It's a symbol. In the Chinese Zodiac, there are five mystical elements: Fire, Water, Earth, Metal, and Wood. This is the symbol for Earth. This Eliminator is supposed to use a Rock Deck.

"Nothing I can't handle… I've beaten such decks several times.

"Now, let's see, how do we get in?"

Then, the strange sigil started to change. A verse appeared on the stone:

_**From the beginning of eternity,**_

_**To the end of time and space,**_

_**To the beginning of every end,**_

_**And the end of every place.**_

_**What am I?**_

"Uhm… heh, heh…" chuckled Erik. "Very interesting… That's…"

"The letter 'E'," said Sam. "It's a simple answer disguised as a hard one."

Then, a burst of light shot up from the sigil.

"Someone thinks she's bright," said a voice. "Step into the light, and we'll see if she truly is."

Sam nodded to Erik. He took her hand, and they stepped into the light.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Sam was somewhat surprised when she saw where they were. Her Aunt Diane had never mentioned this place.

It seemed to be a Chinese temple of some sort. The most remarkable feature was that the floor was simply soil. There were statues of oriental dragons in each corner.

There was no exit on her side of the temple. Across the room was a large archway, with a huge set of doors that were closed with a seal. The symbol for Earth was above it.

"Great," said Sam. "So now what?"

"Patience," said a voice.

And then, a figure rose out of the very ground in front of her.

He was a young, handsome, very muscular man, wearing a pair of black pants with a red sash, and no shirt. Sam had watched a few Bruce Lee movies in her time, and this guy bore a slight resemblance to the Master.

"Enter the Dragon?" asked Sam, putting a hand on her hip.

"Indeed," replied the man. "You are in the presence of Togashi Hoshi, Shaolin Dragon of Earth."

"Shaolin?" asked Sam. "As in Kung-Fu?"

"In a way," replied Hoshi. "And you are?"

"I'd prefer not to give my name," replied Sam. "But I'm here to duel…"

Hoshi grinned.

"You wouldn't be so eager if you knew what was waiting at the end…" he replied.

He gestured, and the soil beneath Sam started to ripple…

"What?" she said, looking down.

Then, a huge hand made of soil reached out of the ground and grabbed her.

"HEY!" she shouted.

"Let her go!" demanded Erik.

"I will, for now…" said Hoshi, "but I can control the very earth, and it lives… And it hungers. It can swallow those who aren't worthy opponents…"

The fist released Sam.

"You mean…" she gasped. "If I lose… I get buried alive?"

Hoshi nodded.

"However…" he said, "you may have a reason not to surrender just yet, if my suspicions are correct.

"I'm not only an Eliminator, young lady… I'm a guardian."

He pointed to the sealed door behind him.

"Behind that vault lies a secret that I was entrusted with. As you know, those who defeat Eliminators get a priceless gift, and I just might be able to show you what it is…

"But you must not only win… You must be the type of duelist who can handle it. The secrets that lie in that chamber can only be mastered not only by a powerful duelist, but by one of a special variety. I doubt that even Yugi Mouto could have mastered them. He was a master duelist, the best of his time, but he wasn't the right type of duelist. Neither was Seto Kaiba or Joey Wheeler."

Under her mask, Sam's eyes opened wide.

_A power that Yumi's grandfathers or my great uncle couldn't have handled?_ she thought._ I have to have it… I have to win…_

"Okay, Hoshi…" she said. "I accept your challenge…"

Hoshi raised his left arm, and a silver Disk with a flared tray and a yin-yang on the deck holder appeared on it.

"Be careful…" muttered Erik.

"Game on!" exclaimed Sam and Hoshi.

**(Sam: 8,000) -------------------- (Hoshi: 8,000)**

"I'll start this…" said Hoshi, drawing a sixth card. "And to start things off, I'll summon… Chu-Ske the Mouse Fighter in Attack Mode."

He placed a card on his Disk, and a figure burst out of the soil. It was a tall, humanoid mouse, wearing trousers and slippers. He made a fighting stance. (1,200/0)

"I end my turn," said Hoshi.

_Huh?_ thought Sam. _He summoned a weak Monster in Attack Mode, and that's all? What is he up to?_

_Is he planning to summon The Rock Spirit? Or Gigantes? I have to be careful…_

She drew a card.

"I throw a card facedown, and summon Gil Garth in Attack Mode," she said.

A facedown card appeared, followed by the armored, mechanical Fiend. (1,800/1,200)

"Kill his Mouse Fighter!" she shouted.

Gil Garth made a slash with his katana. Chu-Ske fell backwards and shattered.

**(S: 8,000) -------------------- (H: 7,400)**

"I end my turn…" she said.

"Not bad…" said Hoshi. "I draw…"

He drew one card.

"Master Kyonshee in Attack Mode," he said.

He played the card, and a new Monster appeared. It was a tall figure dressed in a kimono, with a veil over its face, with a kanji symbol on the veil. Again, it made a fighting stance. (1,750/1,000)

"Once again, I end my turn."

"Uh, are you sure?" asked Sam. "In case you didn't know, you can do more."

Hoshi just looked at her.

_What the heck is he doing?_ thought Sam. _He put a Monster that's clearly weaker than mine in Attack Mode, with no facedown cards? It's as if he doesn't even understand the basic rules of the game…_

_And this certainly doesn't seem like any Rock Deck I've ever seen. His Monsters aren't Rocks, and they just seem… random. Not to mention lame._

"I don't know what your game is," she said, "but it's your funeral. I summon Opticlops."

She played another card, and the muscular, cyclopsed Fiend appeared. (1,800/1,700)

"Attack Master Kyonshee!" she shouted.

Opticlops charged forward, and rammed the Zombie, blowing it to pieces.

"Gil Garth, attack directly! Terminate…"

Gil Garth slashed with his katana, and Hoshi staggered backwards.

**(S: 8,000) -------------------- (H: 5,550)**

"This has got to be the easiest duel I've ever had…" chuckled Sam.

Hoshi smirked at her, and drew a card.

He placed a card on his Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared.

He nodded.

"That all?" asked Sam, drawing a card.

She played another card.

"Skull Knight #2 in Attack Mode," she said.

In an aura of darkness, the armored, skeletal Fiend appeared. (1,000/1,200)

"Opticlops, wipe out his facedown Monster!" shouted Sam.

Opticlops charged…

A huge rodent appeared on the card. Opticlops ran it down.

"A Giant Rat?" said Sam, startled.

"Yes," replied Hoshi, taking his deck. "I'm sure you know its effect. I'll use it to summon a second Giant Rat…"

He played a card, and another Rat appeared, ready to pounce. (1,400/1,450)

"I'm not afraid of that!" replied Sam. "Gil Garth, smash that Rat!"

Gil Garth swiped with his sword, and the second Rat shattered into pieces.

**(S: 8,000) -------------------- (H: 5,150)**

"Look before you leap, little girl," said Hoshi. "For now you have enabled me to bring out the key to my strategy. I use this Rat's effect, to Special Summon Monk Fighter."

With a rumble, a tall figure burst out of the ground. Sam was a little surprised. It looked somewhat like Hoshi himself, with slate-grey skin, in a ragged yellow martial arts _gi_. (1,300/1,000)

"Yeah, well I'm not scared of him either…" muttered Sam. "He's still weaker than two of my Monsters…"

She took a card from her hand.

Bark of Dark Ruler.

_Although…_ she thought, looking at it, _he likely intends to sacrifice that Monk Fighter for some stronger Monster…_

"Is that a good card you have there?" asked Hoshi. "Maybe you should play it, instead of just looking at it."

"Yeah, yeah…" said Sam, placing it in her Disk.

The card appeared facedown next to the first one.

"My turn is over."

Hoshi drew a card.

"I don't want to suggest that my Monsters are scared of yours, child," he said, "but even so, I will activate Banner of Courage."

He played a card, and a Continuous Spell Card appeared.

"This means…"

"That one I know about…" said Sam. "It means your Monsters gain 200 Attack Points, but only for your Battle Phase."

"Smart…" said Hoshi, taking a card. "Now, I sacrifice Monk Fighter, to summon Master Monk!"

Monk Fighter shattered into pixels…

And then, a hulking, far more powerful form burst out of the ground. He looked like he could have been Monk Fighter's father, a powerful man with white hair and a beard, again with slate-grey skin, dressed only in a ragged pair of trousers. (1,900/1,000)

"Whoa…" said Erik.

"Whoa is right," said Hoshi. "True, his Attack Score seems a bit low for a Tribute Monster, but due to his powerful effect, he can attack twice in one Battle Phase.

"Master Monk, attack her Opticlops! Shaolin fist!"

The Banner of Courage glowed. Master Monk's Attack Score rose to 2,100, and he charged towards Opticlops…

"I activate Bark of Dark Ruler!" shouted Sam, as her Trap lifted.

Dark Ruler Ha Des appeared behind her, and howled.

"I'll pay 400 Life Points, and your Monk loses the same amount!"

"Clever…" said Hoshi. "But I can be clever too!"

He threw a card into his Disk.

"I play Trap Booster! Now, I toss one card from my hand…"

He quickly discarded Trojan Blast from his hand.

"And now I can activate one Trap Card from my hand. And I choose to activate… Lone Wolf!"

A Trap Card appeared on the field. It bore the image of Master Monk with his back to a starry sky.

Opticlops deflected the blow and punched Master Monk, but he simply fell backwards, landing on his feet. He didn't shatter.

"He survived?" gasped Sam.

"My Trap Card protected him," replied Hoshi. "I can only use Lone Wolf when I have one Monster on the field, and it must be one of three specific Monsters. But now… Master Monk cannot be defeated in battle. And Lone Wolf is a Continuous Trap, by the way.

"And remember… Due to his own effect, he can attack twice, and your Bark of Dark Ruler only lasts for one battle…"

Master Monk loomed over Opticlops, as his Attack Score rose back to 2,100…

"Master Monk, attack her Opticlops again!" shouted Hoshi.

Master Monk kicked Opticlops hard, and the Fiend groaned before shattering into bits.

**(S: 7,300) -------------------- (H: 5,050)**

"It's your move…" said Hoshi, with a smirk.

Sam simply stared for a minute. She slowly drew a card.

"I… I move both my Monsters to Defense Mode…" she said.

Skull Knight and Gil Garth crouched in defense.

"That's all I can do…" she said.

She was still rather shocked. This was the first time her Bark of Dark Ruler had failed to work.

Hoshi drew a card.

"I recall that you said a minute ago," he said, "that this was the easiest duel you ever had. Well, it doesn't seem so easy now, does it? And it's only going to get harder from this point. In a minute, it will not matter what Mode your Monsters are in.

"I Equip my Monk with Legendary Black Belt."

He played a card, and a black belt made of cloth appeared and tied around Master Monk's waist.

"Don't tell me it gives him a trampling effect?" asked Sam, getting nervous.

"Even better," replied Hoshi. "Now, whenever he destroys a Monster, that Monster's total Defense Score is taken out of your Life Points."

"You gotta be kidding…" said Erik.

"I never kid," said Hoshi. "Master Monk, destroy Gil Garth!"

Master Monk leveled another kick, and Gil Garth was smashed to pieces. Sam cringed as she was struck by stabbing pain.

"Now, destroy the Skull Knight!"

Master Monk threw another kick, and Skull Knight was blown into a pile of bones and armor. Sam cringed again.

**(S: 4,900) -------------------- (H: 5,050)**

"That's all for now…" said Hoshi.

Sam looked at her deck.

She drew a card.

Under her mask, she smiled. It was Dark Ruler Ha Des.

"I activate my facedown card, Call of the Haunted!" she shouted.

Her other Trap Card lifted, and Skull Knight #2 crawled out of the dirt. (1,000/1,200)

"Now I sacrifice him…" she continued, "for Dark Ruler Ha Des!"

The temple darkened, and in a shadowy flame, the King of the Underworld appeared, looming over the arena. (2,450/1,600)

"Now I activate Skull Knight's effect…" continued Sam. "I'll summon another one, in Defense Mode."

A second Skull Knight appeared, crouching in Defense. (1,000/1,200)

"Ha Des, attack his Monk! Stygian blast!"

Ha Des roared, and then blasted a wave of black fire. Master Monk staggered against it, and Hoshi sweat in pain…

**(S: 4,900) -------------------- (H: 4,400)**

"See?" said Sam. "I figured out your Monster's weakness. He may be invulnerable, but _you_ sure aren't. And now my Monster is too strong for him to defeat."

Hoshi laughed as he drew a card.

"You'd like to think that, wouldn't you, little girl?" he asked.

"First, I'll summon a second Master Kyonshee…"

He played the card, and another of the Zombie monks appeared. (1,750/1,000)

"Next, I play this Spell Card," he said, holding up a card. "It's called Kaminote Blow, and it gives Master Monk a special ability. On the round I use this card, he can destroy any Monster he attacks, no matter how strong it is. And thanks to Lone Wolf, he'll survive the battle as well."

"Wait a minute…" said Sam.

"Master Kyonshee," said Hoshi, "destroy the Skull Knight!"

Kyonshee's Attack rose to 1,975, and he leapt at Skull Knight, kicking it and blasting it to shards.

"Master Monk, attack the Dark Ruler! Kaminote Blow!"

Master Monk's Attack Score rose to 2,100 again, and he darted forward, and delivered a fierce punch to Ha Des's chest. The Dark Ruler groaned, and then shattered into pixels.

"Ha Des…" muttered Sam, sadly.

And then she cringed in pain…

"Don't forget the effect of Legendary Black Belt…" said Hoshi. "Or the fact that he can attack twice. Master Monk, attack her directly!"

"NO!" screamed Erik.

Erik's protests did nothing to stop Master Monk. He savagely kicked Sam in the stomach, and she screamed as she was thrown backwards.

**(S: 1,200) -------------------- (H: 4,050)**

"Pity…" said Hoshi. "You seem to have at least one loyal friend here… But once this is over, you'll have to learn to make friends with the grubs and worms underneath this temple."

"All right, pal!" shouted Erik. "I'm gonna…"

"One more step, young man," said Hoshi, "and she loses automatically."

Erik stopped.

_Think of something, baby…_ he thought.

Sam slowly got up, clutching her gut.

"It's your move…" said Hoshi. "Unless you want to give up."

"No…" muttered Sam. "You see, you may think you have a powerful strategy, but it does have a fatal flaw.

"See, you rely too much on one powerful Monster. All you're really doing is using cards to juice up Master Monk again and again. You're forgetting one of my…"

She caught herself.

"Uhm, you're forgetting one of Seto Kaiba's cardinal rules of dueling: Never base your whole strategy on one powerful card."

"…said the man who had three Blue-Eyes White Dragons in his deck…" said Hoshi, crossing his arms.

"I will beat you…" said Sam, drawing a card. "You'll see."

_Don't make me a liar…_ she thought, looking at it.

"I play… Pot of Greed."

The laughing jar appeared in front of her, and she drew two cards.

She looked at them.

_All right…_ she thought. _Now we're talkin…_

"I throw a card facedown, and a Monster in Defense Mode…" she said.

A facedown card, and a facedown Monster appeared.

"That will be all…"

Hoshi drew a card.

"Go, Trap Card!" shouted Sam, as her set card lifted. "Shadow Spell!"

A mass of chains burst out of the ground, and grabbed Master Monk. He grunted as they bound his arms and legs. His Attack Score fell to 1,200.

"Heh, heh…" chuckled Hoshi. "Very clever… But it's only a matter of time before I break those chains…"

"Well… Move…" said Sam.

"Actually…" said Hoshi, "I choose to end my turn without making _any_ move."

"Suit yourself," said Sam, drawing a card.

"I flip my facedown Monster to Attack Mode…" she stated. "Go, Night Assailant!"

The card flipped up, and a shadowy Monster appeared. It was dark creature, clothed in a dark cloak and hood, holding two glowing blades. (200/500)

"When this guy is Flip-Summoned, one Monster on the field is instantly slain," said Sam. "So say goodbye to your Monk! Night Assailant, destroy Master Monk!"

Night Assailant crossed its blades, and a blast of energy shot towards Master Monk…

He didn't seem to care. The blast just glanced off his rocky skin.

"It… It didn't work?" asked Sam.

"Heh, heh, heh…" chuckled Hoshi. "My Lone Wolf Trap also renders him immune to Monster effects. Your Night Assailant's effect couldn't kill him any more than attacks could."

"Now you tell me…" muttered Sam.

She looked at the card she had just drawn.

"My move isn't over!" she shouted. "I sacrifice Night Assailant, for Lesser Fiend!"

Night Assailant shattered into pixels, and Lesser Fiend rose up, roaring savagely. (2,100/1,000)

"Attack his Master Kyonshee!" she shouted.

Lesser Fiend lumbered forward, and with one double-swipe with its left claws, the Zombie was torn to shreds.

"By the way…" said Sam, "any Monster that it destroys is gone for good. I'll end my turn there."

**(S: 1,200) -------------------- (H: 3,700)**

Hoshi drew a card.

He smirked.

"I set a card facedown…" he said, "and that will be all."

A facedown card appeared.

_A facedown card…_ thought Sam, _and I bet I know what it is, too… I have to make this move count…_

"I draw one card…" she said, drawing a card.

"And I activate my Trap," said Hoshi. "Dust Tornado!"

The Trap Card lifted up, and the fierce wind tore across the field. Master Monk lifted his arms, and broke free of the chains.

_Do something, Sam…_ thought Erik. _If that Monk attacks on your next turn, you lose…_

Sam looked at the card she had drawn.

"I play… Graceful Charity," she said.

She played the card, and it glowed. Angels didn't tend to come to duelists who used Fiend Decks, but she still was able to draw three cards.

She looked at them closely before making two discards.

Then she placed a card in her Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

"That's all…" she said.

Hoshi drew a card.

"This ends now…" he said. "I summon a second Chu-Ske the Mouse Fighter."

He played the card, and another of the mouse monks appeared. (1,200/0)

"Master Monk, attack Lesser Fiend!"

Master Monk's Attack Score rose to 2,100 again. He leapt, and aimed a kick at Lesser Fiend.

"Go!" shouted Sam, as her Trap Card lifted. "Draining Shield!"

A dome of energy surrounded Sam and her Monster, and Master Monk's foot slammed into it. He grunted, as energy flowed into Sam.

"Very clever…" said Hoshi, "but he can attack twice, remember? Master Monk, attack again!"

Master Monk kicked Lesser Fiend in the gut, and it groaned before exploding into pixels. Sam groaned too, as the pain ripped through her.

"Chu-Ske, attack directly!" ordered Hoshi. "Hardened hands!"

The Mouse Fighter's Attack Score rose to 1,400. He charged towards Sam.

"Sorry, but he won't get to me," said Sam, discarding a card, "thanks to my Kuriboh."

A swarm of the little, furry Fiends popped up between Sam and Chu-Ske, and the Mouse Fighter fell backwards as they exploded.

_And to think I almost didn't put that little guy in my deck…_ thought Sam. _That's not the first time it saved my ass… Hard to believe my uncle hated it so much…_

**(S: 2,300) -------------------- (H: 3,700)**

"You saved yourself that round," said Hoshi. "Next round will be different.

"I set one card facedown, and I'll end my turn…"

A facedown card appeared.

Sam looked at her hand.

She had a Monster that was stronger than his Monk, but with that Lone Wolf, it would be pretty much useless…

She drew a card.

She frowned. This was going to be risky, but it was the only way…

"I place one card facedown…" she said, fitting a card in her Disk, "and then summon Giant Orc."

A facedown card appeared, and then the huge, muscular ogre holding a bone club appeared. (2,200/0)

"HA!" laughed Hoshi. "Do you think I'm scared of that brainless brute? It may be strong, but once it attacks, it must shift to Defense Mode, where it is helpless."

"We'll see, won't we?" asked Sam. "Giant Orc, attack his Mouse Fighter! Bone basher!"

Giant Orc roared, and with one smash of its club, Chu-Ske the Mouse Fighter was squashed flat.

Giant Orc tumbled backwards and fell on its behind, its eyes in a daze.

**(S: 2,300) -------------------- (H: 2,700)**

"I hope it was worth it," said Hoshi. "It's my move…"

He drew a card.

"And it's time for your Monk to split…" said Sam. "I activate my Trap Card…"

Her facedown card lifted.

"Go, Ring of Destruction!"

Hoshi gasped in fear, as the ring of grenades formed around Master Monk's neck.

"I may lose as many Life Points as you will from this move…" said Sam, "but I know from experience now, that Lone Wolf doesn't protect him from Traps. So your annoying Master Monk is history."

"So be it…" said Hoshi, "but I can still activate this…"

His facedown card lifted.

"Emergency Provisions. I'll send Lone Wolf, Legendary Black Belt, and Banner of Courage to the Graveyard, and while I may lose my Monster, I'll still come out ahead."

The three Spell Cards vanished…

As soon as they did, Master Monk exploded into shards of rock. Both Sam and Hoshi were thrown backwards by the blow. They toppled over.

**(S: 400) -------------------- (H: 3,800)**

Hoshi slowly got up. He looked at the two cards in his hand.

"I'm not through yet…" he muttered. "I play Monster Reincarnation."

He played the card, and then discarded his other one. He took Giant Rat from his discard slot.

"I'll set this in Defense Mode, and end my turn…"

The Monster appeared facedown.

"I have 3,800 Life Points compared to your 400," he said. "And all you have is a brute with a nonexistent Defense Score. You'll still lose…"

_If she manages to attack my Rat,_ he thought, _I can summon another Monk Fighter… And even if she manages to attack him, his effect will reduce the damage to zero. I can still win…_

Sam drew a card.

"I play… Pot of Avarice," she said.

She played the card, and the goofy pink jar appeared. She took Dark Ruler Ha Des, Opticlops, Night Assailant, Opticlops, and one Skull Knight from her Graveyard and shuffled them into her deck.

"Now I get to make two draws…" she said, drawing twice.

She looked at the two cards and smirked.

"Well…" she said, "it's been fun… But now it ends…

"I play Monster Reborn, to bring back Gil Garth."

The golden ankh appeared, and Gil Garth appeared once again. (1,800/1,200)

"Next… I play the Spell Card, Medicine Eater."

"Medicine Eater?" said Hoshi. "I've never heard of that…"

The Spell Card appeared on Sam's side of the field. It bore a picture of a man turning into a werewolf.

"You'll see what it does in a minute," said Sam. "Now…I'll sacrifice my Orc, to summon Ha Des once again, using my second copy."

Giant Orc shattered into triangles. In a burst of darkness, Ha Des appeared once more. (2,450/1,600)

Then he raised his hands, and glowed with green flame. His Attack Score rose to 3,550.

"What on Earth?" shouted Hoshi.

"That's what Medicine Eater does," said Sam. "If I play it before I summon a Monster by sacrifice, the summoned Monster gains half the Attack and Defense of the sacrificed Monster, as well as its effect.

"Gil Garth, attack his Monster!"

Gil Garth flew forward, and the Rat appeared on the card. It was smashed to pieces.

"Sorry…" said Hoshi, "but you activated its effect…"

"No I didn't…" said Sam. "Due to Ha Des, its effect is negated. Despite Medicine Eater, Ha Des gets to keep his own effect."

Hoshi stopped short.

"I'm not finished yet!" he shouted. "I'll still have Life Points left, and if He Des truly has Giant Orc's effect, he'll switch into Defense Mode after he attacks me!"

Sam glared at him.

"Didn't think about that, did you, little girl?" he asked.

Sam played a card from her hand, and Rush Recklessly appeared behind Ha Des. Hoshi stopped short, as Ha Des's Attack Score shot up to 4,250.

"Actually…" said Sam, "I did.

"Ha Des… attack directly and end this! Stygian blast!"

Dark Ruler Ha Des conjured up his dark flames, and the Shaolin Dragon of Earth screamed and was propelled backwards.

**(S: 400) -------------------- (H: 0)**

"All right!" shouted Erik, running up to her.

He hugged her.

"You won!"

"Heh, heh, heh…" chuckled Sam's opponent. "Not bad, Samantha…"

Sam looked at him. She took off her mask.

"You knew it was me the whole time?" she asked.

"It wasn't much of a disguise," said Hoshi. "Besides, I don't need to see someone's face to identify her…"

He chuckled.

"They say a warrior's fighting style is like a fingerprint… A master of the martial arts can tell who a warrior is merely by seeing him fight, even if he's in disguise…

"And by the same token, a master duelist can tell who a duelist is by watching her dueling style, even if she wears a disguise."

"Okay…" muttered Sam. "Now you're scaring me."

"But anyway…" said Hoshi.

He waved his arm, and Sam's badge changed color, turning to Gold.

"All right!" she shouted. "I'm heading for the finals!"

"That you are…" said Hoshi, "and you might need this…"

He handed her a card.

"It's a Field Spell that might do wonders with your deck…"

Sam looked at it.

"Yes…" she said with a smile. "But, uh… What about this other treasure… This thing that not even Yumi's grandfathers could have used?"

Hoshi looked at her with a sullen look.

"Are you truly the mistress of Fiends, Samantha?" he asked.

Sam paused.

"Uhm, I guess so…" she replied.

"Perhaps you know then…" said Hoshi, somberly, "that there are groups of Fiends who do not recognize Ha Des's authority… Groups that even he is reluctant to deal with… Fiends older than he is, who know of dark secrets…"

"Yeah…" said Sam, "that would be the Archfiends."

"Even older," said Hoshi. "I refer to the Fiends who ruled Pandemonium before the Archfiends threw them out… Primordial, ancient creatures, born from the darkness of Chaos… The Fiends of Dark World…"

"Dark World?" asked Erik.

"Wait…" said Sam. "I've heard of those cards… Pegasus made them as part of some promotion… But everyone who tried using them eventually stopped… Some people said that they were cursed…"

"The Fiends of Dark World are very dangerous Duel Spirits, Samantha," said Hoshi, gravely. "Only a duelist who can truly control Fiends, who can tame them like no other duelist, can use their powers without falling victim to the incredible evil they exude…"

He pointed to the sealed door.

"Years ago, a duelist who had nearly fallen victim to their evil influence gave me a Dark World Deck, telling me to keep it secured. I have done so, and I have several times offered it to duelists who I thought could tame the spirits…

"But so far, everyone who has gone in there trying to claim the cards has run screaming from the chamber… The Spirits won't be tamed without a fight.

"I'll make you the same offer Samantha. The cards are in there, and you can have them… If you can get to them."

Sam looked at him.

"Open the door…" she ordered.

Hoshi pointed to her Duel Disk.

"Take that off first," he ordered. "No help from other Spirits allowed."

Sam paused. She slowly removed the Disk, and handed it to Erik.

"Be careful, baby…" said Erik.

"I'll stay by the door, Samantha," said Hoshi. "You'll still be able to hear me. The Spirits of the Dark World Fiends will try to halt your advance. You must try your best to prove you are superior to them. In other words, show them who's boss."

The seal broke, and the doors slowly opened.

"Good luck…"

Sam looked beyond the doors. A dark, creepy temple, dimly lit by violet torches was beyond the doors. Vaguely, she could make out an altar far on the other side.

She stepped inside the doors, and wisps of spooky energy flew around her.

"All right…" she said, "come on out…"

As she said this, two spooky forms appeared. One was a short, blocky, egg-shaped creature holding a dagger. The other was a tall, thin creature with a green cape and an enlarged cranium.

The one with the dagger advanced on Sam. Her eyes narrowed.

She made a backhand slap, and it fell backwards before vanishing.

She turned to the other one.

"Your move, weirdo," she snarled.

It turned, and fled into the darkness.

"Impressive," said Hoshi's voice. "But don't get too cocky. Those were weak Spirits. More powerful ones are ahead…"

Sam started to walk forward, and a spooky mist covered the ground.

Two more ugly Fiends rose up to either side of her. One was dressed in bone armor, and held a spear. The other wore metal armor and furs, and held a bow and arrow.

Sam glared at the two of them for a minute.

"Go on…" she said. "Attack me if you want to…"

The one with the bow hesitated. The one with the spear didn't. It charged.

Sam dodged aside, and then slammed her fist into its face. It was kind of like punching dough, but the creature still recoiled, and then vanished.

Sam motioned for the one with the bow to come closer. It didn't. It simply vanished.

"You're not doing bad, Samantha, but beware…" said Hoshi. "The next one won't be tamed so easily…"

Sam continued to walk forward.

An aura of darkness appeared in front of her…

Another Fiend, this one clothed in armor and a blue cape, holding a longsword, appeared out of the darkness.

It glared at her. Its eyes glowed.

Then it rushed at her, with its sword held high…

Hardly knowing what she was doing, Sam reached out with her hand, and caught the blade as it fell towards her. It didn't seem sharp at all, and she was able to block its advance.

The Fiend grit its teeth and stared at her.

Then she gave it a violent kick in the gut. It fell backwards, and shattered into bits.

"Not bad, Samantha," said Hoshi's voice. "You're doing much better than most folks have done. That's the easiest I've ever seen anyone get past Zure.

"But still, be careful… It only gets much harder from here."

Sam started to walk again…

She was startled to hear laughter.

Not normal laughter. It sounded like the laughter of some madman…

Someone was behind her…

Two spectral arms grabbed her from behind. Sam cringed… The touch was like that of a corpse…

She threw her head backwards, hitting where she thought its head would be. It let go.

She spun around, and saw the Fiend fully. It reached for her again, but she grabbed its arms. They struggled…

Finally, Sam forced it to its knees. After about a minute, it gave up, and vanished.

Sam paused to catch her breath.

"Samantha…" said Hoshi, "you may be interested in knowing that you are now at a spot where no one has ever gotten to. No one's ever made it past Brron before.

"Now look sharp. Brron may be the ruler of Dark World in name, but some say that his two top generals are even stronger than he is…

"And whispered legends say that he answers to an Overlord of much greater power."

Sam looked up, and saw the altar in front of her. It was an ominous, dark thing, with a small pine box on top.

She walked towards it.

Then two horrific forms appeared to stop her advance.

"You guys don't waste time, do you?" she said nervously.

One of the fiendish creatures was clad in silver, decorated armor, and held a sword. The other wore golden armor, and held an axe.

"Come on you two…" said Sam. "You think I'm scared of…"

She didn't finish that sentence. It was interrupted as the two Fiends' weapons slashed into her.

Sam fell to her knees. She didn't expect that…

She also didn't expect what happened next. The two Fiends each grabbed hold of one of her arms and dragged her up to the altar.

"Sam!" shouted Hoshi. "What's going on?"

"You tell me!" she shouted back.

A burst of black smoke appeared in front of Sam.

"Offhand…" muttered Sam, "I think I'm about to meet that Overlord you just mentioned…

"Figures… Dungeons always have a boss character…"

The creature that appeared was hideous. It was ten feet tall, with huge wings, a muscular torso, with four gems embedded in its chest, and a ram-like head with a skull-like face and curved horns. Its shoulders and lower body were covered with gleaming armor. It clutched a two-pronged, golden-bladed sasumata in its claw. It was surrounded by an odd aura – darkness, in which a multitude of colored lights flickered.

It stared at Sam in stony silence.

Then it pointed down.

"In your dreams…" snarled Sam.

The creature frowned. It motioned to the two Fiends holding Sam, and they started to force her to her knees. She struggled and cursed, but they were too strong.

Then the creature aimed its sasumata at her. It glowed with dark energy…

A scream echoed through the whole temple.

Erik was trying hard to see what was happening.

"I'm going in there…" he said.

"Don't be a fool…" said Hoshi. "Unless you play a Fiend Deck as well, your chances of making it past even the first guards are practically zero."

Back inside, Sam gasped for breath. Smoke rose from her chest. She slowly looked up.

The creature in front of her looked a bit puzzled. Maybe it didn't expect her to survive that blast.

It aimed the sasumata again.

"ENOUGH!" shouted Sam.

She leapt to her feet, throwing the two Fiends who were holding her aside. Then, she grabbed hold of the sasumata, and wrenched it out of the creature's hands.

"How did I do THAT?" she said, looking at it.

She looked at the creature, who was now less sure of itself. It clearly hadn't been expecting that.

She would figure it out later.

Sam looked at the two lesser nobles. Then she turned to the big one again.

"I'll get to you in a minute…" she said.

She aimed the sasumata at the one in silver armor, and a blast of multicolored light shot from it. The Fiend was blown into shards.

Sam grinned. She aimed at the gold one. It backed up and dropped its axe.

"Sorry…" said Sam, "not interested."

She fired another blast, and it was blown to pieces.

Finally, she turned to the Overlord. She pointed its weapon at it.

"Dark Spectrum!" she shouted, not even knowing how she learned the name of the attack.

The Fiend howled, and fell backwards.

Then it slowly got up…

It bowed its head, and then knelt on one knee.

"Well…" said Sam. "That's more like it…"

She didn't even see the slight, sinister grin on its face as it bowed its head…

She gave it a kick, and it vanished. The sasumata vanished as well.

She stepped up to the altar, and opened the pine box. A deck of cards was inside.

She took the cards, and leafed through them. A smile started to form on her face as she looked at the card texts.

_Hmm…_ she thought. _Powerful… Maybe I'll save these for a special occasion… _

_After all, I'm at Gold now, and Yumi will be there too before you know it… When we finally duel, I'll need to surprise her like never before… Regular run-o-the-mill Fiends might not fit the bill…_

_Why cast her into Hades, when I can condemn her to Dark World?_

She ran out of the temple.

"Thanks for the cards, pal," she said to Hoshi.

"Samantha, one final thing…" said Hoshi. "Those cards…"

"Don't worry…" interrupted Sam. "I can handle them…

"Come on, Erik… Let's go find Yumi and laugh at her…"

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Rasputin sat at his computer, with Nicholas and Olga watching.

"Yumi is at Silver," he muttered. "If someone is to challenge her, it has to be someone who is Violet or Silver. That means me, one of you two…

"…or her…"

He looked at the face on the screen. It was a young woman, dressed in the clothing and style of a 1960's flower child.

Rasputin grinned.

He picked up the phone.

"Rasputin?" said a voice over it. "What's the word?"

"I need you to duel someone, Aisha," he responded. "You only need one more win for the finals, after all… but I warn you, this opponent might be difficult…

"I recommend that you use your… Uhm, special card.

"Uh…" came the response, rather nervously. "Uhm, sure… I guess I could use it again… But… That card… It keeps giving me a feeling…"

"It's nerves, Aisha," said Rasputin, "nothing more. You have a powerful card, you should use it. Why let it molder in your side deck? It's completely legal. Duelists buy racks of card packs hoping for a lucky pull like that one, and if it helps you win, you should use it.

"Now stay put… Yumi will be there shortly."

He hung up.

"You just told a big, fat lie, didn't you?" asked Olga.

"No…" replied Rasputin, "I simply didn't tell the complete truth."

"And how will some hippie girl be able to beat Yumi?" asked Nicholas.

"So long as she uses that card, she's invincible…" said Rasputin, "and her opponents don't recover from losses easily.

"The card I mentioned… Is cursed…

"You see, like I said, she got it from a very lucky pull. It's a rare and powerful Trap Card. She started using it in her deck for every duel, and kept winning all the time.

"Finally, she boasted in front of the group who had come to watch that Fate itself must have smiled on her to grant her such a lucky find…

"Such a bold claim would not go unchallenged…

"From out of nowhere, a stranger appeared, and issued a challenge, which she eagerly agreed to. Poor Aisha didn't know that her opponent wasn't human – he was a rakshasa, a type of demon who embodied disease and pestilence. These demons are the bane of humanity… They invented all of the plagues that have tortured mankind during history, like smallpox and the bubonic. Some modern scholars who know of them blame them even for the HIV virus.

"Anyway, Aisha had no idea that the duel she was entering was a Shadow Game. I won't share the grizzly details of that duel… Suffice to say she lost.

"The demon had the right to take her soul, or inflict any of a variety of cruel tortures, but it chose a very ironic punishment. It placed a curse on that powerful card. From that point on, every time she would use it in a duel and win, her opponent would get sick from its realistic effect.

"The lucky ones have only caught cold. Others have come down with bronchitis or even pneumonia. Aisha has gotten suspicious, of course, and doesn't use it all the time, but if she wants to win an important duel, she often has to.

"So, we wait for her to beat Yumi… And with Yumi sick, she'll be easy prey. One of you two will merely have to challenge her, and winning her Crown will be a cakewalk."

There was a long pause.

"Sounds a bit…" said Nicholas, "what's the term I'm looking for?"

"Playing dirty…" said Olga.

"Perhaps…" said Rasputin, "but as they say, to make a great omelet, you have to break a few eggs…

"After all…

"It's not a perfect world…"

_Sam has advanced to Gold, and has claimed the Dark World Deck from its fiendish guardians. But Rasputin is starting to plot again, and a duelist whose deck holds a curse inside is waiting for Yumi. What's going to be the outcome?_

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**MEDICINE EATER (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** A man turning into a werewolf.

**Card Description:** Activate this card before Tribute Summoning a Monster. Half of the ATK and DEF of the Tributed Monster are added to those, respectively, of the Tribute Summoned Monster. The Tribute Summoned Monster gains the effect(s) of the Tributed Monster. If you are making a Tribute Summon where more than one Monster is Tributed, the Tribute Summoned Monster only gains this benefit from one of the Tributed Monsters (choose which one).

_Note: "Medicine Eater" was first used by Ted Banias in an issue of "Yu-Gi-Oh R". Creative credit goes to the writers._

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**MAGICAL MARKET (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** Magician of Faith behind the corner of a store, showing a pine box with glowing, golden contents to Dark Magician.

**Card Description: **Pay half your Life Points to activate this card. Choose one Spell Card in your hand (other than this one). Search your deck for up to two copies of the same Spell Card and add them to your hand.

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**RECKLESS CHARGE (Spell Card)**

**Continuous Spell**

**Image:** Marauding Captain slamming his sword violently into Terrorking Archfiend and knocking the Fiend over.

**Card Description:** This card cannot be destroyed by your own card effects. Battle damage you inflict to your opponent is increased by half. Battle damage your opponent inflicts to you is doubled.

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**Ren: I've never seen Monsters like this before… What about you, Chelsea?**

**Chelsea: Me neither… This duelist isn't garden variety…**

**Yumi: The weather in the arena keeps changing… It goes from sun to rain to driving snow in the space of an instant! How can my Spellcasters face the power of nature gone crazy?**

**Anastasia: You'll find a way, Yumi. The clouds may obscure the sun, but it will come out to shine again. **

**Coming up next, "Calm Before the Storm; Yumi's Quest For Gold".**

**A demon put a curse on a card, but your family has faced far worse…**


	31. Calm Before the Storm

_A short note:_

_Most of the odd cards you see in this chapter are real cards that will be released in "Gladiator's Assault". A lot of them first appeared in the anime. However, their real effects are in many cases different then their anime effects._

_Being somewhat of a purist, I used the real effects for the most part – except for one card. I kept the anime effect for this one, for the sake of plot. (It's rather weak in reality, and much stronger in the anime.)_

_You'll know which one at the end of the chapter._

_Anyway, on with the chapter._

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**CHAPTER THIRTY**

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**Calm Before The Storm;**

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**Yumi's Quest For Gold**

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It was half an hour after Ren's duel with Guinevere. He and his two friends had wandered into the Entertainment District, to a large, circular square, the center of which was taken up by a large fountain.

In the middle of the basin, which was surrounded by a bench, was a large statue of Water Omotics, pouring water from her jar into the basin.

As Chelsea backed up to get a picture, Ren raised an eyebrow.

"I know this statue…" he muttered. "Yeah… My dad dueled Etna Prometheus on this spot, nineteen years ago…"

Yumi gave a sad look, and sat down.

"My mom told me about her…" she said, sadly. "She wanted her whole life to be worshipped… But when everyone laughed at her claims of being a fire goddess, she made the worst choice… She sided with Saurius…

"She forced my mother into a duel with horrid stakes – the loser would be sacrificed to some beast named Malasta the Ravenous. Etna lost, and my folks could only watch as poor Etna's body was devoured by the demon and her soul was sent to damnation in Hell..."

Ren sat down.

"Hey, cheer up…" he said, taking his guitar and adjusting the tuner. "It wasn't your mom's fault. Saving the world isn't always pretty…"

He started to play:

_**Maybe I didn't treat you**_

_**Quite as good as I should have…**_

_**Maybe I didn't love you**_

_**Quite as often as I could have…**_

_**Little things I should have said and done,**_

_**I just never took the time…**_

_**You were always on my mind…**_

_**You were always on my mind.**_

He smirked at Chelsea as he sung the stanza of the song. She blushed a little.

Then, everyone was startled as another guitar started to play, from the other side of the fountain. They stood up, as the song flowed across the yard:

**_Rows and flows of angel hair,_**

**_And ice cream castles in the air,_**

**_And feather canyons everywhere..._**

**_I looked at clouds that way..._**

**_But now, they only block the sun,_**

**_They rain and snow on everyone,_**

**_So many things I would have done,_**

**_But clouds got in my way..._**

**_I look at clouds from both sides now,_**

**_From up and down, but still somehow,_**

**_It's cloud illusions I recall..._**

**_I really don't know clouds... at all..._**

They walked around to the other side, and saw the musician. It was a girl about their age, with long, straight, brown hair, pale blue eyes, and flashing white teeth, dressed in pastel-green trousers and a parka with a peace sign on the front. She had plastic bangles on her wrists and ankles, and wore plain sandals on her feet. She suggested a movement from a decade that was long gone, but she didn't seem to mind.

A Duel Disk was at her feet, and a badge pinned to her parka indicated her status as Silver.

"You're good," said Ren.

"Thanks," said the girl, putting her guitar down. "I always say, when you can't say something with plain words, music does it better."

"Who are you?" asked Yumi.

"Oh, just someone with a Disk, her deck, and her music," said the girl. "But you can call me Aisha."

"You must be a good duelist," said Chelsea. "You're one step away from the finals."

Aisha picked up her Disk and slipped it on her arm. She looked at Yumi.

"Then this duel should be harmony," she said. "Whoever wins _will_ be in the finals, if you're interested."

Yumi looked at her.

"Well…" she said, cautiously.

The Pharaoh appeared next to her.

"Yumi, tread cautiously," he said. "She may look as sweet as saccharine… But I'm getting a seriously bad feeling…

"Something is… Not right… It isn't that there's evil coming from her, specifically… It's more like something evil is… well, in her possession."

Yumi looked at Aisha closely.

"So then…" said Yumi. "We duel, and that's it? No strings attached?"

Aisha shrugged.

"You don't have anything I want…" she said. "I doubt I have anything you could use… Why make any wagers? Needless wagers are symbols of greed and materialism… You shouldn't covet what others have."

_Well, she certainly doesn't sound like an Ascender,_ thought Yumi.

"Okay then…" said Yumi.

The Puzzle flashed, and in a burst of energy, she and the Pharaoh merged.

"I accept your challenge."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In his penthouse apartment, Rasputin had logged onto the Duelatopia website. Nicholas and Olga were looking over his shoulder.

He typed in **"Yumi Mouto".**

Yumi's face appeared on the screen with a flash, and then Aisha's face appeared on the screen besides hers. The words "Duel in Progress" appeared beneath them.

"We're in luck, my protégés…" he said with a grin. "We can see it live!"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Yumi shuffled her deck carefully.

She had switched a few cards in it since last time, and she wasn't sure if she had done the right thing. Well, it was only a few.

She looked at Aisha as the two activated their Disks.

"Game on!" they both said.

**(Yumi: 8,000) -------------------- (Aisha: 8,000)**

"So…" muttered Ren. "You think Yumi's chances are good?"

"Please…" replied Chelsea. "This girl is a walking toothpaste commercial."

"Give her some credit," said Ren. "She is at Silver."

"All right…" said Yumi, making her first draw. "For my first move, I'll summon Gemini Elf in Attack Mode."

In a flash of light, the two elf twins appeared, with their hands around each other's waists. (1,900/900)

"Cool!" shouted Aisha. "Great Monster!"

"Uh, yeah…" said Yumi. "That's, uhm, it for my turn…"

Aisha made her first draw.

"Okay, here goes…" she said. "I play a Continuous Spell Card, called Summon Cloud."

A Spell Card appeared on her side of the field, and a white, fluffy cloud appeared over Aisha.

"Huh?" asked Yumi. "What does that do?"

"Oh, nothing, nothing much…" said Aisha. "It just lets me Special Summon a Cloudian from my hand, so long as it's Level Four or less."

"Cloudian?" said Ren. "What in the world is a Cloudian?"

"You got me…" said Chelsea.

"Next…" continued Aisha, "I'll play a second Spell Card, called Lucky Cloud."

She played another card, and sunbeams broke through the cloud over her head, casting a ray of light on her.

"This card's effect doesn't occur until my End Phase," she said. "Until then, I'll use the effect of my Summon Cloud, to Special Summon Cloudian – Sheep Cloud."

She played a card, and in a puff of white mist, a small cloud with a smug, smiling face appeared in front of her, in Defense Mode. (0/0)

"Since I did that, I have to destroy my Summon Cloud," said Aisha, as the Spell Card and the fluffy card above her head faded away. "But I still have a Normal Summon. So I'll summon a second Sheep Cloud."

She placed another card on her Disk, and a second of the small clouds appeared. (0/0)

"You summoned a Monster in Attack Mode that has zero Attack Points?" asked Yumi.

"Yep," said Aisha. "My turn is over, and that means my Lucky Cloud activates. Since I was able to summon two Cloudian Monsters with the same name this turn, I get to draw two cards."

She made two draws. She quickly gave them a looksee.

"Over to you," she said, adding them to her hand.

"Uh, yeah…" said Yumi, drawing a card.

_She put that zero-Attack Point Monster in Attack Mode without any protection at all,_ she thought. _What is she up to?_

She chose a card from her hand.

"I summon Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer," she said.

In a dark shadow, the scarred monk appeared. (1,800/700)

"Gemini Elf…" she ordered, "attack the Cloudian – Sheep Cloud in Defense Mode!"

The two elves lifted their arms, and lightning crashed towards the small Fairy. It exploded it a fiery burst.

"Kycoo, destroy the other one!"

Kycoo chanted, and lightning flashed again. The other Cloudian exploded. Aisha cringed.

"Now I'll use Kycoo's effect…" said Yumi, "to remove from play the first Cloudian and your Summon Cloud from play."

"Whatever…" said Aisha, taking the two cards from her discard slot.

Then a swirl of mist appeared on her side of the field.

"…but the cycle of life must go on," she said, "and where there's death, there's always rebirth…"

Then, to Yumi's shock, _four_ Sheep Clouds appeared in front of Aisha. (0/0 x4)

"Neat, huh?" said Aisha. "When one Sheep Cloud is destroyed in battle, I get two tokens that are just like it."

Yumi looked at the Sheep Clouds, and then at her hand.

_She's likely going to use one or two of those tokens as a sacrifice,_ she thought. _Best be prepared…_

"I'll place one card facedown," she said, "and end my turn."

A facedown card appeared.

**(Y: 8,000) -------------------- (A: 6,200)**

Aisha drew a card.

She sweat a little as she looked at it. Sometimes, she swore that this card had a dark aura of some sort around it…

She looked at it for a few seconds…

"Something wrong?" asked Yumi.

"Uh, no…" said Aisha, adding it to her hand.

She chose another card.

"Hey, I'm gonna play my Pot of Greed," she said.

She played the card, and the wicked jar appeared. She didn't even look at it as she drew two cards.

"Anyway, Yumi, I want to ask you something…"

She pointed up.

"You ever look up in the sky, and see how pretty the clouds can be sometimes?" she asked. "How fluffy and fuzzy they are?"

"Not in so many words…" replied Yumi.

"Well, let me tell you…" said Aisha, "what you see when you look at them… Those are cloud illusions."

"Cloud illusions?" said Ren.

"Yeah…" said Aisha. "Those aren't the true faces of clouds. They look white and fluffy today, but tomorrow they'll be dark and grey, and they'll spoil your day with pouring rain and driving snow. They'll ruin the picnic or golf game you wanted to go on so much…

"That's how it is with most things in life. What you see on the surface hides the ugly truth within. You have to learn not to take things for granted. You have to be able to look through the veil, and decipher the illusions from reality.

"My little Sheep Clouds are illusions. Now I'll start bringing out reality…

"I sacrifice all four of my Sheep Clouds, to summon Cloudian – Nimbusman."

The four tokens vanished.

"Four sacrifices?" shouted Ren.

"There's no Monster that needs that many sacrifices!" yelled Chelsea.

The Monster that appeared looked like a cloud roughly in the shape of a man, almost amorphous in outline. Its face was grim and puffy. (1,000/1,000)

"And even if there was," said Ren, "shouldn't it be a little stronger than _that_?"

"Technically, I only _had_ to sacrifice one Monster," replied Aisha, "since it's a Level Five Monster. But I can summon it by sacrificing all the Water Monsters I can, and it gains one Fog Counter for each one. And for each Fog Counter it has, it gains 500 Attack Points. That's pretty hip, you know?"

Nimbusman roared, and electricity sparked all over it. It doubled in size, and dark clouds started to cover the arena. (3,000/1,000)

"Well, not so hip for Kycoo…"

Kycoo looked up at the huge cloud-man…

"Nimbusman…" ordered Aisha, "attack Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer. Gale blast."

Nimbusman took a deep breath, swelling up even bigger. With a blast that sounded like the wind howling, it exhaled a chilling wind mixed with ice at Kycoo. The Ghost Destroyer groaned, and then shattered into pieces.

**(Y: 6,800) -------------------- (A: 6,200)**

"Uhm, I'll place these two cards facedown, and that all for me."

She fit two cards in her Disk, and two facedown cards appeared.

_This is seriously weird…_ thought Yumi, as she drew a card. _I mean… Clouds?_

_But… How hard could it be to kill a cloud?_

She drew a card. She looked at it and added it to her hand.

"I play… Monster Reborn," she said, playing another card.

The glowing, golden ankh appeared on the field. Kycoo appeared in a flash of light, still looking a little soaked and bedraggled, and maybe a little pissed. (1,800/700)

"Next I'll sacrifice him…" she continued, taking a card from her hand, "for Chaos Command Magician."

Kycoo shattered into pixels, and the tall mage in glossy black robes appeared next to Gemini Elf. (2,400/1,900)

"You know, Aisha…" said Yumi. "You're right… Clouds can be ugly and they can make you miserable…

"But do you know what I do when the rain ruins my day? I remember a song that was made famous by a poor little orphan girl, so long ago… Now how did it go?

"The sun will come out… Tomorrow… Bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow… There'll be sun…"

Then Ren started to sing:

"Just thinking about… Tomorrow… Clears away the cobwebs and the sorrow…Till there's none…"

Chelsea sang the next part:

"When I'm stuck with a day… That's grey… And lonely… I just stick up my chin, and grin, and say…"

Aisha was listening closely. Finally, she sang the last stanza:

"The sun will come out… Tomorrow… So you gotta hang on till tomorrow… Come what may…

"Tomorrow, tomorrow, I love you, tomorrow, you're always a day away…"

There was a long pause.

"Aren't memories something?" asked Yumi. "Now where was I? Oh yeah… I activate… Rush Recklessly."

Her facedown card lifted, and Chaos Command Magician rose to an attack of 3,100.

"Attack her Nimbusman!" she shouted. "Chaos Magic!"

Ren and Chelsea cheered as Chaos Command Magician fired his spell directly into the huge cloud-man's stomach. Nimbusman burst and scattered into mist…

But when the smoke cleared, Nimbusman reformed, and slowly pulled itself back together. The Cloudian looked at Yumi with a smug smile. It looked like no trace of the attack had ever occurred.

**(Y: 6,800) -------------------- (A: 6,100)**

"Yumi…" said Aisha. "Tomorrow isn't here yet. And by the way, has your Chaos Command Magician ever tried to destroy a cloud with his magic? If he did, he'd find that it was impossible. A druid might manage to do it, but a sorcerer like him can't.

"Clouds are made of dust and water vapor… Trying to blast them is the same as trying to blast air. That's exactly what Nimbusman is like."

"So… he can't be destroyed in battle…" said Yumi. "Swell…"

_So how DO you kill a cloud?_ she thought.

She looked at the card she had just drawn.

She placed it in her Disk, and it appeared facedown.

"That's all for my turn…" she said.

Aisha drew a card.

She nervously looked at the field.

"You know, Yumi," she said, "in grade school science classes, students are often taught about scientific facts that people find useless and uninformative, such as the different types of clouds. True, these classes don't have much bearing on a student's future unless he plans to be a meteorologist, and by the time he starts high school and gets into serious studies, he usually forgets the dumb stuff they tried to teach him in grade school.

"But let me refresh your memory for a minute… Cumulonimbus clouds like this one are the types that most often form into rain clouds, which cause heavy storms."

One of her facedown cards lifted. The card bore an image of an icy demon in a blizzard.

"I activate my first facedown card…" she said. "It's called Natural Disaster, and as long as this Continuous Trap remains, you lose 400 Life Points each time one of your cards is destroyed."

"What?" said Yumi, shocked.

She looked at the card… She _really_ didn't like the look of it…

"Now I activate… Rain Storm," said Aisha, as her other Trap lifted.

Thunder clapped, and Nimbusman floated up above the field. It changed shape, becoming less man-like and more cloud-like. Then, rain started to pour over the arena.

"It's a downpour!" shouted Ren.

"Now, I have a choice," said Aisha. "I can either reduce his Attack Score by 1,000 to destroy one of your Spell or Trap Cards, or reduce it by 2,000 to destroy any two of your cards."

She paused.

"I think I'll use the second option," she said, "to wipe out your Monsters."

"So, here's the first time…"

Nimbusman fell to an Attack of 1,000. The two Gemini Elves strained against the pouring rain, and then shattered into pixels.

A blast of icy wind and snow shot out of the Natural Disaster card, striking Yumi. She gasped, and then shivered.

"Talk about raining on your parade…" said Chelsea.

"And again…" said Aisha.

Chaos Command Magician strained before he shattered as well.

The arctic wind struck Yumi again, and she shivered under the cold again. Yumi's teeth chattered.

"Boy…" she muttered. "Realistic… I'm… gonna have to get some hot chocolate once this is over…"

Then she sneezed…

"Nimbusman, " said Aisha, "attack Yumi directly."

Nimbusman breathed out its gale blast…

"Activate Mirror Force!" shouted Yumi, sneezing again as her facedown card lifted.

The holy light shone on the storm cloud, and it was blown into vapor.

"Huh…" muttered Aisha. "So much for him…"

She looked at her hand.

"To end my turn…" she said, "I'll summon Cloudian – Turbulence in Attack Mode."

Another facedown card appeared, and then another fierce wind broke out over the field. The wind formed into a tornado with arms and a face, crackling with electricity. (800/0)

"And by the way, he can't be destroyed in battle either. Also, he gets one Fog Counter for each Cloudian on the field. Of course, since he's the only Cloudian on the field, that means he only gets one.

"And now I can remove that Fog Counter to Special Summon a Cloudian – Smoke Ball from my deck. Defense Mode."

In a burst of smoke, an adorable little puffball with a smiley face on it appeared next to the tornado. (200/600)

**(Y: 6,000) -------------------- (A: 6,100)**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"I take it Natural Disaster is the cursed card?" asked Olga.

"Yeah, that's it all right," said Rasputin. "Yumi is already feeling its adverse affects…

"When this duel is over, she'll be beset with head congestion, chills, fever, sneezing, loss of appetite… She'll be easy to defeat.

"A pity really… But her own fault… She should have never agreed to a duel against Aisha without packing an umbrella."

He chuckled.

"For now, let's watch…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Yumi shivered as she drew a card.

"I play… Graceful Charity…" she muttered.

The card appeared, and the angel appeared, her hair and gown quickly becoming a mess in the worsening weather. Yumi looked at her and shrugged.

She drew three cards, and looked at them. She nodded, and made two discards.

"I play Premature Burial," she said, fitting tha card into his Disk. "And I'll summon the guy I just discarded…"

In a burst of energy, Dark Magician of Chaos appeared on the field. (2,800/2,600)

"Now I can get back my Monster Reborn," she said, taking a card from her discard slot, "and I think I'll use it again!"

The ankh appeared again, and Chaos Command Magician rose back next to the stronger sorcerer. (2,400/1,900)

To Yumi's surprise, Aisha clapped in joy.

"COOL!" she laughed. "Way to combo!"

"What are you so happy about?" asked Yumi. "Your Turbulence has only 800 Attack Points, and I noticed that even though my first attack didn't destroy your Nimbusman, you still took damage from the attack.

"Chaos Command Magician… Let's try this again! Attack the Cloudian – Smoke Ball with Chaos Magic!"

Chaos Command Magician aimed his staff, and fired, blowing the Smoke Ball to vapor.

"Dark Magician of Chaos, attack Cloudian – Turbulence with scepter strike!"

"Uh oh…" said Aisha.

She hollered as a violent blast of dark magic plowed into the Cloudian. She fell down on her seat.

**(Y: 5,200) -------------------- (A: 4,100)**

"Heh, heh…" laughed Aisha, getting up. "That was good… Really ironed out the kinks…"

"Man, I think her head is in the clouds!" exclaimed Ren.

Aisha drew a card.

"Okay… I play… my own Graceful Charity," she said.

As she played the card, the clouds parted, and the angel flew out of them. She looked at Aisha sadly as she drew three cards.

She quickly chose two, and discarded them as the angel vanished.

"Now I summon… Cloudian – Ghost Fog," she said.

A mist started to form on the ground, and then rise all over the arena. It soon became a thick, pea soup fog, obscuring everything but the duelists and the Monsters. Vaguely, Yumi could see a wispy, phantom-like shape in front of Aisha. (0/0)

"What the…?" said Yumi.

"Attack her Dark Magician of Chaos," ordered Aisha.

The Ghost Fog drifted towards the mage…

"Are you nuts?" shouted Yumi. "It has zero Attack Points!"

Dark Magician of Chaos fired a blast, and the phantom was burned into misty particles.

"True…" said Aisha. "But when it's destroyed in battle, my Life Points are safe. Your Monster, on the other hand, gets one Fog Counter for each Level he has. Since he's a Level Eight Monster, he gets eight of them."

Dark Magician of Chaos looked dizzy. Mist hung around him like some sort of aura… Then, eight small, grey clouds appeared around him.

"What will they do to him?" asked Yumi.

"By themselves, nothing," replied Aisha. "At least not when they're on a Monster that isn't a Cloudian. But I also have a Spell Card."

She played the card.

"Diamond Dust Cyclone. Now I can destroy one Monster that has Fog Counters on it."

A silvery, sparkling tornado blew through the fog. Dark Magician of Chaos covered his eyes, and was blown to pieces.

"And since he was Equipped with Premature Burial," said Aisha, "my Natural Disaster activates twice."

Once again, the chilling wind shot out of the card. Yumi shivered as it hit her again.

However, it did NOT activate a second time.

"Huh?" said Aisha. "But I destroyed two of your cards…"

"But only one of them went to my Graveyard…" grumbled Yumi. "Dark Magician of Chaos is always removed from play when he's destroyed."

**(Y: 4,800) -------------------- (A: 4,100)**

"Uh, yeah," said Aisha, playing a card. "Well, Diamond Dust Cyclone has another effect. Now I get to draw one card for every four Fog Counters your Monster had. And according to my math, four goes into eight two times."

She made two draws. She looked them over.

"Just so I don't take any more damage, I'll move Cloudian – Turbulence to Defense Mode," she said. "Unfortunately, that will destroy it."

Turbulence moved into a defensive position, and then broke up and scattered into globs of moisture.

"You see, when clouds start to lose their aggressive energy, they tucker out, until all their wind is spent, and they disappear. A cloud is good at dishing out damage but who ever heard of a cloud defending? Bottom line is, they can't do it."

She looked at her cards.

"Well, most of them can't…

"Case in point, I'm gonna play Monster Reborn. I'll summon Cloudian – Poison Cloud in Defense Mode."

She played the card, and the ankh appeared on her side of the field. The Cloudian that appeared this time was much more sinister-looking, was covered with throbbing veins, and was the color of a bruise. It crouched in Defense Mode. (0/1,000)

"In case you're wondering," she continued, "I discarded this with Graceful Charity.

"Now, most Cloudians are Fairies. Benign creatures. But when nature is corrupted by pollution, a few Cloudian Fiends are created too.

"Fog is a natural part of nature, but when pollution is at its worst, clouds shed the illusion entirely, creating smog and acid rain…

"This Fiend is one of those polluted clouds. It may have zero Attack Points and a weak Defense, but should it be attacked while it's in Defense Mode, the poison inside it will destroy the Monster who attacked it, causing you to lose 800 Life Points. Uhm, that translates to 1,200 with my Trap Card, by the way."

"Indeed?" said Yumi, drawing a card.

She looked at it.

"Anyone ever tell you that Chaos Command Magician is immune to effects like that?"

Aisha just looked at her.

"Uh heh…" she said. "Uhm, no, no-one really did. How silly of me…"

Yumi placed a card on her Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared.

"Chaos Command Magician…" she shouted, "attack the Cloudian – Poison Cloud!"

Chaos Command Magician blasted his chaos magic, and the Poison Cloud burst in a fiery explosion.

"Your move…" said Yumi.

Aisha drew a card. She looked at it closely.

She took it and another card from her hand.

"I summon Cloudian – Altos," she said.

Thunder rumbled, and a new Cloudian appeared. This one was a very fat Cloudian with small limbs, beige "skin", and a wrinkled face. (1,300/0)

"Just like Turbulence," explained Aisha, "by summoning it, it gets one Fog Counter for each Cloudian on the field. Again, since it's the _only_ Cloudian on the field, it only gets one.

"And just like the others, he can't be destroyed in battle either," continued Aisha. "But like the others, if you manage to switch him to Defense Mode, he'd be destroyed.

"That'll be all for now…"

She nodded.

Yumi drew.

_Why didn't I put Enemy Controller in this deck?_ she thought.

"First, I place this facedown…" she said.

She placed a card in her Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

"Then, I Flip-Summon my Morphing Jar," she said.

Her facedown Monster flipped up, and the cackling, one-eyed creature loomed out of the jar. (700/600)

"Now we have to fold our hands and draw five cards," she said.

Aisha shrugged. They discarded their hands, and made five draws.

Yumi paused. Morphing Jar was hard to come by, even for a family that owned a card store. But when her dad was invited to Anastasia's tournament, one of the gimmicks of the place was that cards were hidden on the island, like buried treasure. He had found the Morphing Jar in one of the caches.

So, Yumi had Anastasia to thank for this rare card…

Yumi grinned as she looked at the five cards.

"Time to get rid of one annoyance," she said. "I play Mystical Space Typhoon!"

She played the card, and the cyclone tore across the field, heading towards the Natural Disaster card.

It didn't shatter right away. It seemed to be trying to resist the cyclone. Eventually, however, it tore in half, and the pieces shattered.

Aisha watched as the Natural Disaster card fell into the Graveyard…

She groaned, and held her head.

"Aisha?" said Yumi. "Are… are you alright?"

Aisha paused.

"Yeah…" she said. "Yes I am… In fact, I feel kind of good… You ever have a feeling like a big weight was lifted off your shoulders?"

"She lost one of the keys to her strategy, and she feels _good_?" asked Ren.

Aisha held her head again. No one had ever managed to destroy her Natural Disaster before. Now that it had happened, a small light seemed to go on in her head…

_I may not be able to destroy her Altos,_ thought Yumi, _but if I attack, I can inflict some major damage._

"Chaos Command Magician, attack her Cloudian – Altos!" she shouted.

Chaos Command Magician fired a blast from his scepter, and Altos groaned as a hole was blown through it… Aisha screamed…

**(Y: 4,800) -------------------- (A: 3,000)**

Cloudian – Altos slowly reformed.

Yumi smirked, and placed a card in her Disk. A second facedown card appeared.

Aisha drew a card.

"I summon Cloudian – Cirrostratus in Attack Mode," she said.

She played the card, and the sun broke through for a minute. A pink, fluffy, puffball of a cloud appeared, with angel wings and a kitten-like head on top. (900/0)

"This guy shares some effects with Altos," continued Aisha. "He can't be destroyed in battle, in case you haven't gotten that part yet. And by summoning him, he gains a Fog Counter for every Cloudian on the field. And I have two.

"Now let's have some fun…

"Altos, attack her Morphing Jar! Thunder clap!"

Thunder rolled, and lighting flashed from the heavens, blowing the Morphing Jar to dust.

**(Y: 4,200) -------------------- (A: 3,000)**

_Hmm…_ she thought. _If Poison Cloud's effect didn't work on Chaos Command Magician, I guess Cirrostratus's effect won't work on him either…_

_Well, I guess I'll save it…_

"I'll set this facedown, and let you go," she said.

A facedown card appeared in a flash of light.

Yumi drew a card.

She smirked.

One of her facedown cards lifted.

"I activate Call of the Haunted!" she shouted.

A coffin appeared on her side of the field. It opened, and Kycoo stepped out. (1,800/700)

"Both of you…" ordered Yumi, "attack her Cloudian – Cirrostratus!"

Kycoo chanted and fired his lightning bolts. Chaos Command Magician cast his chaos magic. Both of them struck the fluffy creature, and it scattered into particles...

**(Y: 4,200) -------------------- (A: 3,000)**

The Cloudian quickly reformed into its regular state. And Aisha was still smiling.

"Huh?" said Yumi.

Then she noticed that Aisha had activated her Trap Card.

"Spirit Barrier?" gasped Yumi.

"Uh huh," replied Aisha. "That means I can't lose Life Points as long as I have at least one Monster on the field. In case you haven't figured it out yet, it's the perfect combo to use with Cloudians.

"I don't like to brag, but… I'm untouchable now."

"Well, I'm not done…" shouted Yumi. "Now, I sacrifice both my Monsters…"

Chaos Command Magician and Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer shattered into shards of light...

"…to summon Dark Magician!"

In a flash of light, the powerful Spellcaster appeared, holding aloft his scepter. (2,500/2,100)

"All right!" shouted Ren.

"Go, Dark Magician!" shouted Chelsea.

Yumi fit a card into her Disk, and a new facedown card appeared.

"That's all," she said. "I end my turn."

"Then I draw…" said Aisha.

Thunder started to rumble as she drew the card. The sky grew dark.

"I forgot to mention," said Aisha. "Cirrostratus has a powerful ability. I can remove his two Fog Counters to destroy one Monster."

Cirrostratus blew a blast of chilling wind. Dark Magician cringed before he shattered into pixels.

Ren and Chelsea stared in disbelief…

"She…" muttered Chelsea. "Dark Magician… Beaten?"

"No…" gasped Ren. "If Aisha summons another Monster…"

"Yeah, I might be able to win the duel…" said Aisha. "But, unfortunately, I don't have another low-level Monster…"

Ren breathed a sigh of relief.

"I only have my strongest Monster," she continued.

"So I sacrifice both my Cloudians…"

Cloudian – Altos and Cloudian – Cirrostratus vanished into mist…

"…to bring out the real storm. I summon Cloudian – The Eye of the Typhoon."

Lightning flashed, and an enormous creature came into shape behind and above Aisha. It looked like a giant storm cloud, with one glaring eye, and disproportionately small arms. It bellowed a roar that sounded like the howl of a tornado. (3,000/1,000)

"Well, that's certainly… big…" said Ren, looking at the huge Cloudian.

"Eye of the Typhoon…" said Aisha, "attack Yumi directly. Hurricane rage."

The wind blew fiercely, and the giant cloud collapsed into a whirlwind with a glowing eye in the center. It blew a ferocious gust at Yumi…

"I trigger my Trap!" shouted Yumi. "A Hero Emerges!"

Her facedown card lifted, and The Eye of the Typhoon paused.

"So pick a card, any card," said Yumi, holding up her hand of three cards.

She was nervous. Only one of them was a Monster, and the other two were Spells. It was a one-in-three chance…

Aisha paused for a minute.

"The middle card," she said.

"Ooh, not bad…" said Yumi.

She placed the card on her Disk, and Blast Magician leapt up onto the field, crouching in Defense Mode. (1,400/1,700)

Aisha shrugged.

"Okay…" she said. "But my Monster has an impressive ability. When it attacks, the battle positions of all Monsters on the field except Cloudians switch.

"Eye of the Typhoon, continue your attack."

The huge creature blasted its hurricane rage again. Blast Magician stood up in Attack Mode. The Spellcaster tried to shield himself, but he shattered against the fierce gale.

**(Y: 2,600) -------------------- (A: 3,000)**

"Aisha just took the lead…" said Ren.

"And she's clearly ahead as far as Monsters are concerned…" replied Chelsea.

"By the way, Yumi," continued Aisha, "this big guy has another ability, and it's just like the other Cloudians. It can't be destroyed in battle. Attacking it would be like attacking air.

"Of course, like those others, if it ever moved to Defense Mode, it would be destroyed… But I don't intend to do that.

"Anyway… I'll end my turn. Let's see what you've got."

The rain started to let up, but the sky was still dark, and the wind from the huge Cloudian still blew through the damp arena.

"Invincible in battle with 3,000 Attack Points?" said Ren. "Who thought up these cards?"

Aisha looked over her hand.

_Looks like I win,_ she thought. _She'll likely summon a Monster in Attack Mode, thinking that my Monster's effect will switch it to Defense Mode when it attacks. _

_What she doesn't know is, I have my Destruction Cloud Spell Card, which can destroy a Monster in Attack Mode if I'm willing to take some damage, so unless she manages to summon something with 3,000 Attack Points or more, I'll be able to attack her directly…_

_And if she sets a Monster in Defense Mode next round, my Nobleman of Crossout is right here too._

Yumi drew a card.

_She's up to something…_ she thought.

"I play Pot of Greed," she said, playing the card.

She quickly drew two cards.

She gave the four cards in her hand a long look.

"Question…" she asked.

"Huh?" asked Aisha.

"Do those two guys gain Fog Counters if they're Special Summoned, or do they have to be Normal Summoned?" she asked.

"Uh, they have to be Normal Summoned," replied Aisha. "Why?"

Yumi didn't answer. She looked at her hand again.

_So much for that plan…_ she thought. _But there must be something I could…_

_Wait… I've got it!_

"I play… Double Spell," she said. "I'll discard this…"

She played the card, and discarded her Magical Dimension.

"…and I can use a Spell Card in your Graveyard. I choose Monster Reborn.

"And I'll raise a Monster from _your_ Graveyard!"

Aisha looked surprised as her discard slot glowed.

In a flash of light, Cloudian – Poison Cloud appeared on Yumi's side of the field, crouching in Defense Mode. (0/1,000)

"Huh?" asked Aisha. "Why that Monster?"

"I have my reasons," said Yumi. "It's your move."

"Ren…" said Chelsea. "Do you know what Yumi is up to?"

"Not a clue," said Ren. "But… I think her first plan might have been to raise Cirrostratus… If it gained Fog Counters when it was Special Summoned, it would have gotten two, and she could have used its effect… But like you heard, that wasn't the case."

Aisha drew a card.

It was Wonder Cloud.

Aisha frowned. She kept meaning to take this out of her deck. It was likely the most risky gamble that Industrial Illusions had ever conceived. Not even Joey Wheeler would likely have taken a risk like the one this card entailed… Using this card was betting it all. If you used it and didn't win on the same turn… Well, basically, you wouldn't have a next turn.

It had helped her win the first time she had actually dared to use it…

The second time…

She shivered… Contrary to what Rasputin thought, she hadn't been clueless. She knew it had been a Shadow Game. She had been scared, she was facing overwhelming odds, and didn't have much of a choice… So she took a chance with this card, and had lost. She still didn't know why the demon had chosen to spare her, although she felt funny every time she dueled and it was important…

Unbeknownst to her, the reason she just couldn't put two and two together and figure out that it was the Natural Disaster card was because the curse specifically prevented it.

She quickly added it to her hand and considered.

_Darn…_ she thought. _My Destruction Cloud only works on Monsters in Attack Mode, and Typhoon's effect doesn't work on Cloudians! I have no other Monsters in my hand, and if I attacked that thing, my Monster would be destroyed![/I_

"I pass…" she said. "I can't do anything…"

"Then I draw…" said Yumi.

She drew a card and looked at it.

"I summon Magician's Valkyria in Attack Mode," she said, "and place one card facedown."

Valkyria appeared in a flash of light (1,600/1,800), and a facedown card appeared.

Aisha got nervous. She drew a card.

_Still no Monsters…_ she thought. _I could kill Valkyria with Destruction Cloud, but it would cost me 1,600 Life Points, and would only cost Yumi her Monster…_

She looked hard at the field.

_I might as well ki__ll her via the safer method…_

"All right!" she shouted. "Eye of the Typhoon… Attack Magician's Valkyria!"

The huge cloud blasted its fierce wind again. Magician's Valkyria shielded herself against the wind, and then crouched in Defense Mode…

"I activate my newest Trap Card!" shouted Yumi, as her facedown card lifted. "Staunch Defender!"

"Huh?" said Ren. "When did she add that?"

"Yumi is full of surprises…" said Chelsea, with a chuckle.

"Now…" said Yumi, "all attacks this round must be directed towards the Monster I choose, and I choose Cloudian – Poison Cloud."

The gust of wind blew into the smaller Cloudian, and it exploded in a fiery blast.

"Since it was in Defense Mode, I lose no Life Points from the battle," said Yumi. "However, due to Poison Cloud's effect, your Cloudian's storm is quelled, and it takes 800 of your Life Points with it."

Cloudian – The Eye of the Typhoon groaned, and then dissipated into formless mist, scattering to the winds.

**(Y: 2,600) -------------------- (A: 2,200)**

Aisha paused.

She looked at the Destruction Cloud card… She couldn't play it now… Her Monster's attack had moved Valkyria to Defense Mode.

"I… I end my turn…" she muttered.

Yumi drew a card.

"Well, it's been fun," she said, "but it's over now.

"I sacrifice Magician's Valkyria, to summon Dark Magician Girl."

In a burst of light, Valkyria vanished, and the gorgeous, female mage appeared, holding aloft her scepter. (2,000/1,700)

Aisha gulped.

Then she paused…

Then she laughed.

"Wait… Wait!" she laughed. "It's not over yet! I'll still have Life Points left!"

"I'm afraid not, Aisha," said Yumi. "Remember my Dark Magician? Since he's in my Graveyard, she gets a little boost…"

Dark Magician Girl closed her eyes and glowed… (2,300/1,700)

Aisha let out a sigh. She closed her eyes.

"All right," said Yumi. "Dark Magician Girl, show her the true storm! Attack directly!"

The Spellcaster raised her staff, and fired a mighty blast at Aisha. An explosion enveloped her, and she fell backwards, with the cards in her deck flying haphazardly.

**(Y: 2,600) -------------------- (A: 0)**

"Oops…" said Yumi, as Dark Magician Girl slowly vanished. "Sorry. Didn't mean to hit that hard…"

Aisha got up and held her head.

Then she picked up a card – the Natural Disaster card.

She saw the black aura around it clearly now…

…and she saw it slowly fade, and then die, returning it to a normal card.

"No Yumi…" she said. "Thank you… Thank you so much… You did what had to be done… The curse is lifted…"

"Curse?" asked Ren. "What curse?"

"I didn't realize it until now…" said Aisha, "but this card…"

She sighed.

"Help me put together my deck, and I'll tell you the story… It's kinda long…"

Yumi looked at her badge, which was now at Gold.

"Sure," she said. "I have time now…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Fifteen minutes later, Rasputin was on the phone, speaking to someone long distance.

"It's frustrating, Franz, it really is," he muttered. "Not only is Yumi resisting my every effort, but now an unwitting employee has become completely useless to me. You'd think a rakshasa's curse would do the job, but no…

"I swear, I'd do anything to rid myself of those brats…"

He paused to listen. His eyes narrowed.

"Well, except for THAT," he growled. "I can't believe you suggested that, you sicko…"

Then his talisman started to glow.

"Uh, Franz…" he said, "I'll call you back… Yeah, yeah, I'll still be able to make it to your daughter's wedding."

He hung up.

"Even though she could do better…" he muttered.

"What is it?" asked Nicholas, as he and Olga sat up.

"Two Charms remain," said Rasputin, going to his computer, "and the Talisman of the Mind has just revealed itself…"

He considered.

"Risking one of you two to get it would be folly…" he said. "And there's only one Ascender good enough and loyal enough – well, more or less – to get it who hasn't been arrested…

"At least, I hope he hasn't been arrested…"

He dialed his cell phone.

"Samen," he said into it, "are you there?"

Nicholas and Olga shuddered…

Samen gave them the creeps…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Meanwhile, Yumi, Ren, and Chelsea were gathered around Aisha as she played her guitar:

_**How many roads must a man walk down  
Before you can call him a man?  
Yes, how many seas must a white dove sail  
Before she sleeps in the sand?  
Yes, how many times must the cannonballs fly  
Before they're forever banned?  
The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind,  
The answer is blowin' in the wind.**_

They had no idea that another Shadow Charm was waking up…

…or that Sam and Erik were walking towards them.

_Yumi joins Chelsea at Gold status! The finals await two members of our group, and Sam as well, but new trouble looms, as another Charm makes itself known. Who will claim the Talisman of the Mind?_

**0**

**0**

**0**

**CLOUDIAN – SHEEP CLOUD (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fairy/Effect  
**Attribute: **Water  
**Level:** 1  
**ATK:** 0  
**DEF:** 0

**Card Description:** When this card is destroyed as a result of battle and sent to the Graveyard, Special Summon two "Cloudian Tokens" (Fairy/Water/Level 1/0 ATK/0 DEF) in Defense Position. "Cloudian Tokens" cannot be used as a Tribute for a Tribute Summon, except to summon "Cloudian" Monsters.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**CLOUDIAN – ALTOS (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fairy/Effect  
**Attribute: **Water  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,300  
**DEF:** 0

**Card Description:** This card cannot be destroyed as a result of battle. (Damage calculation still applies.) If this card is on the field in face-up Defense Position, it is destroyed. When this card is Normal Summoned, place one "Fog Counter" on this card for every "Cloudian" Monster face-up on the field. You may remove three "Fog Counters" from this card to discard one card at random from your opponent's hand.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**CLOUDIAN – CIRROSTRATUS (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fairy/Effect  
**Attribute: **Water  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 900  
**DEF:** 0

**Card Description:** This card cannot be destroyed as a result of battle. (Damage calculation still applies.) If this card is on the field in face-up Defense Position, it is destroyed. When this card is Normal Summoned, place one "Fog Counter" on this card for every "Cloudian" Monster face-up on the field. You may remove two "Fog Counters" from this card to destroy one Monster on the field.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**CLOUDIAN – TURBULENCE (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fairy/Effect  
**Attribute: **Water  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 800  
**DEF:** 0

**Card Description:** This card cannot be destroyed as a result of battle. (Damage calculation still applies.) If this card is on the field in face-up Defense Position, it is destroyed. When this card is successfully Normal Summoned, place one "Fog Counter" on this card for each "Cloudian" Monster face-up on the field. You may remove one "Fog Counter" from this card to Special Summon one "Cloudian – Smoke Ball" from your deck or Graveyard.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**CLOUDIAN – NIMBUSMAN (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fairy/Effect  
**Attribute: **Water  
**Level:** 5  
**ATK:** 1,000  
**DEF:** 1,000

**Card Description:** This card cannot be destroyed as a result of battle. (Damage calculation still applies.) If this card is on the field in face-up Defense Position, it is destroyed. This card may be Tribute Summoned by offering any number of WATER Monsters on your side of the field as Tributes. For each WATER Monster offered as a Tribute to summon this card, place one "Fog Counter" on this card. Increase the ATK of this card by 500 for each "Fog Counter" it has.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**CLOUDIAN – POISON CLOUD (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fiend/Effect  
**Attribute: **Water  
**Level:** 3  
**ATK:** 0  
**DEF:** 1,000

**Card Description:** When this card is destroyed as a result of battle while in face-up Defense Position, destroy the Monster that destroyed this card, and inflict 800 points of damage to the Life Points of the owner of the Monster who destroyed this card.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**CLOUDIAN – GHOST FOG (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fiend/Effect  
**Attribute: **Water  
**Level:** 1  
**ATK:** 0  
**DEF:** 0

**Card Description:** This card cannot be Special Summoned. Battle damage each player receives from a battle involving this Monster is reduced to zero. If this card is destroyed as a result of battle, distribute a number of "Fog Counters" on a number of face-up opposing Monsters equal total to the Level of the Monster that destroyed this card.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**CLOUDIAN – THE EYE OF THE TYPHOON (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Aqua/Effect  
**Attribute: **Wind  
**Level:** 8  
**ATK:** 3,000  
**DEF:** 1,000

**Card Description:** This card cannot be destroyed as a result of battle. (Damage calculation still applies). If this card is on the field in face-up Defense Position, it is destroyed. When this card attacks, switch the battle position of all face-up Monsters on the field except "Cloudian" Monsters.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**LUCKY CLOUD (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** A group of fluffy clouds with sunbeams breaking through.

**Card Description:** If you Normal Summon, Flip-Summon, and/or Special Summon two "Cloudian" Monsters with the same name during the round you activate this card, draw two cards from your deck during the End Phase.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**SUMMON CLOUD (Spell Card)**

**Continuous Spell**

**Image:** A dark cloud with sunbeams breaking through.

**Card Description:** Once per turn, if you have no Monsters on your side of the field, you may Special Summon one Level Four or less "Cloudian" Monster from your hand or your Graveyard. If you use this effect, destroy this card.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**DIAMOND-DUST CYCLONE (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** A tornado of silvery wind.

**Card Description: **Select one Monster on the field with at least four "Fog Counters" on it. Destroy the selected Monster. For every four "Fog Counters" on the Monster destroyed by this effect, draw one card from your deck.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**RAIN STORM (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image:** A driving rain over the ocean.

**Card Description:** Select one face-up "Cloudian" Monster on your side of the field. Reduce the selected Monster's ATK, and apply the appropriate effect depending on how much you reduced its ATK:

- by 1,000 points: Destroy one Spell or Trap Card on your opponent's side of the field.

- by 2,000 points: Destroy two cards on your opponent's side of the field.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**NATURAL DISASTER (Trap Card)**

**Continuous Trap**

**Image:** A demon made of ice in a blizzard.

**Card Description:** Each time a card on your opponent's side of the field is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, inflict 400 points of damage to your opponent's Life Points.

_Note: These proceeding cards are real cards that will be released in "Gladiator's Assault". The real game effects of some of them (which I used in this chapter, except for Natural Disaster, which uses the anime effect) are different than their anime effects. ("Cloudian – Smoke Ball" is also a real card, but it is a Normal Monster, and its flavor text is not yet revealed.)_

**0**

**0**

**0**

**WONDER CLOUD (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** A dark storm cloud with orange streaks.

**Card Description:** Remove from play all cards on your side of the field and in your hand. Then, draw one card from your deck for each card on your opponent's side of the field. Then, remove all remaining cards in your deck from play. During this turn, the effects of any cards your opponent activates are negated.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**DESTRUCTION CLOUD (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** A dark cloud with lightning flashing from it.

**Card Description:** Destroy one Monster on the field that is in Attack Position. Inflict damage to your Life Points equal to that Monster's ATK.

_Note: "Wonder Cloud" and "Destruction Cloud" were used by Adrian at various times in the third season of "Yu-Gi-Oh GX". Creative credit goes to the writers._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**Yumi: Another Charm has appeared, and we have to get to it before Rasputin does!**

**Erik: I've watched from the sidelines for long enough. Leave this one to me.**

**Sam: No, baby, don't do it!**

**Anastasia: I wish Erik had a choice, but sadly, he may not…**

**Coming up next, "Erik's Challenge; The Talisman of the Mind".**

**Erik: My toy army won't lose no Shadow Game!**


	32. The Talisman of the Mind

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Erik's Challenge**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**The Talisman of the Mind**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

Having the curse lifted had done wonders for Aisha, it seemed. She seemed more than willing to sing one song after another from her almost limitless selection.

_**When the moon is in the Seventh House,  
And Jupiter aligns with Mars,  
Then peace will guide the planets,  
And love will steer the stars!**_

_**This is the dawning of the age of Aquarius,**_

_**The age of Aquarius...**_

_**Aquarius! Aquarius!**_

"Uh oh…" said Ren, looking up. "Guys… Bad news at two o'clock…"

They looked where he was looking, and saw Sam approach, with a big smile on her face. Erik was following behind her, as always.

"Hey, Yumi," she said, smugly. "Wondered if you had any _golden_ opportunities dueling lately, huh?"

Yumi looked at her, and noticed that her badge, clearly at Gold, was pinned over her left breast – the most obvious location.

Yumi sighed and shook her head.

She lifted up her own badge to show it to Sam.

Sam frowned.

"I guess I should have expected that…" she muttered. "All the better, Yumi… We'll meet in the finals now, and the whole world will be able to watch me humiliate you!"

Yumi looked at Erik, and saw that his badge was only Violet.

"Hey, Erik," said Yumi. "Are you ever going to be anything more than her sidekick?"

"What?" shouted Erik, shocked.

"I mean it…" said Yumi. "It seems that you take no initiative of your own unless someone offends your girlfriend.

"You know, my grandfather, Joey… A lot of people thought he couldn't do anything without his friend Yugi watching his back. He didn't like that. He always tried his hardest to be his own duelist and prove such people wrong.

"So what are you, Erik… Are you your own duelist, or some lapdog?"

Erik glared at Yumi. It was clear he was very angry, but apparently, he didn't know how to respond. Sam looked a little embarrassed by the whole speech.

Yumi was about to say something else, but then she was startled as Anastasia appeared in front of her.

"Yumi!" exclaimed the angel. "Listen closely, there isn't much time… A new Shadow Charm, and a very powerful one. It has just woken up."

"Where… What?" asked Yumi.

"The Talisman of the Mind," answered Anastasia. "It was crafted by Nan-Challac the Sage, the smartest – but not necessarily the wisest – of the Sorcerer Kings. It had many powers that enhanced thought, making Nan-Challac even smarter, enhancing his memory, letting him think faster… No one is certain which of those benefits it might still grant."

"Where is it?" asked Yumi.

"The Egyptian Exhibit," said Anastasia. "Hurry… Rasputin already knows it is there."

"Guys!" shouted Yumi. "We have to get to the Egyptian Exhibit!"

"Another Charm?" asked Chelsea.

"Bingo," replied Yumi. "I'll tell you about it on the way."

As they started to run, Sam ran after them.

"You don't have to worry about those Ascender creeps," she said, as she and Erik ran alongside them. "My mom has the Centurions hunting them down as we speak. When I last spoke to her, nine of them had been arrested."

"But we don't know how many more of them there are!" replied Yumi.

"Good luck, guys!" shouted Aisha, waving goodbye.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Cassandra took a card from the Tarot Deck, and placed it on the table.

It was The Lovers.

Her eyes narrowed.

She slowly picked up another card.

It was a picture of a boat carrying swords being ferried across a river, with a woman as the passenger.

"Ah, the Six of Swords," said Cassandra. "A positive card… Erik has reached a point where he will be able to put his difficulties behind him, and move forward to an easier path…

"But before he does that…

"He must succeed in overcoming one big difficulty…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Very few people who played Duel Monsters knew that it was no ordinary game. Its roots were founded in an ancient ritual that went back to the times of the Egyptians. Not everyone was willing to believe in Shadow Games, but the legends were amusing when told.

So it was no surprise that the Museum District of Duelatopia had an extensive Egyptian museum.

The five teens walked in.

"Okay…" said Yumi. "Last time, Sam had to win her Charm, but this time, we're gonna be more careful.

"We'll split up again, and when you find this Talisman, just guard it. Stand with your back to the wall, and wait for another one of us to find you. We don't want any more Shadow Games."

"Agreed," they all said at once.

They each took a separate exit from the entrance hall, Erik moving into the Hall of Warriors.

He walked down the hallway, where ancient statues stood by the walls.

"All right…" he said. "Magic talisman… magic talisman…"

His eye caught a shiny thing on one of the statues, a marble likeness of the god of the dead, Osiris.

"Heh…" he said. "It wouldn't happen to be that amulet with the ruby with the Eye of Wdjat etched on it, would it?"

He looked at it. He backed up against the wall, and took out his cell phone.

_Be careful, Erik…_ he thought, hitting the pager. _If you just ring Sam, she'll be here to give you backup, and there'll be no Shadow Game…Shadow Games are bad…_

He heard a chuckle coming from the shadows.

"Why try to deny it, Erik?" asked a sinister voice. "You want to claim that Talisman… You want to prove to Yumi that you're no henchman… Maybe you want to prove it to Sam as well.

"In fact, I'd say you want to prove it to _yourself_ more than you want to prove it to anyone else."

"Show yourself…" ordered Erik.

A man appeared out of the shadows that made Erik's flesh crawl. He was a handsome, yet diabolic-looking man, with a charming smile. He had slick, tightly cropped hair with a widow's peak, and hazel eyes. His clothing, while black, looked expensive, though not formal. Sort of like a leisure suit that a vampire might wear. He also wore a Duel Disk.

"So who are you?" asked Erik, not sure if he wanted to know.

"My name is Samen," said the man. "I'm an Ascender in name only, by the way. And now that we've taken care of that unpleasant business, I still mean to acquire that Charm…

"And I'll have you know, I fear no Shadow Game…

"So Erik… You can either step aside and let me take it… Or you can stand in my way and start something…

"Step aside, and you'll likely never be anything more than just a follower…"

"I'm no follower!" shouted Erik. "Come here, you little…"

He rushed at Samen. The man grinned wickedly.

Sam and the others ran into the chamber.

"Erik?" said Sam.

She saw Erik rush at the Ascender.

"No, baby, don't!" she screamed.

It was too late. The Talisman of the Mind glowed with red light, and the eyes of the statues in the hall burned with fire. A dark fog started to rise…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Yumi looked around.

They were at an outdoor locale, and the sun was setting…

It was some sort of desert ruin. They were in the courtyard of the destroyed remains of some building that had been made of granite.

Erik was facing Samen in the center, and Sam was beside herself with fear.

"Oh, why did he do it?" she cried. "We were almost there!"

Anastasia appeared.

"I feel his opponent may have tricked him," she said. "And might have done so in an unorthodox way. I can't put my finger on it, but this Samen doesn't seem like your average duelist. Certainly, an aura of evil emits from him that he can't hide."

"What?" asked Ren. "Is he some sort of sorcerer?"

"Possibly," said Anastasia. "We'll have to watch. Maybe I can discern who – or what – he is by observation…

"Sadly, it's too late to stop the Yami no Oujou. Erik must duel."

"I hope you're happy, pal," growled Erik. "You got my girlfriend scared…"

"As she should be," said Samen. "Because we're about to duel, you will lose, and you will die. I'll make sure of…"

With a flash of light, a glowing portal appeared in the air above them. Everyone looked up.

Something slowly emerged from of the portal…

It was a young woman, though not a normal one. She was indecently dressed, wearing only a bikini top and a breechcloth, and gold bangles on her wrists and bare feet. Most remarkably, she wore a mask over her face, which was pure white on the left side, and pure black on the right. Her billowy, blond hair reached to her waist, and fluttered behind her.

She silently hovered over Erik and Samen, and looked them over.

"It can't be…" whispered Samen.

"Who is THAT?" asked Erik.

A voice came from the clouds.

"_Erik… Samen…"_ it said. _"As the intellectual among the Sorcerer Kings, I have researched many ideas and theories. One that I never managed to make much headway on was Chaos Theory. I still attempt to make sense of it, and I still conduct many experiments to that means._

"_I'm using this duel as such an experiment, and I've recruited someone to help. Meet the Princess of Chaos._

"_She's here to serve three functions. Two of them are vital to the experiment, the last… Well, she insisted on it…_

"_First, the rule which will be in effect throughout the whole duel. It works as if both of you had a Blind Destruction active. In case you're unfamiliar with that Trap Card, a number between one and six will be chosen at random at each End Phase. She'll then destroy any Monsters on the field that match that Level. A six will result in the destruction of all Monsters of that Level or higher._

"_This effect cannot be changed by any card, such as Dice Re-Roll, because, simply put, she is not a card._

"_Second, she will personally decide the outcome of any card that depends on random chance or luck to function._

"_Her third function, the one she insisted on, you need only be concerned about if you lose the duel. She will execute the loser herself."_

Sam covered her mouth with her hand, trying hard not to scream.

"_Now begin,"_ said the voice. _"Honor goes to Erik."_

"Gladly…" said Erik.

"This is crazy…" mutter Chelsea. "This guy is using them as lab rats?"

"It's his Talisman," sighed Anastasia. "Maybe that's why he feels he can do it. And we're in no position to argue."

"Isn't there ANY way we can rebel?" asked Sam.

Anastasia shook her head.

"No known way…" she replied. "What they say goes, like it or not… They're in a class by themselves. Maybe the Sorcerer Kings truly achieved their goal eventually…

"Maybe they actually obtained power that only gods could harness."

The two Disks activated.

"Game on!" they both shouted.

**(Erik: 8,000) -------------------- (Samen: 8,000)**

"Prepare for defeat!" threatened Samen.

"We'll see about that," said Erik, drawing his first card.

He added it to his hand and chose another one.

"I throw down a facedown, and summon my trusty Toy Soldier in Attack Mode," he said.

A facedown card appeared, and Toy Soldier appeared, aiming his musket. (800/300)

"I'll end with that…"

Everyone looked at the Princess of Chaos. She held her hands in front of her, and the numbers one through six flashed quickly in-between them.

Finally, the number four appeared.

"Looks like my Soldier is safe," said Erik. "He's Level Three."

"Safe from her," said Samen, drawing a card. "But not from me.

"First, I play Pot of Greed. So I pick up two more cards…"

The laughing green jug appeared, and he drew twice. He added the cards to his hand.

"Next, I play Mystical Space Typhoon."

He held up the card, and the cyclone tore forward. Erik's Mirror Force lifted up and shattered.

"Next," said Samen, "I'll activate the Spell Card, Tribute to the Doomed. I'll just discard one card…"

He discarded a Monster Card from his hand.

"…and your Toy Soldier is vanquished."

A swarm of mummy wrappings burst out of the ground, and wrapped around Toy Soldier. Then a huge claw grabbed him and dragged him under.

"You'll pay for that…" said Erik with a scowl.

"We'll see…" said Samen. "Next, I summon Pharaoh's Servant."

The ground burst open, and a tall figure rose out of the sand. It was a Zombie dressed in Egyptian-style raiment, holding a spear. (900/0)

"Attack him directly!" ordered Samen.

Pharaoh's Servant twirled its spear, and stabbed Erik in the chest. He staggered back, clutching the spot where it had hit.

Samen looked at another card in his hand.

_I hate having to depend on a card like this,_ he thought, _but with this sort of deck, it's a necessity._

"I'll place this facedown," he said, "and take a break…"

A facedown card appeared.

**(E: 7,100) -------------------- (S: 8,000)**

Once again, the numbers flashed between the Princess's hands…

A one appeared.

"Looks like we both got lucky," said Erik, drawing a card. "That guy is Level Two."

"Let's see if it holds out," said Samen, as his Trap Card lifted. "I activate Sixth Sense."

"Oh no…" said Yumi. "I remember this… Holly used it in our Yami no Oujou…"

"I name the numbers five and six," said Samen.

"You're forgetting something…" said Erik, with a smile. "A die isn't going to decide if you get any more cards… SHE is!"

He pointed to the Princess.

The Princess of Chaos silently looked at Samen. She raised her hands.

The number six appeared in them.

Samen smiled evilly as he drew six cards.

_I wonder, Princess…_ he thought, looking them over, _do you have any idea who you just helped? Would you have done so if you knew?_

_Maybe you do know, and you just don't care._

_That's why Law will always triumph over Chaos… Because Chaos is dumb._

"It's still my turn, Samen," said Erik. "And I summon…"

He played a card.

"My Toy Wind-Up!"

A new figure appeared on Erik's side of the field. It resembled Toy Soldier at first glance, but there were differences that you saw when you looked at it again. This one was a head taller than the original, was made of metal instead of wood, and had a bronze turnkey in its back. Its gun was a blunderbuss rather than a musket. (1,000/700)

"Is that supposed to scare me?" asked Samen. "Sure, it can defeat my Servant, but I'll only lose 100 little Life Points."

"You're overlooking two small words," said Erik. "Special ability. When a Toy Wind-Up inflicts damage to your Life Points in battle, even if it's just _one_ point, I get to Special Summon another one from my deck."

"Huh?" said Samen, in surprise.

"So…" said Erik, "Toy Wind-Up, attack Pharaoh's Servant with blunderbuss blast!"

The toy aimed its gun, and with a blast of noise and smoke, Pharaoh's Servant was blown to bits.

In a burst of energy, a second Toy Wind-Up appeared next to the first. (1,000/700)

"I'm not done with you yet, pal…" said Erik. "Second Wind-Up… Attack him directly!"

The second toy aimed its gun…

Samen howled as the shell hit him in the chest.

"And guess what?" continued Erik. "I have THREE Wind-Ups in my deck!"

A third Wind-Up appeared next to the second. Samen scowled. (1,000/700)

The third one blasted him and he fell over.

"That's my turn for now…" said Erik.

**(E: 7,100) -------------------- (S: 5,900)**

"All right, baby!" screamed Sam. "Way to go!"

The Princess gestured again…

The number was two.

"Seems my Wind-Ups are safe for this round," said Erik. "They're also Level Three."

"I beg to differ…" said Samen, drawing a card.

He smirked when he saw what it was.

"I discard one card from my hand…" he said.

He discarded another Pharaoh's Servant.

"…to play this… My favorite Spell Card, the famous Lightning Vortex! It vaporizes all of your Monsters!"

Lightning flashed, and then struck Erik's side of the field, blowing the Toy Wind-Ups to bits.

"Aw, no!" shouted Chelsea. "He's defenseless again!"

"I place a Monster in Defense Mode, and then two cards facedown," said Samen. "Then I'll let our host do her job, not like it will matter."

Two facedown cards, and a facedown Monster appeared. The Princess held up her hands, and a four appeared. She likely knew it was a technicality – no matter what number had come up, there was nothing to destroy.

Erik drew a card.

He smiled.

"Get a good draw, Erik?" asked Samen. "Well, just try to stop this."

One of his Trap Cards lifted. The image on it was a glowing blue sarcophagus inside a stone ark.

"I activate The First Sarcophagus!"

"Of course…" muttered Anastasia. "It makes sense now… The weak Zombie, the Spells that required discards…

"Erik had better be careful…"

"Oh, is that so?" asked Erik. "Well, I'll smash your Sarcophagus before you manage to summon the big guy.

"I play… Premature Burial. So I'll pay 800 Life Points to bring back Toy Soldier."

Toy Soldier crawled out of the ground, and stood up. (800/300)

"You paid 800 points for that scrub?" asked Samen. "I wouldn't have paid one point."

Erik glared at him. The Toy Soldier gave him a dirty look.

"Okay, this guy has gone beyond trash talking and turned downright nasty," said Yumi. "Anastasia, any luck figuring out who he is?"

"No…" she said. "He's trying his hardest to keep me from doing so. His ability to duel while keeping this façade – whatever it is – is a feat that would take a great deal of willpower. Especially since this is a Shadow Game. He's clearly something exceptional."

_Indeed, angel,_ thought Samen, glancing at her. _Games of Shadows are as easy as walking to my kind…_

"Next…" said Erik. "I play a Spell Card called Crowning of the Emperor. I'll trade in my Toy Soldier for someone better…"

Toy Soldier vanished in a burst of energy, and Toy Emperor appeared, holding his saber forward astride his wooden horse. (2,300/800)

"Attack his facedown Monster!" shouted Erik.

Toy Emperor galloped towards the facedown card. A Zombie that looked somewhat like Pharaoh's Servant appeared on the card, and with one swipe of a sword, it was blasted to bits.

"So you destroyed my Pharaonic Protector," said Samen. "There's plenty more where he came from."

"Well Toy Emperor has a powerful effect," said Erik, taking his deck. "Since he defeated a Monster, I now get to take any Trap Card I want from my deck, and add it to my hand."

He took a card from his deck and looked at it.

Dust Tornado.

_His other facedown card is likely Magic Jammer,_ he thought, _or more likely, given his deck's theme, Judgment of Anubis. But I happen to know that neither of those Traps can counter another Trap. So this will throw a wrench into his machinery…_

"I'll set this facedown, and let you go," he said.

"Not before I activate this…" said Samen, as a Spell Card appeared on his side of the field.

It bore the image of golden sarcophagus, open to reveal a blue glow.

"The Second Sarcophagus. One more to go…"

The Princess held up her hands, and the number five appeared in them.

**(E: 6,300) -------------------- (S: 5,900)**

"They've been lucky so far," said Ren. "But it's only a matter of time before their number is up…"

Samen drew a card.

"I activate Dust Tornado!" shouted Erik, as his Trap Card lifted. "Say goodbye to your Sarcophagi!"

"I think not…" said Samen.

His own Trap Card lifted.

"I activate Curse of Royal. It quells your tornado, leaving my card safe."

A gaggle of ghostly spirits flew out of the Trap Card, and flew into the Dust Tornado card, scattering it to the winds.

"Wha?" gasped Erik.

"Samen was too smart for him…" muttered Yumi. "Erik was expecting an anti-Spell Trap, but Curse of Royal could counter anything short of Heavy Storm…"

"Erik…" muttered Sam. "Please… Be careful…"

"All I have to do now…" said Samen, "is place one card facedown, and that will end my turn."

A new facedown card appeared.

The Princess lifted her hands again. Everyone watched…

The number was three.

"All right…" said Erik. "Watch out!"

He drew a card.

"I activate Threatening Roar," exclaimed Samen, as his Trap Card lifted.

A great beast appeared behind him, and bellowed.

"I'm afraid you can't attack this turn."

Erik looked at his hand.

"Well then…" he said. "If I can't attack anyway, now's the right time to play this…"

He played a Spell Card, showing the image of a group of Toy Soldiers around a broken one of their own.

"It's a powerful Spell called Toy Memorial. I have to skip my Battle Phase on the turn when I use it, but now, I have to anyway, so it's no big loss.

"Then, for every card in my Graveyard with the word 'Toy' in its name, I get to draw one card, and there are four of them there, one Soldier, and three Wind-Ups."

He made four draws. He looked them over.

"I summon Card Blocker," he said.

"Card Blocker?" asked Samen. "What the…"

Another toy warrior appeared, but this one was dressed in armor, with a round helmet, carrying a small shield and a toy sword. (400/400)

"He's not very strong, yes," said Erik. "In fact, he's better at defending. When I summon him, he moves right into Defense Mode."

Card Blocker crouched down, and held his shield in front of him.

"I end my turn."

"You know what that means, right?" asked Samen. "I get to play The Third Sarcophagus!"

Yet another Spell Card appeared. The sarcophagus on this one was closed and had a decorative carving on top.

The Princess gestured again. The number was one.

"Is she ever going to do anything useful?" chuckled Samen, drawing a card.

He looked at it.

"Now…" he said. "I sacrifice my three Sarcophagi…"

The three cards were consumed in bursts of light…

A glowing, pure gold sarcophagus appeared on the field. It slowly opened…

Stepping out was a figure with black skin, clad in golden armor, with shoulder guards shaped like a jackal and a hawk. He wore a tutan mask over his head, held a sword in his left hand, and a crook in his right.

"The Spirit of the Pharaoh!" shouted Samen.

(2,500/2,000)

"Impressive…" muttered Erik.

"I'm not done…" said Samen. "Where a Pharaoh goes, his servants are never far behind… So just by summoning him, I get to raise four Zombies from my Graveyard. So long as they have no effect, and are no higher than Level Two."

Spirit of the Pharaoh raised his crook, and it glowed with eldritch energy. Two Pharaonic Protectors and two Pharaoh's Servants appeared to either side of him. (900/0 x4)

"Not bad…" said Erik, grinning.

"I'm still not done…" said Samen, taking a card from his hand. "I play a devastating Spell Card called Thousand Energy. This raises the Attack Score of all Level Two Normal Monsters on my side of the field by 1,000!"

The four lesser Zombies all glowed with fiery energy, and rose to an Attack of 1,900 apiece.

"Very impressive…" said Erik.

Samen glared at him.

"You have an awful lot of confidence for someone who's facing three direct attacks in a few seconds…" he said.

Erik looked him in the eye.

"Spirit of the Pharaoh," ordered Samen, "destroy his Toy Emperor!"

The Spirit rushed forward, swinging its two weapons.

"Hold your horses!" shouted Erik. "Aren't you at all curious about my Card Blocker?

"He's like a magnet. When you attack one of my Monsters when he's on the field, he draws the attack to him!"

Spirit of the Pharaoh paused in mid-charge. Then, he turned, and swung his sword, smashing Card Blocker to pieces.

"And your other Zombies aren't strong enough to take down my Emperor," said Erik, with a shrug. "What a shame."

Samen burned with fury as the spectators on Erik's side started to cheer.

"So, are you done?" asked Erik.

"Not yet…" snarled Samen. "When I end my turn, Thousand Energy will destroy my Monsters… But before that happens, I'll sacrifice one of them by playing Mystik Wok."

He played the card, and one Pharaoh's Servant vanished.

"So now I gain 1,900 Life Points…

"I end my turn."

**(E: 6,300) -------------------- (S: 7,800)**

The three remaining lesser Zombies shattered into shards.

The Princess of Chaos gestured. The numbers flashed again…

A six appeared.

"Six?" shouted Samen, startled.

"Oh… lovely…" muttered Yumi

Balls of fire appeared in both the Princess's hands. She hurled them in both directions, and they struck Spirit of the Pharaoh and Toy Emperor. They screamed, before bursting into clouds of dust and ash.

"Looks like they're almost back where they started," said Chelsea. "Both of them took a blow there…"

Erik drew a card.

"First thing's first," he said. "I play Pot of Avarice"

He played the Spell Card and the pink parody of the Pot of Greed appeared.

Erik's Toy Soldier, all three Toy Wind-Ups, and Card Blocker slipped out of his discard slot. He combined them with his deck, and reshuffled. Then he drew two.

"All right…" he said. "I'll throw down a facedown, and then summon another Toy Soldier. Let's try this again."

A facedown card appeared, and Toy Soldier appeared on the field once again. (800/300)

"Attack him directly!" he commanded.

Toy Soldier fired his musket, and Samen grunted.

"Is that the best you've got?" growled the Ascender. "I've had worse mosquito bites…"

"Those would have had to be pretty vicious mosquitoes…" said Ren.

**(E: 6,300) -------------------- (S: 7,000)**

The numbers between the Princess's hands flashed again.

It was a four this time.

"Lucky," growled Samen, drawing a card.

He quickly placed the card on his Disk, and a defensive Monster appeared. He waved his hand.

The numbers flashed again…

Two.

Erik drew a card.

"Let's see you shrug this off," he said. "I activate my Toy Soldier's effect. In case you don't know how it works, when one of my military munchkins is on the field during my Standby Phase, I get to summon two more of them from my deck."

In two bursts of energy, two more Toy Soldiers appeared next to the first.

The three Soldiers looked at Erik, and nodded.

Erik looked a little surprised. He slowly nodded back.

_Curses!_ thought Samen. _My spell is weakening… I thought I could seal the accursed Spirits in their cards and take away the advantage his friends had… But they're slowly breaking free… Who would have thought that toys could be so strong?_

"All right, pal," continued Erik. "I play a Spell Card called Forced March. All I have to do is cut the Attack Score of my Soldiers in half, and they can attack you directly."

The Toy Soldiers aimed their guns, and each fell to an Attack of 400.

"Go ahead!" dared Samen. "I've taken worse."

"Really?" asked Erik, playing another Spell Card. "How about a combo? I play Fife and Drum Corp."

The parade of toy soldiers appeared behind Erik, but this time, the song they were playing was much more somber.

It hardly mattered. It had the desired effect. The Attack Scores of the three Soldiers rose back to 800 apiece.

Three muskets fired, and Samen screamed in pain.

**(E: 6,300) -------------------- (S: 4,600)**

"Keep going, baby!" shouted Sam. "You're getting there!"

"I'll end my turn," said Erik.

The Princess raised her hands again.

This time, the number was a three.

"Aw, crud!" shouted Erik.

The Princess waved her hand, and a blast of fire shot from it. The three Toy Soldiers were incinerated.

"Heh, heh, heh…" chuckled Samen. "Not so lucky that time, were you?"

Erik tensed. His left fist clenched.

"Just make your move," he said, angrily.

Samen drew a card.

"Actually," he said, "I'm just going to draw and pass. You lucked out for now…"

Again, the Princess gestured. A one appeared, but it didn't matter.

"Suit yourself…" said Erik, drawing.

_That's it…_ he thought, looking at the card.

"I summon… Toy Magician!"

In a flash of light, a new toy appeared. This one was a short, elflike wizard, dressed in blue, apparently made of plastic. He had a pointed nose, red hair, and held a glowing scepter. (1,600/1,500)

He turned to Erik.

"Huh?" said Erik.

"Erik," said the Toy Magician, "don't despair. This battle is far from over."

"You guys can talk?" whispered Erik.

"We've been trying to since the duel began," he replied. "This fiend's dark magic tried to seal our true powers away. But we can help with true support now.

"Do not be swayed by his deception or enraged by his insults. His kind has used these tricks since the birth of mortals. Keep calm, remember who you are, and you can vanquish this beast."

"All right!" shouted Erik.

He pointed to Samen.

"I don't know who you are, or where you came from," he said, "but your spell is broken, so this duel just became a whole new game!

"Toy Magician, attack his Monster with sparkle blast!"

"As you command…" said the Magician.

It aimed its scepter at the facedown card, and a Charcoal Inpachi appeared on the card. (100/2,100)

"Always look before you leap!" laughed Samen.

"I agree," replied Erik.

His facedown card lifted, and Rush Recklessly revealed itself. Toy Magician's Attack rose up to 2,300, and his blast struck the Pyro, smashing it into black dust.

"That's my turn…" said Erik.

The Princess waved her hands again.

The number was a four.

"Oh no!" shouted Sam.

"Erik…" said Toy Magician. "Don't forget what I said…"

The Princess hurled a fireball at Toy Magician, and he cringed before exploding into pixels.

"No…" said Erik, sadly, bowing his head.

"Get ahold of yourself, Erik!" shouted Chelsea. "It isn't over yet!"

"No but it might as well be…" said Samen, drawing a card.

"I play Silent Doom," he said, playing the card. "Think I'll bring back my Charcoal Inpachi…"

The burnt-out wood spirit appeared again, crouching in Defense Mode. (100/2,100)

"Next…" he said, "I summon Aswan Apparition."

A cloud of smoke appeared on the field, and a phantom-like creature, apparently made from the smoke itself, formed out of it. (500/500)

"Say what?" asked Erik.

"Attack him directly!" shouted Samen. "Ominous howl!"

The Aswan Apparition howled, and Erik staggered back as the ghostly sound plowed into him.

**(E: 5,800) -------------------- (S: 4,600)**

"What's the point?" asked Erik, holding his chest.

"Glad you asked," said Samen, raising his Disk. "It may be weak, but when it hurts you, I get to take any Trap Card from my Graveyard, and place it on the top of my deck…"

A card slipped out of his discard slot. He glanced at it, and placed it on top of his deck.

"A Trap Card?" asked Sam.

"Yes…" said Anastasia. "And I'm almost certain it's The First Sarcophagus. He's going to start the whole process over again."

"I end my turn," said Samen.

The Princess of Chaos waved her hands again. Her eyes glowed red. It seemed she was getting impatient…

The number was two.

"Well, no Level Two Monsters on the field right now…" said Samen. "So it's your move…"

Erik drew a card.

"I place a Monster in Defense Mode, and that will be all," he said.

A facedown Monster appeared on his side of the field.

The Princess frowned. She gestured again.

The number was a three.

She threw the ball of fire again, and it struck Aswan Apparition. It burst into pixels.

"OOH!" cursed Samen. "You got that result on purpose, you filthy chaos spawn!"

The Princess glared at him, angrily.

"It's your move, buddy," said Erik. "And I wouldn't get her angry if I were you."

"Fine!" said Samen, drawing a card.

"I place these two cards facedown, and that will end my turn."

Two facedown cards appeared.

The Princess gestured again, and the number four came up. She shook her head, and looked at Erik.

_One of them is definitely The First Sarcophagus…_ thought Erik. _But what is the other one? Another Curse of Royal?_

He drew a card.

"I activate The First Sarcophagus!" shouted Samen, as his Trap Card lifted.

"What a surprise," said Erik, sarcastically.

"You may be brave now," said Samen, "but soon, my Spirit of the Pharaoh will destroy you.

"And should you try to destroy my Sarcophagus, you'll simply die sooner."

Erik looked at him.

_No doubt about it…_ he thought, looking at the other facedown card. _Judgment of Anubis._

"I play Pot of Greed!" he shouted.

The jar appeared, and he drew two cards.

He looked at one of the cards.

_Well, he's in for a big surprise…_

"Sorry, Samen," he said, "but there's no way I'm letting you summon that guy again. And I have just the cards to stop you.

"I summon Spell Striker in Attack Mode!"

In a flash of light, a small form appeared on Erik's side of the field. It was a toy wizard with a horned helmet and cape, with a big smile on his face. (600/200)

"Oh, please," said Samen. "That's the most pathetic one yet."

Spell Striker frowned at him.

"Really?" asked Erik. "Well, let me introduce a friend of his… I Flip-Summon… Armor Breaker!"

His facedown Monster flipped up, and another toy warrior appeared. This one was short and squat, and wore a huge helmet shaped like a hammer. (600/200)

"Okay, guys…" said Erik. "Why don't you show Samen here the little trick you two can do…"

Spell Striker and Armor Breaker nodded and gave him a thumb's up…

Then Armor Breaker leapt into the air, spinning like a top, and started to change shape. Quickly, he turned from a humanoid Warrior into a big mallet. Spell Striker caught it and held it up high.

"And that's supposed to impress me?" asked Samen. "Now instead of two weak Monsters, you have one weak Monster that's holding a big hammer."

"A weak Monster that's holding a big hammer who can attack you directly," said Erik, with a grin.

Samen's eyes narrowed.

"Bring it…" he said with a scowl.

"Spell Striker, go!" shouted Erik.

Spell Striker leapt up into the air towards Samen, and clobbered him with the hammer. The Ascender staggered backwards.

"Ergh…" he muttered. "Nice try, but you barely left a dent!"

**(E: 5,800) -------------------- (S: 4,000)**

"I forgot to mention…" said Erik. "When Spell Striker deals damage when swinging Armor Breaker, he gets to destroy one Spell or Trap Card."

"He does?" said Samen, shocked.

Spell Striker lifted the hammer, and slammed it into the ground, sending a shockwave towards Samen's side of the field. Samen braced himself, as The First Sarcophagus was blasted to bits.

"I'm beginning to get… angry!" yelled Samen.

"Deal with it," said Erik, placing a two cards in his Disk.

Two facedown cards appeared.

"And by the way, if you think you can hurt me by attacking Spell Striker because he's weak, think again. When he's involved in a battle, I don't lose any Life Points.

"I'll end there."

The Princess of Chaos waved her hand…

The number that came up was a one.

"Oh look…" said Erik. "Looks like your Charcoal Inpachi is gonna be leaving."

The Princess hurled her fireball, and the Inpachi was blown to pieces.

Samen drew a card and looked at the two cards in his hand.

"So…" he said. "You take no damage if I attack your Spell Striker… And since it's Equipped with a Union Monster, it will survive one attack… I have to admit, that is rather clever…

"But I can still destroy it.

"I play my second Tribute to the Doomed!"

He played the card, and discarded his other one.

"Not so fast," said Eric, as his facedown card lifted. "I activate Spell Shield Type-8. Now your Spell Card is negated, and since Tribute to the Doomed is a targeting effect, I don't have to pay a thing."

The Spell Card shattered.

"Fine…" said Samen. "My turn is over. Do your worst…"

The Princess gestured again, and the numbers flashed. A six came up.

Erik drew a card.

He looked at it.

"Sorry, Samen," said Erik, "but this duel is ending now…

His last facedown card lifted.

"First… I activate Call of the Haunted. I'll bring back an old friend."

In a burst of energy, Toy Emperor reappeared. His mount whinnied and leapt on its hind legs before turning to face Samen. (2,300/800)

"Next…" continued Erik. "Armor Breaker… Separate from Spell Striker!"

The mallet flew from Spell Striker's hands, and changed shape again. After a few seconds, it had transformed back into the Warrior with the huge helmet. (600/200)

"I'll still survive!" shouted Samen.

"No you won't…" replied Erik. "Thanks to my Toy Dragon."

"Toy Dragon?" gasped Samen.

"Oh, you're wondering where my Toy Dragon is?" asked Erik.

Spell Striker and Armor Breaker nodded to each other.

"Well, he's right THERE!"

The two Warriors leapt up, and vanished into globules of light. The huge form of Toy Dragon materialized from out of the shadows. (2,300/2,000)

"And with Toy Emperor on the field," said Erik, "he gets a little boost."

(2,700/2,000)

"Toy Emperor… Attack directly with imperial charge!"

The Emperor charged forward on his mount, and slashed at Samen with his saber. The Ascender screamed.

"Toy Dragon… Attack directly, with shooting star shower!"

Toy Dragon breathed its blast of light motes, and Samen howled before falling over.

**(E: 5,300) -------------------- (S: 0)**

Erik took a deep breath.

The Princess of Chaos's eyes glowed fiery red. She flew down towards Samen.

"Stay away!" he shouted.

The Princess reached for him, and he caught her wrists as she lunged.

"Huh?" said Yumi. "What's happening?"

"He's… he's fighting back somehow…" said Anastasia.

A black flame surrounded the two of them as they struggled.

Then, a glowing portal appeared to the side of Erik and those who were supporting him.

"That portal's our way home!" shouted Anastasia. "Let's go!"

Yumi rushed through the portal with Anastasia behind her. Then Ren followed, then Chelsea, then Sam.

Erik paused for a minute before leaving. He looked at the struggle between the Ascender and the Princess of Chaos…

Then an explosion from where they were fighting blew him through the portal.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Erik held his head.

Something was around his neck. He lifted it up, and saw that it was the Talisman of the Mind.

"Erik!" shouted Sam. "Baby, please be okay… Please be okay…"

"I'm okay…" said Erik. "But Samen wasn't so lucky. Seems he was… vaporized…"

Yumi gave an odd look.

"Seems we may never know just who he was," she muttered.

She paused.

"But now… We have five Shadow Charms between us… Our enemies have two…

"One more is still out there, and we have to stay alert. Rasputin will try his hardest to get it…"

"Hey…" said Ren. "We'll be ready for him…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

On another plane of existence, very far from the Prime Material, there stood a great city, bigger by far than any metropolis on Earth. In fact, to someone traveling its streets, it would seem to go on forever, even though you could see mountains in the distance. The city was composed of diabolic-looking structures made entirely of iron – scalding-hot iron that could burn the flesh of the unprepared visitor.

And visible from every part of this city was a great tower. This tower's appearance fluctuated with each passing minute, always changing. One minute it could be a tall spire, the next it might be a squat fortress. Natives of the city knew how to get to it, but if you didn't know the secret, you couldn't approach it. No matter how long you walked towards it, you'd never arrive at its entrance. It would always seem to be on the block ahead of you, but you could walk for weeks and not get there.

Deep inside the great tower, Samen – for he knew well how to enter – walked through a long hallway. His clothes were torn and burned from the struggle with the Princess of Chaos, but there were no wounds on his skin.

The ruined clothes made him feel a little self-conscious, but he'd change later. Someone was waiting for him to make his report, and this was _not_ the type of person that you kept waiting.

As he walked down the hallway, his appearance started to change. His shoes vanished, and his feet turned into cloven hooves. A long, barbed tail extended from his spine, small horns sprouted from his forehead, and his eyes glowed red.

He approached a huge pair of double doors. They opened, and he entered a throne room, where a grim figure brooded on a throne of iron.

Samen knelt.

"The plan didn't go as I intended, sire," he said. "Mr. Matell was quite formidable. Although, I doubt he would have beaten me had I been using my true deck.

"His group and Rasputin now believe me to be dead… Slain by the Princess of Chaos."

The figure on the throne chuckled.

"She didn't know who she was dealing with," replied the figure in a deep voice. "And apparently, neither did Non-Challac. How could some servant of Chaos harm one who is protected by an exemplar of Law?

"At any rate, it wasn't a total loss. You managed to get as much information from Rasputin as you likely ever would have, and this way, we don't need to devise a way for you and he to part company.

"And the information you gained will help us a great deal. I have a feeling that Rasputin will finally decide to complete the bargain at long last. And when he does, this… bad investment of ours will finally be nothing more than an unpleasant memory."

"And what of young Yumi Mouto?" asked Samen.

The figure on the throne paused for a minute.

"Her we'll watch for a bit longer," he replied. "She is the offspring of the one who defeated Saurius, and she has the same spirit guide.

"That upstart was a thorn in my side for a very long time, and as far as the Mouto family goes, you know what they say about 'the enemy of my enemy'…

"So we will watch her very carefully… She may be a benefit or a curse to us. I simply do not know yet.

"You've done well, Samen… You may resume your regular duties for the time being. If I need you to duel again, I'll let you know."

"Thank you, sire," said Samen, removing the deck from his Duel Disk. "This game is fun, but it does tend to get tedious…"

He placed it a pouch by his side, and turned to leave.

The dark figure – who was not human, but something far more terrible than anything humanity could ever or would ever produce – leaned back on his throne to consider the new developments…

_Erik has proven that he's no lightweight, and the Talisman of the Mind is now in his possession. But a strange new factor may have been thrown into the mix, one which makes Rasputin's dark nature even darker. Soon, toys may not be strong enough to combat the evil that will oppose our heroes…_

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**TOY WIND-UP (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Machine/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level:** 3  
**ATK:** 1,000  
**DEF:** 700

**Card Description:** When this card inflicts battle damage to your opponent's Life Points, you may Special Summon one "Toy Wind-Up" from your hand or deck.

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**0**

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**TOY MEMORIAL (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** A group of Toy Soldiers standing around a broken one of their own.

**Card Description:** Draw one card for every card in your Graveyard that has the word "Toy" in its name. You must skip your Battle Phase on a turn in which you use this card.

Note: "Toy Memorial" was created by Master of Paradox for use in his fic "Tilting the Balance". Creative credit goes to him.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**TOY MAGICIAN (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Spellcaster/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,600  
**DEF:** 1,500

**Card Description:** This card can be treated as a Spell Card and set facedown into your Spell/Trap zone. When this card is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard by the effect of an opponent's card while set in your Spell/Trap zone, Special Summon this card onto your field during the End Phase of that turn. In addition, when this card is successfully Flip-Summoned, you may destroy a number of Spell and Trap cards up to the number of face-up "Toy Magicians" on the field.

_Note: "Toy Magician" is a Japanese card that has not yet been released in the United States._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**CARD BLOCKER (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level:** 3  
**ATK:** 400  
**DEF:** 400

**Card Description:** When this card is successfully Normal Summoned, Flip-Summoned, or Special Summoned, it is switched to face-up Defense Position. When a face-up Monster you control is targeted by an attack, you may switch the attack target to this card. When this card becomes an attack target, you may send up to three cards from the top of your deck to the Graveyard. For each card sent to the Graveyard in this manner, increase this card's DEF by 500 until the End Phase of the turn.

_Note: "Card Blocker" is a Japanese promotional card that has not yet been released in the United States. It was first used by Jaden in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Heart of Ice (Part Two)"._

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**0**

**0**

**ARMOR BREAKER (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Warrior/Union  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level:** 3  
**ATK:** 600  
**DEF:** 200

**Card Description:** Once per turn, during your Main Phase, if you control this card on your side of the field, you may Equip it to your "Spell Striker" as an Equip Spell Card OR change it back to a Monster in face-up Attack Position. When the Equipped Monster inflicts battle damage to your opponent, you may destroy one face-up Spell or Trap Card. (One Monster can only be Equipped with one Union Monster at a time. If the Monster that this card is Equipped to would be destroyed in battle, this card is destroyed instead.)

_Note: "Armor Breaker" was first used by Jaden in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Heart of Ice (Part Two)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**Yumi: Ren, look! Felicia is back!**

**Ren: Really? Wonder if she wants to duel again?**

**Chelsea: Guys, I'm not sure… Felicia's eyes are strange… She's not blinking…**

**I think something's happened to her…**

**Ren: What's going on? Is there something you want to tell me, Felicia?**

**Yumi: We'll see soon enough…**

**Coming up next: "Ren versus the Cat Goddess; Divine Bestiary".**

**As Ren tries for Gold, in his toughest fight yet…**

**Felicia: Meow… Ren… Don't you want to duel me?**


	33. Divine Bestiary

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**CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO**

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**Ren versus the Cat Goddess**

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**Divine Bestiary**

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It was nine PM.

Rasputin was angrier than he had been in a long time.

The fact that he had lost another Shadow Charm was bad enough. The fact that it had been lost to a duelist using toy Monsters was almost unbearable.

He dialed a number on his cell phone.

"Hello, Mason?" he started. "Good, you haven't been arrested… Listen, your next target in the morning will be…"

He stopped short.

"What do you mean, you quit?"

He paused.

"You're making a mistake, you…"

He paused again. He turned to Nicholas and Olga.

"He hung up on me!" he shouted. "My men are deserting me… Why?"

"Well, let's see…" said Olga. "Two Ascenders are dead, one is in a coma, ten are in jail so far… You aren't exactly eligible for employer of the month any more."

Rasputin brought up an image on the computer. Erik's face was on it.

"That amateur could NOT have beaten Samen!" he shouted. "I won't accept it… That Talisman is rightfully mine…"

"Believe what you will," said Nicholas. "Erik won the Talisman of the Mind, and it belongs to him now."

"I refuse to accept it!" shouted Rasputin.

"Unfortunately," said Nicholas, leaning his head back on the couch, "your refusal to accept does not change the fact."

"I refuse to accept that too!" replied Rasputin.

"Unfortunately," replied Nicholas, "your refusal to accept that your refusal does not change the fact, also does not change the fact that Erik won the Talisman of the Mind."

Rasputin's face fell.

"I'll accept that…" he said with a sigh.

He got up, went to the coffee table, and opened an old tome.

"Yumi and her allies now have five of the Charms…" he growled. "We have only two… But one still remains, and that one may make all the difference…"

He turned the pages.

"The Rod of the Ancients…" he muttered, "the Charm belonging to Unus the Undying. According to legend, Unus did not craft it… He was _given_ it. By whom, exactly, is a closely-guarded secret…

"The full extent of its powers are unknown, but a few things about Unus himself are known. He was apparently so powerful, that the only one of the other Sorcerer Kings who dared to even disagree with him, much less oppose him, was Machius the Wise, the one who created the Crown of Souls. Indeed, Machius and Unus were rivals of a sort…

"Clearly, the two of them each had personal power far beyond the others…

"Yumi has the Crown of Souls… If she claims the Rod of the Ancients too, she'll become far too difficult to defeat…

"I'm not going to take chances… When the Rod of the Ancients awakens…

"I will get it personally…"

He paused.

"In the meantime, Nicholas," he said, "we'll use what we have to attempt to get another one of the Charms…

"I believe you know someone who would like a rematch with Ren…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Sleep overcame the participants of Duelatopia.

Ren dreamed he was back in that lovely garden he had envisioned from the Siege Perilous, embracing the same girl. He lost himself in her eyes, and all was well.

Chelsea dreamed a situation that was parallel in many ways. She dreamt that she approached a lover – one that she found familiar – in a dark bedchamber, a spooky place where you'd expect a vampire to sleep. She used entrancing magic until finally, he surrendered.

Yumi had no-one in her dreams to hold. But her dreams were strange. Again and again, she saw the Pharaoh in the days of ancient Egypt, and again and again, she saw the strange girl that looked just like her. Sometimes she was hiding and watching him, sometimes she was following him, other times she was holding his hand as he walked through dark passageways…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

It was early in the morning of Day Five. The looming face of Clock Tower Prison registered eight-thirty.

Felicia grinned as she looked at her opponent, who was cowering behind a Gear Golem the Moving Fortress (800/2,200)

She had three Monsters on the field: Nekogal #2 (1,900/2,000), Catnipped Kitty (0/500), and Super War Lion (2,300/2,100).

She drew a card.

"Now it ends…" she said, holding it up to the light. "With the divine power in my deck, I can show you why cats were once worshiped…"

"Hey, lady…" said her opponent, nervously, "you're really scaring me…"

Felicia laughed evilly. Nekogal and Catnipped Kitty vanished…

In the next moment, a scream came from that part of Duelatopia.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Felicia sat on a part bench, drinking a mocha latte. She glanced at her badge, which had just become Silver.

She was glad she was winning, but she didn't feel right.

Every night since her duel with Nicholas, she had been plagued by the same strange dream. She found herself bound to a rock by golden shackles, with just enough slack. After a minute or two, Nicholas would come out of the darkness and put his arms around her. She could do nothing but surrender to his charms.

The dream always ended with him leaving her, still chained to the rock, after promising the chains would come off once she repaid him.

It wasn't that she hadn't dreamt of sex before. She had several times in the past. She had even dreamt of bondage before, and she had liked it. But she didn't like this. It was almost as if this wasn't any dream. She felt like she was truly his slave.

Even when she was awake, she often had to check to make sure there were no marks on her wrists from those chains. She didn't know how to repay him…

At that moment, her vision started to blur… She closed her eyes…

To her shock, she found herself in her dream again. Once again, the shackles held her to the rock.

"No…" she whined.

"Felicia…" said Nicholas's voice. "It's time…"

He appeared in front of her.

"Ready to repay me?" he asked.

"Anything!" she pleaded. "Just let me go!"

He slowly embraced her. He gently caressed her buttocks.

"Uh, uh, uh," he said. "Find Ren… Defeat him… Then the chains will come off, and he'll be there in your place.

"With what I gave you, he won't stand a chance…"

He gently kissed her on the lips…

Felicia opened her eyes…

She crushed the coffee cup in her hand…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In the Marris residence in Domino City, Ren's kid sister Connie and her friend Sally were in front of the computer, while Connie was searching the Duelatopia website.

"Anything?" asked Sally.

"Nothing…" moaned Connie. "I can't find his duel where he made Silver…"

She crossed her arms in a sulk.

She hit a key and her brother's face came up.

"How could there be no record of the duel?" she said. "Was it kept secret for some reason?"

"At least he is Silver," said Sally. "If he wins one more, we'll be able to watch him on TV… In the finals!

"Hey, I got a great idea… Let's invite everyone over to watch the finals. It could be like a slumber party!"

"Okay…" said Connie, picking up a notebook. "Who should we invite?"

"Uhm, let's not invite Cho…" she replied.

"Uh huh…" said Connie.

"Let's not invite Kimiko either…" she said.

"Heh, heh…" chuckled Connie. "It's more fun thinking of who NOT to invite than it is thinking of who to invite!"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

At this time, Yumi, Ren, and Chelsea were walking down a strip in Duelatopia, having had a light breakfast.

"So, Ren," said Chelsea, "going to try to find someone who matches your rank? We've gotta all be in the finals… It'll be for the best."

"It's gonna be hard," said Ren. "Most duelists have likely been disqualified by now, and the ones at Silver and Violet are likely few and far between…"

They stopped.

A store was in front of them. It was called Precious Cards From Beyond.

They all looked at it.

"Anyone up for some new cards?" asked Yumi.

They shrugged. They went in.

Inside were racks and displays of cards, grouped by category.

Chelsea found the section for Zombies and looked through it.

_Hmm, Fushioh Richie?_ she thought, looking at one card. _No, not my thing… Goblin Zombie? Eh, not my style…_

She picked up a card. It was a Fusion Monster.

_Hey…_ she thought. _Now this has possibilities…_

Yumi was looking through a set of Spell and Trap Cards.

_This one's good…_ she thought. _This one too…_

She looked at a strange Spell Card.

_Share of Spoils? Now this is interesting…_

Ren looked at the cards in the glass cases.

_So many cards…_ he thought, _so little room in a deck…_

He was startled as he saw one Monster Card…

He had never heard of it, and apparently, neither had his father.

He read the description.

"Sir?" he said, motioning for the clerk. "Can you tell me about that card? And why it only costs thirty dollars?"

"Oh, that?" said the old man behind the counter. "Eh, well, I'll admit that card isn't exactly common, but see, no-one wants it. It's useless without another card, and that other card is incredibly rare. Dunno what they were thinking…"

"Yeah?" said Ren, holding up his badge. "I'll take it."

The clerk shrugged.

"Whatever you say, son," he said.

Chelsea and Yumi came up to the counter with a few cards.

"Find something good, Ren?" asked Chelsea.

"We'll soon see…" he replied.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Ren shuffled his deck as the group left the store.

"There you are," said a stern voice in front of them.

Ren stopped short. Felicia was standing in front of them.

"Hey, Felicia," he said. "How's it going? Made Silver, I see…"

"Yes, and I want Gold," she said. "And I want to get it from beating you."

"Direct and to the point," said Ren with a smirk. "You are tough."

"I have a unique challenge, Ren," said Felicia. "We duel… And the winner gets the loser's soul as a prize."

Ren stepped back.

"Okay…" he said. "Now you've passed the line from tough to really creepy… So if you get my soul, what would you do with it?"

"Scared?" asked Felicia, with a smile. "Why? I'm still the same Felicia I always was."

"Well…" said Ren.

He paused. She was looking at him like a cat that had just cornered its dinner…

"Ren, wait…" said Anastasia's voice.

Ren was surprised.

"Uh, don't go away, Felicia," he said. "Me and the others have to discuss a few things…"

Ren, Chelsea, and Yumi turned to see Anastasia, who was nearly transparent to everyone except Yumi, who could see her clearly. To Ren and Chelsea, it looked like she was struggling to stay in focus.

"What gives?" whispered Ren. "This is the first time we've seen you outside of that other dimension."

"I'm getting stronger," said Anastasia. "The collective powers of the Shadow Charms are helping.

"But Ren… Felicia is not herself. I recognize the poison in her bloodstream."

"Poison?" asked Yumi. "She's been drugged?"

"An alchemic solution called domination pheromone," said Anastasia. "Apparently, she was defeated by a male who had infected himself with the catalyst, and he introduced it to her system. The poison now compels her to obey him."

"Rasputin has sunk to a new low," muttered Yumi. "Can this be cured?"

"Uhm, yes…" said Anastasia, slowly. "Yumi, if you were to put your hand over her heart, I could channel my power through it, and flush the poison out of her system."

Ren looked at Felicia.

"Okay…" he said. "Chelsea, we'll just make a rush for her, then hold her down, and Yumi can…"

"Ren, there is a little catch," interrupted Anastasia. "I can't cure someone of this if she isn't willing to be cured. And I doubt she will be."

Ren looked at Felicia, who seemed to be growing impatient.

"Great…" he said, sarcastically. "That should be really easy… The power of Heaven behind you, and you need her to be willing."

Anastasia frowned, and put her hand on her hip.

"Ren, normally, I wouldn't be able to help her at all," she said. "Usually, a guardian angel may only use her powers to aid her charge. Fortunately, the circumstances behind Yumi's current situation have given me more leniency than normal.

"Anyway, there is one way to suppress domination pheromone. Since Felicia has been… well, deluded into thinking that the one who did this is superior to her, if someone proves he is superior to _him_, she might be willing to receive the cure."

"So I have to duel her then…" said Ren. "Well, wish me luck…"

He stepped up to Felicia.

"Okay, Felicia, you're on…" he said. "But I can't be easy on you…"

She grinned evilly.

"Do you accept my wager?" she asked.

"Huh?" said Ren. "Uh… Sure, why not?"

The two Disks activated.

_My dad did a lot of crazy things,_ he thought, _why should I be any different?_

"Game on!" they both shouted.

**(Ren: 8,000) -------------------- (Felicia: 8,000)**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Still in front of the computer, Sally and Connie were startled as a message flashed on the screen.

"DUEL IN PROGRESS," it said.

"Oh!" shouted Connie. "Ren is dueling!"

They got up and looked at the screen.

"Go, Ren, go!" she shouted. "If you win, you'll be in the finals!"

"Who's his opponent?" asked Sally. "She looks even scarier than that guy with the mask."

Connie looked at Felicia.

She was nervous. Felicia was looking at Ren like she wanted to eat him…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

_Gotta be careful,_ thought Ren, looking over his opening hand. _She's likely not going to hold back…_

He looked at the Horn of Chance strapped around his side.

_Let's hope this thing is as reliable as the legends say._

Felicia drew her first card.

"I'll start with my Pot of Greed," she said, playing a card. "So I pick up two…"

The jar appeared with a cackle, and she made two draws.

"Next, a Spell Card," she continued. "It's called Safari Hunter."

A card appeared in front of her, a picture of a man in a pith helmet holding a rifle, hiding in a brush, observing a group of tigers.

"Okay…" said Ren. "That's a new one on me…"

"First, I send one Monster in my hand to the grave…" said Felicia.

She discarded Nekogal #2.

"…and in return, I get to take any Beast, Beast-Warrior, or Winged Beast I want from my deck."

She looked though her cards, and quickly chose one.

"The catch is, I can't summon it this turn. So… I'll place a Monster in Defense Mode, and toss a card facedown."

A facedown card and a facedown Monster appeared.

"I end my turn," she said with a grin.

_Summon whatever you like,_ she thought. _Next round, we'll see how well your flesh stands up to my ultimate Monster's claws!_

Ren nervously drew a card.

"I play Bait Doll," he said. "Let's see what you're hiding."

Felicia hissed as her facedown card lifted, and was revealed to be Trap Hole. The card shattered.

"Nice try…" said Ren.

He placed the Bait Doll card back in his deck, and reshuffled.

"Now I'll bring out an old friend of yours… You remember Dark Blade, right?"

In a burst of darkness, the armored Warrior appeared, holding his twin swords. (1,800/1,500)

"Attack!" shouted Ren.

Dark Blade flew towards the facedown card. Lady Panther appeared on the card, and with one swipe of a blade, she was cut in two.

"I'll place one card facedown, and let you go," he said.

"Then I draw…" said Felicia, drawing a card.

She added it to her hand.

"Then I play… Stray Lambs."

She played the Spell Card, and two small Lamb Tokens appeared in puffs of smoke. (0/0 x2)

"Now…" she continued, "I'll sacrifice these Lamb Tokens…"

"Now wait just a minute!" interrupted Ren. "That's illegal. You aren't allowed to summon a Monster on the same round you play Stray Lambs."

Felicia smiled evilly.

"True…" she said. "I can't summon a Monster… But there's no rule that says I can't set one!"

"Uh, is that true?" asked Chelsea.

"I'm afraid… yes…" replied Yumi.

"So, as I was saying," said Felicia, "before I was so rudely interrupted, I sacrifice my two lambs, to set a Monster in Defense Mode."

The Lamb Tokens evaporated, and a facedown Monster appeared.

"Well…" said Chelsea. "At least it's in Defense Mode… It can't hurt Ren this round…"

"That's what you think!" said Felicia, in a playful tone.

She held up another Spell Card.

"My Monster won't be defending for long. I play Book of Taiyou! It flips my Monster into Attack Mode!"

The card turned, and then flipped up.

"So let's all welcome… Bast, the Queen of Cats!"

In a burst of radiant energy, a tall figure appeared in front of Felicia. It was a woman wearing a white, Egyptian-style dress, with a plethora of gold jewelry. She had the head of a cat with black fur and long hair, and her hands had long fingernails that looked uncomfortably like claws. (3,200/2,000)

"Ho boy…" said Ren. "Something tells me this is trouble…"

"Good lord…" said Yumi. "It's like someone took my grandfather's old friend Ishizu and made her… cat-like."

"Here's a quick lesson in case you ever want to duel professionally Ren," said Felicia. "You never actually break the rules… What you do instead is study them, so you find loopholes to make the rules benefit you!

"Anyway, if you think Bast is powerful, she is… But I the only way to bring her out is to sacrifice Beasts or Beast-Warriors. Fortunately, those Tokens qualified.

"Now… Bast… Kill his Dark Blade! Divine claws!"

The Queen of Cats purred with a sinister smile. Then she pounced, and made a slash at Dark Blade. He dropped his swords, and then exploded into shards.

"I'll place one card facedown," said Felicia, "and my turn is over…"

A facedown card appeared behind Bast.

**(R: 6,600) -------------------- (F: 8,000)**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Bast, the Queen of Cats?" said Sally.

"Uhm… I've never heard of it either…" replied Connie. "Thirty-two hundred Attack Points?

"Uh… Ren can take care of it… It isn't that hard…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

_Okay…_ thought Ren, drawing a card. _So she has an uber-powerful Monster, one who has more Attack Points than anything in my whole deck…_

He looked at the card.

_But I'm not giving up yet…_

His own facedown card lifted, and Call of the Haunted appeared on his side of the field. A coffin rose on his side, and Dark Blade crawled out. (1,800/1,500)

"Him again?" asked Felicia.

"I'm just starting," said Ren. "Next, I play Frontline Base."

He played the card, and the Spell Card appeared.

"And now I'll use it to Special Summon Pitch-Dark Dragon."

The small Dragon appeared next to Dark Blade. (900/600)

"Now… I'll combine the two…"

Dark Blade jumped up, and leapt on the Dragon's back. (2,200/1,900)

"And I'm not done," he said, taking another card from his hand. "I'll also summon Double Pinaska."

The rapier-wielding Spaniard appeared next to Dark Blade, brandishing his weapons. (1,500/1,500)

"That will do for now…" he said.

Felicia drew a card. She looked at it, and added it to her hand.

"Now I activate Bast's special ability," she said, "which I'm allowed to do every round that she's on the field. I'm able to take a Beast or Beast-Warrior from my deck that's Level Four or less, and add it to my hand."

She took her deck and looked through the cards.

"I have to spend 500 Life Points whenever I use this ability," she continued, "but requesting divine favors always comes with a price."

She put her deck back.

"Now I'll summon it… My Panther Warrior!"

With a roar, the ferocious panther-man appeared, holding aloft his shield and scimitar. (2,000/1,600)

"Just great…" said Chelsea.

"Don't worry…" said Yumi. "That guy can't attack unless she sacrifices a Monster, and she sure as Hell isn't going to sacrifice Bast."

"Bast, attack his Dark Blade!" ordered Felicia.

Bast leapt at the mounted Warrior…

"Double Pinaska, defend!" shouted Ren.

Double Pinaska leapt in front of Dark Blade, and blocked the goddess's advance with his swords. He strained under the pressure… Finally, he kicked her in the mid-section, and she stumbled backwards.

"Your attack has been called off for this round…" said Ren, nervously.

Felicia growled.

"Your move…" she said.

**(R: 6,600) -------------------- (F: 7,500)**

Ren drew a card.

He played it, and the Pot of Greed appeared on his side of the field. He made two draws.

He looked at his three cards.

"All right, Felicia…" he said. "First, I'll move Double Pinaska to Defense Mode."

Pinaska sheathed his swords, and crouched in Defense.

"Next, I'll separate Dark Blade and Pitch-Dark Dragon."

Dark Blade leapt off of the Dragon's back, and stood beside it. (1,800/1,500)

"Then, I'll sacrifice Pitch-Dark Dragon for Kiryu."

The small Dragon vanished, and the larger, red-scaled Dragon appeared. (2,000/1,500)

"Dark Blade… Combine with Kiryu!"

Dark Blade leapt up again, and landed on the larger Dragon's back. He lifted his swords. (2,700/2,400)

"And just what is he gonna do?" asked Felicia.

"I'll show you," said Ren. "While Dark Blade is Equipped with Kiryu, I can sacrifice Kiryu so that he can attack you directly."

Felicia hissed again.

"Dark Blade…" shouted Ren, "FLY!"

Kiryu flapped its wings, and flew with its rider into the sky…

There was a flash of light, and Dark Blade dove from the sky, slashing at Felicia with his swords. She grunted and staggered backwards.

She glared at Ren.

Ren placed one of his remaining cards in his Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

"It's your move…" he said.

**(R: 6,600) -------------------- (F: 5.700)**

_Okay…_ he thought. _It all depends on who she attacks with first… If she attacks with Bast first, I can take her down. If not…_

Felicia drew a card. She added it to her hand.

"I play a second Stray Lambs," she said.

She played the card, and two more Lamb Tokens appeared.

"Now I'll sacrifice one of them, so that Panther Warrior can attack your Dark Blade!"

One of the tokens vanished, and Panther Warrior roared. It charged at Dark Blade.

Crud… thought Ren.

"I activate…" he said, "Rising Energy!"

His Trap Card lifted, and he discarded his last card (Zombyra the Dark).

"Now my Dark Blade gains a boost…"

Dark Blade rose to an Attack of 3,300. He slashed with his blades, and Panther Warrior howled before shattering.

Felicia scowled.

"Bast, attack his Double Pinaska!" she shouted.

Bast pounced again, and with two swipes of her claws, the bandito was eradicated.

**(R: 6,600) -------------------- (F: 4,400)**

"Your move now," said Felicia. "And all you've got left is Dark Blade. You're gonna need something pretty good to get out of this one."

_She's right,_ thought Ren_. I used every card in my hand, not to mention the only Trap that could likely defeat Bast…_

_What do I do?_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Connie was almost crying. She saw that Ren clearly was at a disadvantage.

"Maybe we should just log off," muttered Sally.

Connie paused. Her hand reached for the mouse.

"No!" she shouted. "He can still turn it around! I know he can!"

She stared at the screen.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Ren drew a card.

His eyebrow lifted.

_Seems like the Horn's powers aren't just a myth,_ he thought. _This might be the luckiest topdeck I ever got…_

"I move Dark Blade to Defense Mode…" he said.

Dark Blade knelt, and shielded himself.

"Then I summon Dark Squire."

He placed the card on his Disk, and the young girl in nobility clothing appeared. She quickly moved into Defense Mode. (300/300)

"I guess that's all you can do," chuckled Felicia.

She drew a card.

"Nekogal #1, come on out," she said.

She played a card, and the younger cat fairy in the green bikini appeared, crouching and ready to pounce. (1,100/900)

"Attack his Dark Squire!" she ordered. "Cat scratch!"

Nekogal made a swipe with her claws, and Dark Squire tumbled backwards before shattering.

"Thank you," said Ren, drawing two cards. "Now we each get to make two draws."

"Fine by me," said Felicia, drawing two.

She looked at them and added them to her hand.

"Bast, kill his Dark Blade!"

Bast made another swipe, and Dark Blade groaned before he shattered.

"I end my turn," said Felicia with a grin.

Ren looked at the two cards in his hand. It was an improvement, for sure.

He drew a third card.

"All right," he said, "I place a Monster in Defense Mode…"

He placed a card on his Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared.

"Next…" he said, "I play The Warrior Returning Alive. Now, a Warrior comes back to my hand."

Zombyra slipped out of his discard slot, and he took it.

"I end my turn."

"Defend as much as you want," said Felicia, drawing a card. "It won't make any difference…

"I summon Tiger Axe!"

In a burst of energy, a ferocious tiger-man wearing a blue breastplate holding a battle-axe appeared. (1,300/1,100)

"Attack his Monster!" she shouted.

Tiger Axe lifted his weapon and swung it towards the facedown card…

Familiar Knight appeared on the card, and blocked the blow with his shield. Tiger Axe stumbled backwards. (1,200/1,400)

"Nice try, Felicia," said Ren, "but according to my math, 1,400 is greater than 1,300.

"Your deck has a definite weakness. You may have a lot of powerhouses, but the other Monsters are only mediocre."

**(R: 6,600) -------------------- (F: 4,300)**

"I'll show you a powerhouse," said Felicia. "Bast, destroy his Knight!"

Bast leapt forward, and slashed with her claws, tearing Familiar Knight apart.

"I activate Familiar Knight's ability!" shouted Ren. "Now we can both summon a Level Four Monster from our hands. So I'll summon Zombyra the Dark!"

In a burst of darkness, the masked superhero appeared, and struck a pose. (2,100/500)

"I can use that effect as well…" said Felicia, taking a card from her hand. "I'll summon a second Panther Warrior."

In a flash of light, another of the Beast-Warriors appeared on her side of the field. (2,000/1,600)

"Good lord…" said Chelsea. "She has him outnumbered…"

"I'll move Nekogal to Defense Mode, and end my turn," said Felicia.

Nekogal knelt and covered herself with her arms.

Felicia looked at her facedown card, which Ren had forgotten about.

_Go on,_ she thought. _Bring out someone else to defend yourself… You'll help me a great deal…_

Ren drew a card.

"I first Special Summon The Fiend Megacyber…" he said.

In a burst of energy, the powerful cybernetic Warrior appeared. (2,200/1,200)

"Then…" he said, taking his last card, "I'll set this in Defense Mode…"

A facedown Monster appeared.

"I activate my Trap Card!" shouted Felicia.

Her facedown card lifted.

"Gift of the Mystical Elf," she said, as the card glowed.

Bast, Nekogal, Panther Warrior, Tiger Axe, and the Lamb Token all flashed with light, and then Zombyra, The Fiend Megacyber, and the facedown Monster all did the same.

"Now, for each Monster on the field, my Life Points go up by 300, and I count eight total."

She glowed with energy, and her Life Points went up.

**(R: 6,600) -------------------- (F: 6,700)**

Ren growled a little.

"Zombyra, attack the Tiger Axe!" he ordered. "Super powered punch attack!"

Zombyra flew forward and clocked the Beast-Warrior, and it howled before shattering into shards.

Zombyra held his chest as his Attack Score fell to 1,900.

"Fiend Megacyber, attack the Panther Warrior! Mega slash!"

The Megacyber slashed with its blades, and Panther Warrior was torn in half.

**(R: 6,600) -------------------- (F: 5,700)**

"That's all I can do…" he muttered.

Felicia chuckled as she drew a card.

"I play Monster Reborn!" she said. "Return!"

The glowing ankh appeared on her side of the field, and Panther Warrior appeared again with a roar. (2,000/1,600)

"Now, I'll sacrifice my other Lamb Token so that he can attack your masked man," she said.

The lamb vanished. Panther Warrior lunged, and slashed at Zombyra with his scimitar, and he shattered.

"Bast, destroy his Megacyber!" she shouted.

The Queen of Cats pounced, and swiped at the armored Warrior. He fell over with sparks flying from his chest, and then exploded.

Ren shielded himself from the blast.

**(R: 5,500) -------------------- (F: 5,700)**

Ren glared at her.

"Judging by the look on your face," she said, "I'd say this is the point where you realize you're in over your head."

"I'm not through yet!" said Ren, drawing a card.

He looked at it.

"I play Premature Burial!" he shouted.

He played the card, and The Fiend Megacyber appeared in a flash of light. (2,200/1,200)

"You don't know when to quit, do you?" said Felicia. "You know what you are? You're stubborn."

"I'm not stubborn…" said Ren. "I'm tenacious. And that's a good thing. Megacyber, attack Panther Warrior!"

Megacyber slashed with his blades again, and Panther Warrior shattered once more.

**(R: 4,700) -------------------- (F: 5,500)**

"Tenacious?" said Felicia, drawing a card. "I say, you're so stubborn you won't even admit that you're stubborn!

"By the way, I'm using Bast's ability again. You remember that, right? I pay 500 Life Points, and this time, I think I'll bring The All-Seeing White Tiger to my hand."

She spread out her deck and took a card.

"Now, I'll summon it…"

In a flash of energy, the white Bengal tiger appeared, ready to pounce. (1,300/500)

"Next, I'll move Nekogal into Attack Mode…"

Nekogal stood up, and assumed a crouching position.

"Now, Bast attacks your Megacyber again!"

Bast slashed with her claws, and The Fiend Megacyber exploded again.

"Tiger, take out his last defense!" she ordered.

The White Tiger leapt at the facedown card…

Another Dark Blade appeared on the card. (1,800/1,500) He swatted the Tiger away with a backhand, and it fell backwards.

**(R: 3,700) -------------------- (F: 4,800)**

Felicia chuckled. Ren looked at her nervously.

"Fine," she said. "I end my turn. But I suggest you give up…"

"I'm not beaten yet," said Ren.

"I'm going to win next turn," said Felicia. "Take a look…"

She showed Ren a card in her hand. Catnipped Kitty.

"All I have to do is summon her, and her effect can reduce your Dark Blade's Defense Points to zero. Then you'll get a direct attack courtesy of Bast.

"You have no cards in your hand, so the chances of any miracles are unlikely.

"So what's it gonna be, Ren? A peaceful surrender, or a painful end at the hands of my cat goddess?"

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"I dunno, Connie," said Sally. "If he keeps up, I'd say he really is stubborn. The only thing left to do at this point is run and hide."

"He isn't stubborn," sighed Sally. "He always told me that the key to winning is to never give up. You don't give up until you don't have any Life Points left…

"And I just know he has something that he can use…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Ren slowly drew a card.

His eyes opened wide…

_This…_ he thought. _This is the card Guinevere gave me…_

_Maybe… Just maybe I can turn this duel around… It's my only chance…_

"Dark Blade, move to Attack Mode," he said.

Dark Blade stood up, and raised his swords.

"Huh?" said Felicia. "What are you up to?"

"Now…" said Ren. "I'm gonna summon someone new… But in order to do so, I have to remove one Dark Warrior in my grave from play…"

Familiar Knight slipped out of his discard slot, and he pocketed the card.

"Now… Let's all have a warm Duelatopia welcome… For La Sombra!"

There was a burst of shadowy energy, and a figure leapt out. It was a tall woman, wearing a low-cut, skimpy leotard made of red leather, along with leather boots and gloves. Her long, raven-black hair was worn lose, and she wore a domino mask over her eyes. She carried a nasty-looking bullwhip in her hands. (1,800/1,000)

"What the…" said Chelsea. "Who's that? Double Pinaska's girlfriend?"

"La Sombra…" muttered Yumi. "Spanish for 'The Shadow'…"

"Doesn't matter…" said Felicia, with a chuckle. "She can't come close to beating Bast, and you have no cards you could use to make her stronger."

La Sombra grinned wickedly at Felicia.

"Depends," said Ren. "It all depends on whose luck is better. La Sombra has a powerful ability.

"When she's summoned, you have to draw one card. Then, what happens next depends on what type of card it is. If it's a Monster… Well, then she's destroyed, and I lose. If it's a Spell Card, however, she can destroy one Monster. If it's a Trap Card, she gets to attack you directly.

"So the question is… Feeling lucky?"

Felicia glared at him.

"Listen to me, Ren!" she sneered. "I never say no to a challenge…"

She quickly drew a card.

She looked at it and scowled.

She showed it to him. It was War Lion Ritual.

"That's the one!" shouted Ren. "La Sombra, destroy the Queen of Cats!"

La Sombra cracked her whip, and then lashed it forward, entangling it around Bast's neck. Bast gripped her neck and closed her eyes as she started to choke…

La Sombra gave a savage yank, and Bast the Queen of Cats shattered into particles.

"I still have her normal attack!" said Ren. "Attack Nekogal #1! Shadow lash!"

La Sombra leapt up and lashed her whip downwards. Nekogal shrieked and shattered into bits.

"Dark Blade, attack her Tiger!"

Dark Blade charged, and with one swipe of his sword, cleaved The All-Seeing White Tiger in half.

"Heh, heh…" said Ren. "Your move…"

**(R: 3,700) -------------------- (F: 3,600)**

Felicia bowed her head for a minute…

"People…" said Anastasia's voice. "I think it's starting to work. I think Bast may have been a symbol of the control Felicia's attacker had. She's dead, so if Ren can simply not allow himself to be defeated, Felicia might reject the one who did this to her."

"Uh, Ren…" said Yumi. "You hearing this?"

"Yeah, I heard," replied Ren. "Any other advice, Anne?"

"Well…" said Anastasia. "Maybe the symbol of your own strength as a duelist would be the clincher."

Ren paused.

_That would mean my Queen,_ he thought. _She needs a double sacrifice, and I have two Monsters on the field… So, if I can somehow protect both of them until I draw her, this might just have a happy ending…_

_Both my Monsters have 1,800 Attack Points… Felicia likely has a third Panther Warrior… I just gotta hope she doesn't draw it before I draw my Queen._

Felicia drew a card.

She quickly placed a card on her Disk, and a defensive Monster appeared.

She stared at Ren.

"I take it you want me to move," he said. "Well, stand back!"

He drew a card.

_Oh, Bait Doll again?_ he thought. _Well, better now than when a bad draw would have killed me…_

"Dark Blade, attack!"

The Warrior made a slash with his sword. Catnipped Kitty appeared on the card, and shattered.

"Now, La Sombra attacks you directly!"

La Sombra lashed with her whip, striking Felicia. She screamed in pain.

She gasped for breath and looked at Ren.

**(R: 3,700) -------------------- (F: 1,800)**

"End…" said Ren.

Felicia drew a card.

"I play Silent Doom," she said. "Now I can bring back Nekogal #2 in Defense Mode."

The older Nekogal appeared on the field. She knelt and crossed her arms. (1,900/2,000)

"Wait a minute…" said Ren. "She was never in your Graveyard…"

"Was she?" asked Felicia. "Think back…"

Ren thought for a minute…

Then he remembered the first card Felicia had played…

_"It's called Safari Hunter. Now, I send one Monster in my hand to the grave, and in return, I get to take any Beast, Beast-Warrior, or Winged Beast I want from my deck."_

"Oh yeah…" said Ren.

"I'll end my turn by placing this facedown," she said.

She fit a card into her Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

Ren drew a card.

_Huh…_ he thought, looking at it. _It's the card I just got at that store…_

_But she's not nearly strong enough to beat Nekogal's Defense, and putting her on the field would be too risky. Maybe I'll get a chance later._

"I pass…" he said.

Felicia drew a card.

"Perfect…" she said. "Now you're gonna get it!"

Her facedown card lifted, showing the image of an aged gypsy at a table looking at a set of Duel Monsters cards.

"I activate The Transmigration Prophecy. This Trap Card lets me take two cards from either or both Graveyards, and send them back to the owners' decks."

The All-Seeing White Tiger and Nekogal #1 slipped out of her discard slot. She added them to her deck, and reshuffled.

She put her deck back, and then played a card.

"Next, I play Monster Reincarnation. So I toss one card…"

She discarded her copy of Miracle Moment.

"…and I get to take a Monster back from my Graveyard. And I think I'm gonna take back Bast."

The card slipped out of her discard slot.

"But don't worry… I'm not gonna summon her again. Instead, I'm gonna summon Rescue Cat."

She played the card, and the sweet-looking kitten wearing a hardhat appeared on the field. (300/100)

Rescue Cat bore her claws and burrowed into the ground.

"You remember her effect, right? By sending her to the Graveyard, I get to Special Summon two Beasts that are Level Three or less, and I think I'll summon those two I just sent back to my deck."

Nekogal #1 and The All-Seeing White Tiger appeared on the field, in Attack Mode. (1,100/900), (1,300/500)

"Next…" she said, "I'll play my War Lion Ritual, sacrificing Nekogals #1 and #2 to summon Super War Lion!"

Ren stepped back, as both Nekogals erupted in flames. The flames took shape, and the huge lion leapt out of the fire. (2,300/2,200)

_Crap…_ thought Ren.

"Now I play this…" she said, holding up another Spell Card. "It's a powerful Spell called Double Attack. Now, I just have to toss a Monster that's a higher Level than my War Lion, and it can attack twice. It's Level Seven, and Bast is Level Nine. That means it can shred both of your Warriors!"

She discarded Bast, the last card in her hand, and Super War Lion glowed.

"Attack!" shouted Felicia.

Super War Lion pounced on La Sombra, and she was crushed flat. Then it turned to Dark Blade, and with one swipe of a mighty claw, he shattered into pixels.

"And I'm not done with you…" said Felicia. "Tiger, attack him directly!"

All-Seeing White Tiger pounced on Ren, and he screamed as it raked him across the face.

**(R: 1,400) -------------------- (F: 1,800)**

"I end my turn…" muttered Felicia. "So, due to Rescue Cat's effect, The All-Seeing White Tiger is destroyed."

The Tiger burst into pixels.

"So what now, Ren?" she asked.

Ren looked at his deck.

_It's now or never…_ he thought.

He drew a card.

It shone in the morning light…

He took one of the other cards in his hand.

"I summon… New Moon Princess!" he shouted.

"HUH?" said Yumi and Chelsea.

In an aura of shadow, a small figure appeared on the field. It was a young girl who looked like she might have been Crescent Moon Queen's kid sister. She had the same ebony skin and silvery hair, but was dressed in a leather squire's outfit, and held a wooden practice sword. (1,300/1,200)

"Heh, heh…" chuckled Felicia. "Looks like you've literally hit the bottom of your barrel. She doesn't even come close to being able to beat my Lion."

"No, she can't…" said Ren. "But she has a powerful ability. When she's on the field, I can instantly sacrifice her, to summon her big sister from my hand.

"So, New Moon Princess, be gone…"

The young Warrior vanished, and darkness covered the field.

In an aura of shadow, the powerful form of Crescent Moon Queen stepped out. (2,600/1,700)

"That's… Not possible…" muttered Felicia.

"Oh, but it is!" replied Ren. "Crescent Moon Queen, attack her Lion!"

The Queen charged, and made one mighty swipe with her blade. Super War Lion roared, before shattering into bits.

"I'm not done…" said Ren, "she has one more attack, and it's heading straight for you!"

Felicia shrieked as the Queen's second sword slammed into her. She fell to her knees.

**(R: 1,400) -------------------- (F: 0)**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Connie and Sally cheered and hugged each other.

"Well…" said Sally, "let's get working on that list again… It's gonna be a real party…"

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Felicia slowly looked up. She was surprised to see that the Warrior who had just attacked her was now looking at her with a look of concern.

Felicia lifted her hand, but the hand she tried to take was a hologram, and passed right through. Crescent Moon Queen started to fade away…

"No!" shouted Felicia. "Come back! Please!"

She held herself. She started shivering.

Yumi ran up.

"Felicia?" she said.

"Yumi… Ren…" said Felicia. "Help me… Please…"

"Just hold still…" said Yumi.

She turned and saw Anastasia's face. She nodded.

Yumi placed her hand over the left side of Felicia's chest, and both of them glowed. Felicia suddenly stopped shivering.

Felicia closed her eyes.

"Felicia…" said Yumi. "You have to tell us… Who did this to you?"

"Uhm…" said Felicia.

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A lengthy explanation later…

"Felicia…" said Ren, "you should have known that when a deal seems too good to be true, it usually is."

"This is serious, people…" said Chelsea. "If Nicholas could do this, Rasputin and Olga and maybe all the other Ascenders could too. Any legit duelist in Duelatopia could be working for Rasputin now without even being aware of it."

"At least the three of us don't have to accept any ordinary challenges," said Ren.

He held up his badge, which was now at Gold.

"And don't worry, Felicia," he said, "despite the rather heavy wager we made, I'll choose to forfeit the prize. You don't owe me anything."

"Really?" said Felicia with a smirk. "Heh… You have a lot of self-control… I mean, who wouldn't have wanted a piece of this?"

She motioned seductively at Ren, and he grinned nervously. Chelsea growled.

Yumi scratched her chin.

_An Ojama Deck?_ she thought. _Nicholas certainly gets points for originality, but…_

_I can't shake the feeling that he's hiding something. After all, only one duelist in history has ever based his whole dueling career on those three guys…_

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Rasputin shut off his computer, and crossed his arms, not at all pleased.

"Next time," he said, "I will duel…"

Felicia has been defeated, the poison in her system is flushed clean, and best of all, Ren is heading for the finals. Seems that now all of our group has made it… Or have they?

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**LA SOMBRA (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level:** 5  
**ATK:** 1,800  
**DEF:** 1,000

**Card Description:** This card cannot be Normal Summoned or set. This card can only be Special Summoned by removing one DARK Warrior-Type Monster in your Graveyard from play. On the round this card is Special Summoned, your opponent draws one card. Enact the one of the following effects depending on the type of card drawn:

Monster: This card is destroyed.

Spell: You may destroy one opposing Monster.

Trap: This card may attack your opponent directly this round.

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**NEW MOON PRINCESS (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,300  
**DEF:** 1,200

**Card Description:** By offering this card as a Tribute, Special Summon one "Crescent Moon Queen" from your hand.

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**BAST, THE QUEEN OF CATS (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Beast-Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level:** 9  
**ATK:** 3,200  
**DEF:** 2,000

**Card Description:** This card cannot be Special Summoned. This card can only be Normal Summoned or set by Tributing Beast- or Beast-Warrior-Type Monsters. Once per your turn that this card is face-up on your side of the field, you may pay 500 Life Points to search your deck for one Beast or Beast-Warrior-Type Monster that is Level Four or less and add it to your hand.

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**SAFARI HUNTER (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** A man in a pith helmet holding a rifle, hiding in a brush, observing a group of tigers.

**Card Description:** Discard one Monster Card from your hand to activate this card. Search your deck for one Beast, Beast-Warrior, or Winged Beast, and add it to your hand. You cannot summon or set this Monster on the same round you use this card.

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**Ren: We did it, everyone! We're going to the finals! All three of us!**

**Chelsea: Sam too… It's gonna be great… Gee, it would be great if Erik could be in them too…**

**Erik: Think I can't? I won that Shadow Game, I can certainly get to the finals, and I'm gonna prove myself the way everyone else did!**

**Yumi: The Eliminators play dirty, Erik. Be warned, because they play not to win, but to make sure you lose…**

**Coming up next, "Elimination Duel Five; Path of Destruction."**

**It won't be easy…**

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_Attention everyone:_

_Ren is now in the finals, and Chelsea is as well, so it's time for a little audience participation._

_You may have guessed it already: It's a poll. That's right… Ren and Chelsea may quickly be falling for each other, but they're going to have to duel each other eventually. Who will win? I'm letting you decide. Let your opinions show, and vote._

_Send me the your vote via PM. We'll do it by secret ballot._

_To make this better, I'm also holding this poll on another website. I'll combine the results when the poll closes. No one will know the winner until the end of the actual duel._

_Of course, you'll need to keep one thing in mind… I'm not saying at this point who the winner of this duel is going to have to duel afterwards as a result of the victory. That will remain a mystery._

_This poll closes at midnight, September 15__th__. Don't be left out. Speak your mind… Vote!_


	34. Path to Destruction

_A small, embarrassing announcement to make._

_As my good friend jkBakura pointed out to me yesterday, there was recently an update in the translation for the Spell Card, "Summon Cloud". Unfortunately, my chapter with Aisha used the wrong one._

_Here's how the real effect of Summon Cloud works. It lets you Special Summon a Level Four or less Cloudian from your hand OR your Graveyard, so long as you have no Monsters on the field. However, you only have to destroy the Spell Card if you summon one from your Graveyard._

_These things happen when you use cards that are new even in Japan. However, "Gladiator's Assault" is well established there now, so I don't think I'll make this sort of mistake again should I use cards from that set._

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**CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE**

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**Elimination Duel Five**

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**Path of Destruction**

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At around the time Ren's duel with Felicia was starting, another duel was happening at the beach…

…and everyone was flocking to see it.

"Hey!" shouted one girl. "Come quick! That guy with the Toy Deck is dueling some Pro!"

"So is he losing?" asked her boyfriend as they ran up to where the rest of the crowd was.

"No!" she said. "It's crazy! He's beating the stuffing out of him!"

It was only too true. Erik now had three Toy Soldiers (800/300 x3) and Toy Emperor (2,300/800) on his side of the field, and 5,000 Life Points remaining. His opponent, an older man in a grey formal suit, had a clear side, and only 2,000 Life Points left.

The older duelist was clearly upset.

"So you're in the Pro League, huh?" asked Erik. "Maybe I should apply… If the duelists there are this pathetic, I'll bet I could clean up."

"Just keep crackin' jokes, kid," snarled his opponent.

He drew a card.

"I'm gonna wipe that silly grin off your face…"

He played the card, and a defensive Monster appeared.

"There," he said. "Let's see your guys try to waltz past THAT."

"If you say so…" said Erik.

He drew a card.

"Toy Emperor, run down his Monster!"

The Emperor galloped forward…

A ghostly grim reaper appeared on the card, and blocked the attack with its scythe. (300/200)

"Looks like your luck just ran out, kid," said the Pro. "That's my Spirit Reaper. And it's indestructible."

"Or so you'd like to believe," said Erik, taking a card from his hand. "YOU'RE the one whose luck just ran out. I play the Quickplay Spell, Rush Recklessly."

"That makes no sense!" shouted the Pro. "My Reaper can't be destroyed no matter how much you juice up your Soldiers."

"Who said I was using it on my Soldiers?" asked Erik. "I'm using it on your Spirit Reaper!"

Spirit Reaper glowed, and rose to an Attack of 1,000.

"Unfortunately, for you," said Erik, "when Spirit Reaper is targeted by a card effect, even a beneficial one, it goes boom."

Spirit Reaper exploded into pixels.

"And my Battle Phase isn't over. Toy Soldiers, open fire!"

The three Soldiers got down on one knee, and fired their muskets. The Pro duelist screamed in pain and fell over.

As Erik looked at his badge, which was now Silver, the Pro started crawling away, muttering that he was getting too old for this.

"So who's next?" asked Erik. "Who wants to help me get Gold? Anyone here at Violet?"

Everyone looked at everyone else.

"Uh, sorry…" said one girl, nervously. "Only Green…"

"I would, but my Disk is back at the hotel…" said one boy.

Erik started shuffling his deck, as the crowd started to disperse.

Sam rushed up and grabbed him. She planted a big kiss on his lips.

"Sam… Sam…" he gasped.

They kissed deeply for a minute.

"Keep it up, lover…" she said, "and pretty soon we'll _both_ be in the finals!"

"Why depend on an open challenge?" asked Erik. "I want to go for the gusto…"

He looked at the Talisman of the Mind.

"I want to make a statement, Sam…" he said. "Be noticed… I want to duel you in the final round of the finals!"

"Erik, baby, you're getting intense…" said Sam.

"Baby…" said Erik, holding her. "Your aunt is an Eliminator… She must know the others… She must have told you a few things…

"Can't you tell me where to find one?"

Sam gave a look of horror…

She hadn't wanted him to ask her that. She couldn't have lived with herself if she had led him to an Eliminator and he had lost…

But what would she do? Say no? When he was on his best run of his career as a duelist?

She thought for a minute…

She thought of the Eliminators Aunt Diane had mentioned. She had to be careful. Hoshi and the Midnight Caller had both been surprises to her.

One of them was an old friend of hers who played a Human Wave Deck…

She had also mentioned that dueling was just what she did on the off-season. Her "real job" was being a gourmet chef somewhere…

Erik could win against such a strategy… He had done so already in this very tournament, mostly because so many of his Monsters were unaffected by lockdown cards…

"Sure, Erik, sure…" she said. "I'll lead you to an Eliminator… But I warn you… This one is pretty mean…"

She smirked.

She wasn't lying… A Mokey Mokey that had been enhanced by a Smackdown _could_ be rather mean… Just ask anyone who had seen one.

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"Okay, baby…" said Sam. "Take a look, and try to figure out what's wrong here…"

They were on the ground floor of the Serpent Complex Pavilion, a large, pricy shopping center, and they were in front of a group of vending machines. One was a juice machine, one was a candy machine, one was a Pepsi machine, and two of them were Coke machines. One of the Coke machines had an "out of order" sign pasted on it.

"It's obvious…" said Eric. "It wouldn't make sense to put two of the same type of machine here and only one of the other types, so the out of order one must serve another purpose…"

Sam grinned as he went up to it.

Erik looked at it, and finally took some coins out of his pocket and threw them into the machine. It lit up and hummed…

He hit a selection button…

Then a trapdoor opened, and he fell through it.

"Erik!" shouted Sam.

That wasn't supposed to happen.

Quickly, she leapt through the opening, preferring to risk what was below than leave Erik alone.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Erik? Where are you, baby?" shouted Sam.

"You fell on me!" came the reply.

"Oh… Heh… Sorry…"

The two of them got up, and looked ahead. They were facing a long, dark corridor, with flickering electric lights overhead, leading to a metal door about forty feet ahead. Behind them was the chute they had just fallen down.

"Well…" said Erik, "since going back the way we came definitely isn't an option…"

Sam was nervous as they walked towards the metal door. She had expected a much less intimidating entrance hall.

Erik touched the door, and it slid open…

"That smell…" he said. "Formaldehyde?"

They looked inside, and were greeted by what appeared to be a chemistry lab. The room was cluttered, but still clean, and occupied by tables containing scientific apparatus. One table held beakers and test tubes; another held burners. It was clear that whoever did work here liked the place organized.

_What is going on?_ thought Sam. _This doesn't seem like the place any Human Wave duelist would use…_

_Could I have gotten my Eliminators and locations mixed up?_

They heard a voice coming from the back of the room.

"Ninth day of July, year 2053," said the voice, "personal journal of Dr. Heinrich Janustein…"

_Dr. Janustein?_ thought Sam in shock.

She trembled…

Her aunt may not have mentioned Hoshi and the Caller, but she _had_ mentioned that name.

"Erik," whispered Sam. "Come on, this was a bad idea…"

The voice paused.

"Vun minute, children," he said, "I'll be zere in a minute…"

Erik followed the voice with curiosity. He saw a man sitting at a desk speaking into a recorder.

"My analysis of ze sample has proven my suspicions…" he continued. "It is none other zan Baatoran green steel, a metal found only in ze infernal dimensions. According to legends, devils use zis metal to forge swords of unparalleled toughness and sharpness.

"I now understand Fräulein Arachne's concern… After all, it vas a native of zese infernal dimensions zat caused so much trouble nineteen years ago. Further tests vill be required after I report vat I have now. I can only hope zat its discovery does not lead to more diabolic crisis."

He turned off the recorder and stood up.

Erik was more than a little surprised. The man in front of them fit the profile of a typical mad scientist… He had thick, unkempt hair, and thick glasses. He wore a spotless, white lab coat over a white shirt, grey vest, slacks, and tie.

"Who are you?" asked Erik. "And why do you look like Magical Scientist?"

"Vell, I…" he started.

"Look, buddy…" said Sam. "This was all a mistake… Why don't we make a deal… If you want a duel, I'll be your opponent, and you can let Erik go."

"Sam!" snapped Erik. "What are you…"

The scientist chuckled.

"I'm afraid zat is impossible, child," he said. "Don't you know ze rules? You beat Hoshi… Only vun Eliminator duel per guest."

Sam's face fell. She had kind of hoped he hadn't found that out.

"It's okay, Sam," said Erik. "I can take this guy… He looks like he just stepped out of some Grimm Brothers fairy tale.

"I have to admit, fellah, I didn't expect some mad scientist…"

The man shrugged.

"Lots of scientists vere called mad," he replied, "until zey uncovered some groundbreaking theory zat changed ze world. Zen people stopped calling zem mad scientists, und started calling zem visionaries."

Sam looked at Erik with a look of fear. Then she looked at the scientist.

She had never really doubted his abilities before… But in this case, she would have doubted her own.

"So, Erik vas it?" asked the scientist, taking off his lab coat. "You say you can 'take zis guy' so to speak. You should know, Dr. Janustein is no pushover…"

"I know the stakes," said Erik. "So what happens if I lose?"

Janustein chuckled and picked up a Duel Disk.

"Nothing," he replied.

Erik looked at him.

"Nothing?" he asked. "No punishment? No penalty that you Eliminators are legendary for?"

"Trust me, my boy…" he replied, "the defeat you vill be handed vill be punishment enough. Doing anything else to you vould make me some sort of a sadist."

Janustein snapped his fingers, and panels opened in the walls. The tables and desks all retracted into them, leaving them in a bare room.

Sam backed up, and leaned against the wall, her brow furrowing with worry.

Her aunt had cautioned her against looking for _any_ Eliminator…

…but she had also said that if she absolutely HAD to find one, avoid this guy at all costs…

"All right…" said Erik, loading his deck. "It isn't like you're the first creepshow I've dueled since I got here…"

The Disks activated.

"Game on!" shouted Erik.

**(Erik: 8,000) -------------------- (Janustein: 8,000)**

"Let's go!" shouted Erik, drawing his first card.

"I throw down a facedown, and summon my trusty Toy Soldier."

A facedown card appeared, and Toy Soldier appeared in a burst of light. (800/300)

"That's enough to start."

"Very vell…" said Janustein. "I draw…"

He drew a card.

"Und now let's pause to contemplate…"

"Huh?" asked Erik.

"A scientific rhyme…" said Janustein. "Taffy vas a chemist; Taffy is no more; Vat Taffy thought vas H2O; Vas H2SO4."

Erik just stared at him.

"Hold on…" he said. "Wait a second… If I remember my third-year chemistry, H2SO4 is… Hydrogen, Sulfur, Oxygen… Sulfuric acid… Yeah, mistaking that for water would be nasty. But what's the point?"

"It's a warning," said Janustein. "Be careful… Dangerous things may lurk vere you thought harmless vuns vere."

He slid a card into his Disk.

"I play Kozaky's Infernal Device."

With a loud rumble, a frightening machine rose behind him. It looked like a furnace with a demonic face, with mechanical arms all over the outside, tipped with saws, drills, screws, and other sharp tools.

"WHAT THE?" shouted Erik. "If you think THAT looks harmless, I'd hate to see what you think dangerous is!"

"Let me explain vat zis Continuous Spell Card does, shall I?" replied Janustein. "I can use its effect vunce per round, if I forfeit my right to Normal Summon or set a Monster. I can choose vun Monster from my deck, so long as neither its Attack nor Defense is greater zan 1,000, und set it in Defense Mode. However, I'm also not allowed to Flip-Summon it on my own."

Flames belched from the Infernal Device's "mouth". He took a card from his deck, and placed it on his Disk. A facedown card appeared.

"Aren't you gonna tell me what it is?" asked Erik.

"Unlike most search cards," replied Janustein, "I don't have to… So nein."

He fit another card into his Disk.

"I place zis facedown, and mein turn is over…"

_Be careful Erik…_ thought Sam. _That facedown Monster is bad news… I just know it…_

Erik drew a card.

"My Toy Soldier's effect activates," he said, "so I get two more…"

Two more Toy Soldiers appeared next to the first. (800/300 x2)

_Less than 1,000 Defense, huh?_ he thought. _This shouldn't be hard…_

"Toy Soldier number one… Attack that Monster!"

The first Toy Soldier blasted its gun…

A Monster appeared on the card. It was a large, pink worm with three spines on its head. It shattered into bits.

"A Needle Worm?" shouted Erik in surprise.

"Ja," said Janustein, with an evil grin. "So say auf wiedersehen to the top five cards on your deck."

Erik gasped as five cards flew off of his deck and vanished.

Erik grit his teeth in anger.

"I'm not through with you!" he shouted. "Toy Soldier number two, attack directly!"

The second Toy Soldier blasted its gun, and Janustein grunted.

"I activate a Trap," he said quietly. "Flashbang."

His facedown card lifted.

"Flash-what?" said Erik.

"Flashbang," said Janustein. "Since you attacked me directly, your turn is now over."

"But…" said Erik.

"Next time," said Janustein, drawing a card, "ven you receive a warning, listen closer."

**(E: 8,000) -------------------- (J: 7,200)**

_I wish I could have warned him…_ thought Sam. _But I couldn't…_

_And Janustein's strategy is hard to beat. He doesn't bother attacking… He doesn't even bother trying to reduce his opponent's Life Points. Most of his cards are aimed at depleting, draining, and otherwise destroying his opponent's cards before he can even use them…_

_Because he knows… When his opponent runs out of cards, he wins._

_He was right… Simply losing your place in the tournament via this method is punishment enough…_

"I'll use the effect of my Infernal Device again," said Janustein.

Flames belched from the demonic furnace's mouth, and a new facedown Monster appeared.

"Next, I set zis facedown, und zat vill do it."

A facedown card appeared.

Eric drew again.

_Is he pulling the exact same trick he pulled last turn?_ he thought. _Well, his Flashbang may have ended my last turn, but it didn't stop the attack. So this time, I'll just attack him with a much stronger Monster…_

"I play… Crowning of the Emperor!" he shouted. "I'll trade in one Toy Soldier…"

One of the Toy Soldiers vanished.

"And bring out Toy Emperor!"

The sound of a horse's whinny came from behind, and Toy Emperor galloped into view. (2,300/800)

"This might sting a little…" said Erik. "Toy Soldier, destroy his facedown Monster!"

Toy Soldier fired his musket…

To Erik's surprise, the Monster that appeared on the card was not another Needle Worm, nor was it any Monster he had ever seen before. It looked like a rock vaguely shaped like a turtle, with eyes peering out of its shell. The blast shattered it to pieces.

"Not vat you expected, eh?" laughed Janustein. "Zat vas a Level Pod, my boy. Vun of my best strategies. Now I'll explain… All Monsters on the field go back to zeir owner's decks, and zen we reshuffle…"

Erik snarled as his three Monsters vanished. He reshuffled his deck.

"Of course, zat doesn't affect me, because my only Monster vas just destroyed," continued Janustein. "Now, you add up ze total Levels of zose Monsters you just sent back to your deck, und draw ze same number of cards."

"Wait just a minute…" said Erik. "That means I have to draw… _Twelve_ cards??"

"Exactly…" said Janustein. "Now start drawing."

Erik reluctantly did. He liked cards that let him make extra draws, but _this_ was ridiculous!

"Now…" said Janustein, "look at zem closely… If you don't have at least one of ze Monsters that you sent back to your deck, you must discard all twelve."

Erik looked at them, trying hard not to drop any.

"Joke's on you, pal…" he said. "My Toy Emperor is right here."

"Ack, vell…" said Janustein with a smirk. "I never said zat ze strategy vas perfect. In fact, ven one strategy fails, a smart duelist thinks up a good new vun."

His facedown card lifted.

"I activate Heavy Slump."

"Huh?" asked Erik.

"Heavy Slump," replied Janustein. "I can only activate zis when you have eight or more cards in your hand. Now, you shuffle your whole hand back into your deck, and zen draw two cards."

Sam watched as Erik reshuffled.

_I guess Janustein had a choice,_ she thought. _Erik would have had to discard a lot of those cards when his turn ended, but using that Trap made it less dangerous…_

Erik made two draws and looked at them.

"I place this facedown, and activate Call of the Haunted," he said.

A facedown card appeared. Then his first facedown card flipped up. A coffin appeared on his side of the field, and opened. Toy Soldier climbed out of it. (800/300)

"Him again…" muttered Janustein. "Typical…"

"That will do…" said Erik.

Janustein drew a card.

"Don't think I'll use my Infernal Device zis turn…" he said. "Instead, I'll summon Necro Jar in Attack Mode."

He played the card, and an ugly thing appeared on his side of the field. It looked like a thick worm growing out of a jar, with a toothy mouth, and a glaring eyeball inside the mouth. (1,100/300)

"Ugly little thing, isn't it?" asked Erik.

"Some things aren't always pretty," said Janustein, "but zey can hide useful things under zere ugly appearance. Take caviar for example.

"Anyway, I end mein turn."

Sam made a face. She had once tried caviar when her mother had taken her to an upscale party. She had figured it must be some sort of acquired taste, because she thought it had tasted just plain awful.

Erik was more than a little surprised. He drew a card.

_His Necro Jar is clearly stronger than my Toy Soldier, but it's just standing there,_ he thought. _Something tells me he WANTS me to destroy it…_

_But I really don't have many other options…_

"Once again, Toy Soldier's effect activates…" said Erik.

In two flashes of light, two more Toy Soldiers appeared again. (800/300 x2)

"Next, I'll summon my Toy Wind-Up."

He played the card, and the bigger, mechanical Toy Soldier appeared. (1,000/700)

"And now…" he said, taking the last card in his hand, "I'll play my second Crowning of the Emperor."

He played the card, and one Toy Soldier vanished. Toy Emperor appeared again.

"Go!" shouted Erik. "Destroy his Necro Jar!"

Toy Emperor galloped forward, and with one slash of his blade, the foul thing burst into an explosion of filth.

"Bet you weren't expecting that," said Erik.

"Actually," said Janustein, "it vas exactly vat I was expecting. When Necro Jar is defeated in battle, my opponent loses vun card for every 300 Life Points I lost in ze battle. So if my math is right, und trust me, it is, zat's four cards."

Erik growled, as four cards flew off of his Disk and vanished.

"Well, I'm not done!" shouted Erik. "Toy Emperor has a nifty effect too… Now I get to take a Trap Card from my deck…"

He took his deck and looked through it. He was glad that the Trap he wanted was still there.

_Zero Gravity will help in case he tries THAT again,_ he thought.

"And you're in trouble now… Because your side is clear! Toy Soldiers, attack!"

The two Toy Soldiers aimed their weapons and fired. Janustein cringed.

"Toy Wind-Up, you too… Blunderbuss blast!"

"Mein Gott…" muttered Janustein.

Toy Wind-Up fired, and Janustein cried out in pain.

"I'm still not done!" said Erik with a grin. "Now I get to summon another Toy Wind-Up!"

A second Wind-Up appeared next to the first. (1,000/700)

Erik pointed, and it fired its blunderbuss. Janustein doubled over in pain.

"Ergh! Mein stomach!" gasped the scientist.

"I'll place this facedown, and my turn is over…" said Erik, setting Zero Gravity. "You sure you're okay?"

The facedown card appeared next to the other one.

**(E: 8,000) -------------------- (J: 2,400)**

The scientist paused to catch his breath…

"Never better…" he replied. "Some people think I'm getting too old for zis… I tell zose people, zese days, I need all ze exercise I can get."

_Erik's not doing too bad…_ thought Sam. _But he'd better win this duel quickly…_

_According to my count, he's already down to half a deck…_

Janustein drew a card.

He looked at it closely.

"I'll set two cards facedown…" he said.

Two facedown cards appeared.

"And say goodbye to that one!" shouted Erik. "Go, Dust Tornado!"

One of his two facedown cards lifted, and the tornado tore across the field, blowing one of the two Trap Cards to pieces.

Dr. Janustein gave him a dirty look.

"Boy…" said Erik, nervously. "I didn't recognize that Trap Card, but I can tell just from the look of it that I didn't like it…"

"You vouldn't have…" growled Janustein. "Zat was Monster Register, and it vas my rarest und deadliest Trap Card."

"Uh… What does it do?" asked Erik.

Janustein glared at him.

"You destroyed it, und I'm not nearly rich enough to have a second copy," he scowled. "Does it really matter?"

"Hey, don't get your lederhosen in an uproar, pal…" said Erik.

"I use ze effect of my Infernal Device again," said Janustein.

The furnace belched flames, and a facedown Monster appeared.

"Turn end."

Janustein looked at Erik closely.

_Zis boy is interesting…_ he thought. _He's a good duelist, but else something about him stands out… Not just any duelist would have been lucky enough to have activated Dust Tornado on a whim and destroyed such a dangerous Trap…_

_Many believe zat ze renowned Dr. Heinrich Janustein is merely a chemist who also happens to be a duelist… Vun who graduated at ze top of his class at ze University of Cologne, ja, but not an unremarkable vun…_

_Few folks know zat I am also an expert in demonology… Vun who studies ze cultures and societies of extraplanar beings of pure Evil. _

_The Demons, who represent Evil in its raw, chaotic state…_

_And Devils, who represent it in its organized, structured state, taken to the extreme._

_And I can recognize both ze influence of infernal creatures, and zose with the potential to oppose zem…_

_Zis Erik… Is he one who has ze power to oppose such creatures?_

_He may vell be… But I can't say for certain… _

_His Monsters are toys… Child's playthings… Perhaps zat represents purity and innocence… Zose are indeed traits zat one who battles fiends must possess…_

_I must know more…_

Erik drew a card.

"All right, doc," he said, "I play… Pot of Avarice."

He played the card, and the goofy jar appeared in front of him. Five cards slipped out of his discard slot.

Janustein frowned. He hated that card (except when he was using it). And his strategy as a duelist gave his opponents plenty of opportunities to use it.

Erik shuffled his deck, and then drew twice.

_All right…_ he thought, adding them to his hand._ If I took a chance, I could end this right now…_

"Toy Wind-Up… Attack!"

Toy Wind-Up aimed its gun…

A ceramic vase colored red, white, and blue appeared on the card. A dark shadow with one eye and a toothy mouth snaked out of the jar, and cackled. The Wind-Up fired its gun, and it blew into shards.

"A Morphing Jar?" asked Erik.

"Not quite…" said Janustein. "It vas a Morphing Jar #2. Now, you return all your Monsters to your deck and reshuffle…"

Erik's five Monsters vanished. He growled, and shuffled his deck.

"Now…" said Janustein, "you draw until you get five Monsters. Zen you set any of zem that are Level Four or less in Defense Mode, and discard everything else."

Erik growled again. He started to draw.

He growled a third time when he saw that the second card he drew was Toy Emperor. After drawing a total of eight cards, he set four of them on his Disk, and four facedown Monsters appeared. He discarded the other four.

"Activate Trap Card," said Janustein.

"What?" said Erik, as the facedown card lifted.

"There are two perfect companions to Morphing Jar #2," said Janustein. "Vun of zem is Ceasefire. Zis vun, however, is called Ze Spell Absorbing Life. Now, all your Monsters turn face-up…"

Two Toy Magicians (1,600/1,500x2) and two Toy Wind-Ups appeared (1,000/700 x2), kneeling in defense.

"Und now…" he continued, "I gain 400 Life Points for each Effect Monster on ze field. Pretty clever Trap Card, ja?"

He glowed with energy.

**(E: 8,000) -------------------- (J: 4,000)**

Erik glared at him.

"It's your move…" he said.

Janustein drew a card.

"Vell, we're coming to a close…" he said. "I'll use ze effect of my Device vunce more…"

The Infernal Device belched flames, and a new facedown Monster appeared on his side of the field.

"Next, I play ze Dark Door," he said, playing a Spell Card, "and for as long as zis door is open, both of us are only allowed to attack vith one Monster per round.

"So I end mein turn, my boy… It's almost over…"

Erik drew a card.

"You bet it is!" he shouted. "Feel the wrath of… Heavy Storm!"

He played the card, and Janustein cursed in German. The fierce wind tore through the room, and the Dark Door card blew to bits, and then the Infernal Machine exploded into a fiery blast of flaming metal.

Janustein frowned. Erik's four Monsters stood up in Attack Mode.

"Now…" said Erik. "I sacrifice one Toy Wind-Up, for my Toy Dragon!"

One of the Wind-Ups vanished, and the huge, colorful Dragon appeared, and let out a roar. (2,300/2,000) –) (3,500/2,000)

"Second Wind-Up…" said Erik, "destroy his last defense!"

The toy fired its blunderbuss, and this time, the regular Morphing Jar appeared on the card. It laughed before it shattered.

"Now…" muttered Janustein, "we both discard all our cards, und draw five times…"

Erik drew five cards.

"As if it will matter," he said. "Toy Dragon… Attack him directly!"

Toy Dragon roared, and blasted a beam of colored motes…

"Not so fast, my boy…" said Janustein, discarding one of the cards he had drawn. "My Kuriboh vill defend me…"

A wall of the tiny, furry Fiends sprang up, and the blast plowed into them, causing them to explode, but protecting Janustein.

"Well I'm not done…" said Erik. "Toy Magicians… You attack!"

The Magician's aimed their wands, and fired two blasts of colored light. Janustein shielded himself as the energy hit him.

He groaned.

**(E: 8,000) -------------------- (J: 800)**

"That's all for my turn…" said Erik.

Janustein panted for breath, and drew a card.

"I play ze Spell Card, Soul Reversal," he said, playing a card. "Mit this, I can take vun Flip-Effect Monster in mein Graveyard, and place it on ze top of mein deck."

A card slipped out of his discard slot, and he placed it on the top of his deck.

"Yeah?" said Erik. "Well, by the time you draw it, it will be too late…"

"Au contraire, my boy," he replied, as he played another card. "I can get it right now… I play… Card Destruction."

"OH!" shouted Erik, angrily, as he discarded his hand. "You're digging your own grave, Janustein!"

He drew five cards, and Janustein drew three.

"Digging mein own grave?" asked Janustein, looking at them. "Not a bad idea… I play Ze Shallow Grave…"

He played the card, and a facedown Monster appeared on his side of the field. Erik considered, and then a facedown Monster appeared on his side.

_Erik!_ thought Sam. _Be careful… Another Flip-Effect could wipe you out…_

"I'll place vun other Monster facedown, und another card facedown, und end mein turn…" said Janustein, setting the last two cards in his hand.

A facedown Monster appeared next to the second, and a facedown card appeared.

Erik just stared at his opponent for a minute.

_Mein setup is foolproof…_ thought Janustein. _According to mein calculations, once he draws, his deck will have only seven cards left in it… _

_He thinks both of mein facedown Monsters are ones he has seen before, but both of zem are actually Level Pods. I just discarded vun when I played Card Destruction._

_If he attacks either one, his deck will gain four cards, but he'll have to draw sixteen, plus the Level of his facedown Monster, and I win, because he'll have to draw more cards zen he has._

_Und my facedown card is Solemn Judgment, zat vill negate any trick he could use to get around zem…_

_Of course, he may decide to simply pass… But since both zese Monsters vere not set vith my Infernal Device, I'm free to Flip-Summon zem myself on mein turn…_

Erik drew a card.

"So, Janustein…" he said. "I'll admit it has been a challenge…

"But I'm afraid it's ending now…"

He played the card he had just drawn…

Mystical Space Typhoon.

Janustein gasped, as the cyclone tore across the field, and Solemn Judgment was blown to pieces.

"How could anyone have been so lucky?" he shouted.

Erik shrugged.

"That's the way it is sometimes," he said. "Now, I'll Flip-Summon my Magician of Faith…"

His facedown Monster flipped, and Magician of Faith appeared on the card. (300/400)

"Now I get to take back one Spell Card from my Graveyard," said Erik, "and thanks to your own strategy, I have nearly every Spell Card I possess to choose from."

A card slipped out of his discard slot.

"I choose this one… Forced March!"

He played the card.

"Now, I simply have to cut the Attack Scores of my Monsters in half, and they can bypass whatever Flip-Effect Monsters those are, and attack you directly."

The Toy Magicians fell to 800 Attack Points apiece, Magician of Faith fell to 150, and Toy Dragon fell to 1,750.

"Gott im Himmel!" shouted Janustein.

"Toy Dragon…" ordered Erik, "attack directly with shooting star shower!"

Toy Dragon roared, and breathed out its glowing motes, and the scientist screamed…

**(E: 8,000) -------------------- (J: 0)**

Dr. Janustein fell to his knees, as Sam ran up to Erik.

"Baby, you did it!" she shouted. "You actually did it…"

"Ja, he most certainly did…" muttered Janustein. "Never before have I seen such spirit… Maybe I _am_ getting too old for zis…"

He waved his hand, and Erik's badge changed color, changing to Gold.

"We're both going to the finals, baby!" shouted Erik, lifting Sam off her feet. "And I hope I get a crack at Yumi myself!"

"Vell, Erik," said Janustein, "maybe I can help…"

He waved his hand, and a hatch on the door opened. A large filing cabinet came out.

The scientist opened the top drawer, and looked through some files.

"Your deck is quite powerful, my boy…" he said, "but it does have vun flaw… Most of ze Monsters are physically weak…"

He took a card out of a file and looked at it.

He handed it to Erik.

He sighed.

"Mein wife – God rest her soul – vas a duelist herself…" he said. "But she also loved chess… Her deck reflected zis, although she thought Archfiends, ze most popular group mit a chess theme, vere too horrid to use…

"Zis vas a card zat vas vun of her most powerful Monsters… Zis fits your theme nicely, does it not?"

Erik looked at it, and read the description.

"Yeah…" he said, "kinda… But the effect is kinda… strange."

"Nonsense, my boy," said Janustein. "Simply do vat I do… Do research, und you vill find several clever ways to use it."

"Yeah, yeah…" said Erik. "Aren't I supposed to get something else?"

Janustein smiled. He took a small cloth bag out of the cabinet and handed it to Erik.

Erik untied the bag and looked inside.

"These are chocolate truffles," he said, suspiciously.

"Very _special_ truffles," said Janustein. "Do not eat zem just yet. Zey are ze food of knowledge tempered vith wisdom. Eat vun before you are challenged by something difficult, und you may vell be victorious.

"Now, good luck. Go now… Ze way you came vill now have a staircase going up."

"Uhm…" said Erik. "Say… what happened to your wife, anyway?"

Janustein gave a sad look…

"Uhm… cancer," he said. "Zese things happen…

"But I don't vant to sadden you mit my depressing stories. Off you go now, you two."

As the two left, Janustein rubbed his chin.

He took a wallet out of his pocket. He looked sadly at a picture inside it… A picture of himself when he was much younger, next to a young woman with gorgeous blonde hair and sky-blue eyes.

_I hated to tell ze boy a fib about zose truffles,_ he thought, _but I couldn't come out and say zat he is one of few who has ze gift… His ability to draw zat Mystical Space Typhoon at just ze right moment confirmed it._

_It is a sad fact, zat for every hero who vanquishes some infernal threat, zere are a dozen would-be heroes who have perished while trying. And not all of zem were lost to death… Some suffered far worse fates…_

_Some… some like poor Ludmilla… She had ze gift too, but ze dark forces eventually proved too much for her…_

_The only consolation I have is zat ze ones who took her can't make her immortal, and she vould never submit to zem… Not with all the tortures they could think up. Eventually she will die, either from old age or when her jailers get bored with her, und she'll be free to go to her just reward…_

_I could tell zat Erik had ze gift… Ze ability to face ze infernal forces… But I could not tell his chances of success. If it ever comes to a battle between him und some paragon of wickedness, vat I've given him vill hopefully give him a small advantage…_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

It was now noon.

Ren, Chelsea, and Yumi were sitting on a park bench, and Ren was playing his guitar again.

_**Hey girls, gather round…  
Listen to what I'm putting down.  
Hey baby, I'm your handyman…**_

_**I'm not the kind to use a pencil or rule...**_

_**I'm handy with love, and I'm no fool.**_

_**I fix broken hearts, I know that I truly can.**_

_**If your broken heart should need repair,**_

_**Then I am the man to see.**_

_**I whisper sweet things, you tell all your friends...**_

_**They'll come runnin' to me...**_

_**Here is the main thing that I want to say...**_

_**I'm busy twenty-four hours a day,**_

_**I fix broken hearts, I know that I truly can...**_

"I love that song," said Sam's voice.

The three of them looked up, and saw Sam and Erik.

"Looks like all five of us made the finals," said Sam. "We're going to settle things there."

"I can hardly wait," muttered Chelsea.

She grinned.

"Maybe I'll get to handle you myself, Sam!"

"It's your funeral, vampire-girl," grinned Sam.

"People, people," said Yumi. "We all made it… Let's put aside the name calling, okay? We should all celebrate… The finals aren't until the day after tomorrow… Why don't we make reservations at the biggest restaurant in Duelatopia for tomorrow night? The Temple of Osiris."

Sam paused. She took out her cell phone.

As she started to speak into it, Yumi saw Anastasia start to materialize. The other four mortals saw her too, although not as clearly as Yumi did. Sam paused for a minute, and started speaking to the maitre-de quicker.

"Yumi," said Anastasia. "Listen closely…

"The final Shadow Charm has revealed itself."

Yumi got up.

"Where?" she asked.

"The arboretum," said Anastasia. "But be careful. This is the Rod of the Ancients, the Charm belonging to Unus the Undying. Unus was Machius's biggest rival, and was said to be his equal."

Sam hung up the phone.

"So what are we waiting for?" she asked. "Reservations are at seven tomorrow, by the way."

"Good," said Ren. "Let's get us a Rod of the Ancients!"

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The five teenagers ran through the small forest that made up the arboretum. Yumi was a little nervous. Memories of the frightening duel with Icarus and his Beast of Light came back.

Anastasia materialized again, and started leading the way.

"There!" she said, pointing to a clearing.

Yumi looked, and they slowly walked up to the center of the clearing…

In the middle, on the ground, was what looked like a stone plug of some sort. On it was carved odd runes.

She bent over it.

"Someone give me a hand here…" she said.

Sam looked at her. She put her hands together and started clapping.

"That joke is older than my Mesozoic fossil collection, Sam," said Chelsea, rolling her eyes.

Yumi looked at the runes.

The alphabet was very strange. The letters seemed to be made up entirely of slashes and lines, crossing and intersecting each other.

"What on earth?" said Yumi. "It must be the instructions to open this… But I can't read it… What language is this?"

"It is Abyssal," said a familiar voice.

Yumi and her companions spun around, and saw Rasputin, who had apparently stepped out from behind a large tree. Olga and Nicholas were lurking behind him.

"Abyssal is the language of demons and other supernatural creatures of Chaos and Evil," said Rasputin. "I truly doubt that Domino High offers an elective on it, but for a man like me who studies alchemy, it is almost a second language.

"As you said, reading the runes opens that stone plug, and reveals the Rod of the Ancients."

Yumi looked at him.

"How long have you been here?" she asked.

Rasputin looked at his watch.

"About fifteen minutes or so…" he replied.

"What?" said Ren. "And you can read this? You could have taken the Rod and made off with it before we got here!"

"That's what I told him to do," grumbled Nicholas. "But would he listen? No… He never listens…"

"Silence," said Rasputin, walking up to Yumi. "True, I could have taken the Rod of the Ancients without a fight…"

He sighed.

"But, you see Yumi… I know that I'm going to have to get rid of you eventually… You're a thorn in my side that I simply can't have. But if there's one thing I'm not… It's a murderer. As hard as you may find that to believe.

"True, I've committed many unscrupulous and perhaps a few immoral acts in my quest to obtain true immortality, but even I must draw the line somewhere. I like to think I'm still an honorable man at heart.

"So I've decided to deal with you in the proper way… Like a gentleman."

"So, you want to start a Yami no Oujou on purpose?" asked Yumi. "Settle this in the style of an old-fashioned aristocrat's challenge… Except we use Duel Disks instead of dueling pistols…"

Her eyes closed tightly, and her fists clenched.

"When I dueled Holly, I promised her you'd get what was coming to you," she said. "So I accept. And I promise you, you _will_ get what is coming to you!"

Rasputin nodded.

He turned to the stone plug.

"Marcanthex, noscanex, harnanex, paranex…" he said. "Codomos, nomonos, farsamos, klitimos… Uballatama!"

With a rumbling, the stone plug opened, and slowly, a stone pedestal lifted out of the ground. Hovering over it was a gold scepter, with a flared knob at one end, and a sapphire, crystal orb on the other.

Yumi and Rasputin stared at each other…

_All five of our young friends have earned Gold status, but what might be the greatest test yet is about to start, as Rasputin decides to face Yumi personally for the final Shadow Charm! Is Yumi up to the challenge? And what is the secret behind Rasputin's mysterious past?_

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**NECRO JAR (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Zombie/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level:** 3  
**ATK:** 1,100  
**DEF:** 300

**Card Description:** When this card is destroyed as a result of battle, your opponent discards one card from the top of his deck for every 300 Life Points you took from the battle involving this card.

_Note: "Necro Jar" was first used by Bakura in the multi-part original anime episode "The Dark One Cometh". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**LEVEL POD (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Rock/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 500  
**DEF:** 500

**Card Description:** Flip: Both players return all Monsters on the field to their decks and reshuffle. Then, both players add up the Levels of the Monsters returned to their decks, and draw that many cards. If at least one of the drawn cards is not a Monster that they had on the field when this card was flipped, the player then discards all the drawn cards to the Graveyard. Otherwise, the cards are added to the players' hands.

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**MONSTER REGISTER (Trap Card)**

**Continuous Trap**

**Image:** A cartoonish cash register with a monstrous face on the front.

**Card Description:** Pay 1,000 Life Points to activate this card. Whenever either player Normal Summons, Flip-Summons, or Special Summons a Monster, he discards cards from the top of his deck equal to the Level of the summoned Monster.

_Note: "Level Pod" and "Monster Register" were first used by X in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Not Playing With A Full Deck". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**KOZAKY'S INFERNAL DEVICE (Spell Card)**

**Continuous Spell**

**Image:** A dangerous-looking machine, with a furnace behind a demonic face, and mechanical arms with saws and screws.

**Card Description:** You may use the effect of this card once per turn, during your Main Phase One. If you choose to use the effect of this card, you may not Normal Summon or set a Monster during the same turn. Select one Monster from your deck whose base ATK and DEF are both 1,000 or less, and Special Summon it in facedown Defense Position (your opponent does not see the selected card). You may not Flip-Summon a Monster that is Special Summoned with this effect.

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**Chelsea: I knew it would come to this eventually… Yumi is finally dueling Rasputin!**

**Ren: Abaki… Stray Asmodian… Even Infernal Flame Emperor! Is it getting hotter, or is it just me?**

**Yumi: You didn't have to do this for me, Rasputin… I'm always all fired up! You'll wish you never messed with me…**

**Anastasia: Rasputin is strong, Yumi… Beware…**

**Coming up next, "Yumi versus Rasputin! Battle For the Final Shadow Charm!"**

**Featuring the hidden origin of Rasputin!**


	35. Battle For The Final Shadow Charm!

_Normally, I post a chapter every six days. However, this chapter was so… pivotal, I decided not to wait…_

_Read on if you dare… This chapter will answer many questions… But will open the door to many new ones…_

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**CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE**

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**Yumi versus Rasputin!**

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**Battle For the Final Shadow Charm!**

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Cassandra shuffled her deck, and took the top card.

It was the High Priestess. Yumi's card.

She looked at the rest of the deck nervously. She felt a strange sense of foreboding from the card resting on the top of the deck.

But she knew she had to draw it.

Slowly, she drew the card…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Yumi and Rasputin looked at the Rod of the Ancients for a few seconds. Then they looked at each other.

"Scared, Yumi?" asked Rasputin.

"Oh, please…" replied Yumi. "I've seen butterflies that were scarier than you."

Rasputin's smile quickly changed to a frown.

"I'm waiting…" he growled. "I never start a fight if I can help it. But as soon as you try to get it…"

"Wait…" said Yumi. "Before we start something that we can't stop… I want you to tell me something…"

"Where'd I get my good looks from?" asked Rasputin.

"No…" said Yumi, rolling her eyes. "Why did you decide to devote an immortal life to… wickedness?"

Rasputin glared at her.

"I mean, think of it, Rasputin…" she said with a frown. "With your knowledge of alchemy, you could have found a cure for cancer… You could have made famine-stricken countries lush and fertile… But instead, you used this knowledge on an insane quest to usurp the powers of the gods, because you rejected them…

"Why?"

"It's a long story…" said Rasputin.

"We have nowhere to go," said Sam, butting it. "And I'm curious myself."

Rasputin chuckled.

"It's a long… and very _interesting_ story…" he said.

"Oh no…" muttered Nicholas. "He's gonna tell 'it' again… He just _loves_ talking about himself…"

"Hey, they wanted to hear it, blame them!" snapped Rasputin.

"You think I'm all bad, Yumi? Do you know how I survived when the Nazis took over Austria? I pretended to take interest in their Aryan breeding project, and hired myself out to their geneticists – I use that term incredibly loosely, by the way – and invented formulas that I claimed would help advance their plans of a master race."

"And _that_ was a good thing?" shouted Yumi.

For anyone who was born and raised in Japan, the Third Reich was a _very_ touchy subject. Suffice to say it was the most shameful part of Japan's past.

"Please, everything I gave them was completely worthless," replied Rasputin. "I gave them formulas and compounds composed of chemicals that they had never heard of, and they never realized that they didn't do a thing. Lemonade was more potent.

"None of their research to perfect the chimerical Aryan race was meeting with any real successes anyway. The only difference between my research and theirs was, mine was failing on purpose.

"The fools paid me a king's ransom for all my 'discoveries', and I donated every bit of it towards the resistance that was fighting the Third Reich. Those deluded goons had no idea that their money was helping oppose them."

Yumi paused.

"Okay…" she muttered. "Maybe that WAS a good thing…"

"I'd have thought you'd have sided _with_ the Nazis," said Chelsea. "If they had won, a major world religion would have been eradicated."

"I may not believe in the ideals of Judaism," said Rasputin with a scowl, "but I will admit that their ideals, unlike those of Nazi Germany, aren't based on absolute lunacy…"

He paused.

"Not that this is any of your business, Yumi," he said, "but I wasn't a heretic all my life. There was a time when I thought that the higher powers cared… When I thought that faith and prayer actually had some bearing on a person's life…

"When I was about a year older than you, a young man growing up in Seventeenth Century Vienna, I not only studied alchemy, but divinity as well. And I not only attended church, but the greatest church in the world at that time.

"Stephansdom… St. Stephen's Cathedral. When it was built in the Sixteenth Century, it was the tallest building in the world… It even dwarfed the Vatican in terms of size."

Rasputin sighed…

"It was – and still is – a grand cathedral, whose spires seemed to touch the sky… You could lose yourself in its gothic beauty… Its soaring towers, its twenty-three bells, and its eighteen altars… Its stained glass windows that reflected light in every spectrum of the rainbow, and the elaborately carved gargoyles that stood watch on the roof, protecting the building both from rainwater, and some said, from evil spirits as well…

"Life was good, and I prayed daily… I was empowered by the sermons that the Archbishop gave… I lost myself in the beautiful music of the choir…

"And then, one day, fate proved a rascal. A woman appeared in Vienna. A woman of unearthly beauty, buxom and blonde, wearing simple clothes, and holding a Bible in her hand. She told everyone who would listen that her name was Claret, and she was the emissary of an Archangel named Malafare.

"Now, folks were skeptical at first, of course, but Claret started doing some things that people saw as miracles. She held a dead bird in her hands and it was restored to life. She gave a gentle hug to a child who was stricken with scarlet fever, and within minutes, his fever broke.

"Several of these miracles later, the congregation of Stephansdom were listening to her. Even the Archbishop was following her, like a man entranced, and she was speaking at every mass.

"I alone was suspicious. I started to notice odd things. For one, Claret's sermons started to reference this Malafare even more than they referenced Christ. And I noticed that when Christ or any major Saint _was_ referenced, Claret looked a little uncomfortable. The untrained eye couldn't see it, but I noticed it.

"I got even more suspicious when Claret convinced everyone to stop ending the prayers with 'Amen' and start using a different term, one that no-one knew the meaning of. I won't say the word here… It's not something that should be said out loud.

"Eventually, my father, a man with a great deal of influence but not much common sense, said that he was going to donate his whole life savings to the church. It was an enormous amount of money, us being a family of aristocrats. I guessed that Claret was now accepting charity. I begged my father to postpone it for a few days, telling him that I needed to do some research. He was a little surprised by my… lack of faith, but he nonetheless said he would give me three days.

"So, for those three days, I poured over every book of divinity I had. I could not find even a reference to an Archangel named Malafare. This entity was a strange one…

"Finally, I found a reference, in an unlikely place… A book of demonology. Malafare was no Archangel. The name was an alias used by Malcanthet…"

Anastasia appeared next to Yumi with a look of shock on her face.

"Malcanthet…" she whispered. "The Demon Queen of Succubus…"

Rasputin paused.

"Malcanthet is a powerful demon noble," he said. "She's one of the greatest seducers in the universe. She rules a kingdom of lust and debauchery in the Abyss, where the succubus are masters, and anyone who enters risks becoming their playthings… Or even worse, becoming Malcanthet's plaything.

"Anyway, I continued to read about this demon, and I discovered more. I found that the succubus in her service often conducted ascension rituals to transform themselves into a more powerful type of temptress demon. The ritual involves seducing a whole church, and eventually sacrificing the congregation by burning the whole church down in a fire fueled by the flames of one of the most infernal layers of the Abyss.

"It was obvious what Claret's true intentions were now. I had to stop this! But I didn't know what to do at first… She was a demon… She commanded powerful evil magic… And she had almost all of Vienna eating out of her hand.

"Slowly, I formed a plan…

"After a night of work, on a Sunday morning, I stormed into the cathedral, interrupting Claret's sermon. I spoke out against her openly right there, calling her and her patron imposters. Everyone listening gasped. Claret smiled, and told them to let me speak. She asked why I thought such things.

"Then I asked just how powerful she believed she truly was. I challenged her to prove that she was the messenger of an angel.

"I produced two bottles of wine, and said that one of them was laced with a deadly poison. My challenge was as follows: I'd pour two cups, one from each, and she'd choose one. Then we'd both drink. If she was truly the herald of an angel, she'd easily be able to tell which was which.

"Of course, everyone watching called me a monster, and pleaded with her not to accept. Some considered restraining me, but Claret herself ordered them to back down. She simply smiled, and said she wasn't afraid of my challenge.

"So, the dangerous contest began…

"…little did she know, while she thought she had the upper hand, she had fallen into a trap.

"You see, demons are immune to earthly poisons, a fact that I was well aware of. That was why she was so eager to accept. She figured that if I died from the poison, she could call it a divine punishment. If she drank the poison and was unharmed, she could boast that her patron had protected her. She would win either way.

"What she didn't know was that both bottles were laced not with true poison, but with a special alchemical formula called a ravage. Ravages are similar to poisons, but they are lethal to creatures of supernatural evil, like demons. This particular ravage was called Tears of the Couatl, and it was particularly effective against demons. Since ravages didn't harm mortals, I was completely safe.

"The plan worked. She took one sip, and gagged before collapsing into convulsions. And as she died, her body underwent a horrid transformation, turning into her true succubus form – still beautiful, but plainly evil to everyone witnessing.

"It was over…"

"I thought you weren't a killer," said Ren. "You said so yourself."

"Only as far as humans are concerned," replied Rasputin. "She was an unholy abomination. I had no moral objections about slaying her."

"So…" said Yumi. "Let me get this straight… You _saved_ a church from a demon? I'm gonna go out on a limb here, but… Some folks would have called you a hero."

Rasputin paused again.

"Yes, that they did…" he muttered. "They called me a hero. The Archbishop told me that I had more faith than anybody, including him, because I was not deceived by the beast's trickery. He told me that the divine rewards I would get for it would be great…

"But eventually, I did some thinking…

"Hundreds had almost been sacrificed to a ritual of pure evil. A demon had targeted the biggest church in the world. I kept thinking… Why did I even _have_ to stop it?

"If the higher powers truly cared about their flock, why hadn't a real Archangel's messenger been sent to face that succubus? Why were they going to allow this horrid act to occur?

"I looked around at my small part of the world, and saw things I didn't like… Children forced to steal food to feed themselves… Elderly men begging because they had no other way to get money. All around me there was suffering… All under the shadow of the greatest church in the world, where an Archbishop grew fat from the donations of the worshippers...

"I came to the conclusion that my church had been abandoned by its true patrons in its darkest hour. Simply put, I discovered that for all our faith, the powers that we prayed to did nothing for us in return, and didn't care.

"THAT is why I rejected them. They were willing to turn their backs on us and let hundreds suffer a fiery death. They didn't deserve the respect we gave them."

"Nonsense!" shouted Yumi. "Did you ever stop and think that they chose YOU as their champion? That you were the one chosen by them to defeat that demon? God moves in mysterious ways, Rasputin, and more often than not, His ways are subtle."

Rasputin paused.

Yumi looked into his eyes. For the briefest moment, it seemed as if her argument might have reached him…

"That's not true, and I know it!" he shouted. "I did it all on my own!"

He looked at the Rod of the Ancients.

"Enough talk…"

He lunged for it.

Yumi lunged for him. She caught his arm as he made a grab for it…

Then, the unexpected happened. The whole ground erupted in flames, and both Yumi and Rasputin were seemingly consumed by them.

Everyone looking gasped, but only for a second. Then, the flames erupted around them too…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Yumi opened her eyes, and was greeted by the smell of smoke and brimstone.

She looked down, and screamed.

She was standing a few feet over what looked like a lake of boiling lava.

When she got over the shock, she realized that she and Rasputin (who was in front of her) were standing either on a layer of either magical glass of some sort, or a floor of solid, transparent energy. They were in the center of a crater made of black stone, under a pitch-black sky.

"A volcano," said Rasputin. "It seems our host, whoever he is, doesn't care for subtlety…"

"Yumi!" shouted Ren's voice.

Yumi turned around, and saw Ren, Chelsea, Sam, and Erik standing on a rocky ledge behind her. Then she looked behind Rasputin, and saw Nicholas and Olga there on another ledge. Nicholas had a stern expression on his face that was hard to interpret.

"So…" said Yumi. "It's down to you, and it's down to me…"

"Indeed…" said Rasputin, raising his Disk. "The time for talk is past, the time for action is now. And I must admit… I've been looking forward to this…"

"So have I…" said Yumi.

The two Disks activated…

"Game on!" they shouted.

**(Yumi: 8,000) -------------------- (Rasputin: 8,000)**

"Beat the pants off this guy, Yumi!" shouted Erik, leaning forward.

"Be careful, Erik!" warned Sam. "This lava is hotter than your five-alarm chili."

A geyser of magma shot up, forming a flaming arch over the two of them, as both of them drew their opening hands.

"Let's see what we have here…" said Rasputin, drawing his first card. "I think I'll summon… Stay Asmodian, in Attack Mode."

He played the card, and a column of flame erupted out of the lava in front of him. A creature formed out of it that looked… weird. It was a Fiend of some sort, hovering over the ground, wearing a purple robe, with no limbs, except for four small, black, feathered wings. Its head had three ugly faces, and was topped by some sort of smokestack that belched out black soot. (1,300/1,700)

"That will do to start," he said.

"Humph," said Yumi, drawing a card. "Your Stray Asmodian may look scary, but it's weak enough for me to blow to pieces…

"I summon Gemini Elf!"

She played a card, and the attractive elf sisters materialized, their arms around each others' waists. They gave dirty looks towards Rasputin. (1,900/900)

"All right!" shouted Ren.

"Crush that creepy Monster!" shouted Chelsea.

"Attack!" yelled Yumi. "Destroy it!"

Gemini Elf shot a volley of lightning bolts. Stray Asmodian exploded in a burst of smoke and ash.

Then, to Yumi's surprise, both she and Rasputin were glowing with a fiery aura. But it didn't hurt… It felt strangely invigorating.

"Thank you…" said Rasputin. "When Stray Asmodian dies in battle, it gives both of us a gift… It's called the Fires of Renewal, and it takes the form of 800 more Life Points.

"Fire may harm, but it has an upside… When a forest burns, it takes a while to grow back, but it grows back fuller and more lush than before. So even a flaming disaster has an upside… Renewal."

"Yeah, well, that helped me more that it did you, Rasputin," said Yumi. "I'll end my turn…"

**(Y: 8,800) -------------------- (R: 8,200)**

Rasputin drew a card.

He looked at the Field Spell.

_We'll soon see about that, Yumi,_ he thought. _Destroy my Monsters if you wish… Every one that dies brings you closer to your own doom… Because Renewal is a very minor part of the element of Fire…_

His Field Slot opened.

"Time to switch locations, Yumi," he said, placing a card in the slot. "Take us to… The City of Brass!"

With a rumbling and a shaking, the volcano's crater was transformed. Buildings rose, and the fiery surface turned into a metal street…

Yumi looked around. The city that the Spell had conjured up was Arabian in architecture, with buildings made – naturally – of brass, with a hellish, fiery theme. Overhead and around them were flaming, demonic, horned creatures, watching the spectacle from their vantage points.

"Behold, Yumi…" said Rasputin. "The City of Brass, one of the greatest wonders of the planes. This marvelous metropolis on the Plane of Fire is the ancestral home of a race of genies called the Efreet, an ancient race known for their warlike nature and their ability to beguile and mislead… Not to mention their cruelty and hatred of servitude."

"Yeah, yeah…" said Yumi. "So, what does your Field Spell do?"

"Heh, heh…" chuckled Rasputin. "What does it do, she asks. What it does is give all Fire Monsters 200 extra Attack and Defense Points. It also downgrades their Level by one."

"So basically, it's a Fire version of A Legendary Ocean?" asked Yumi.

"More or less," said Rasputin. "And that means that Level Five Monsters that were once considered useless, now become quite useful."

He took a card from his hand.

"I summon one right now… Mr. Volcano!"

A plume of lava erupted in front of him, and a man in fancy clothing with a blue cape and fiery red hair appeared from out of it. He threw back his arms and laughed as the aura from the City started to fuel him. (2,100/1,300) –) (2,300/1,500)

"Rasputin is right…" muttered Sam. "Mr. Volcano has become practically useless in today's meta… But with that Field Spell, it becomes a powerful Monster that needs no sacrifice to summon."

"Mr. Volcano…" ordered Rasputin, "roast her elves with volcanic blast!"

Mr. Volcano raised his arms, and flames appeared in them. He threw a stream of fire forward, and the two elves screamed as they were burned alive.

**(Y: 8,400) -------------------- (R: 8,200)**

"You'll pay for that…" muttered Yumi, drawing a card.

She looked at it, and chose another one.

"I summon my Blast Magician," she said.

She played the card, and the fiery, red-robed mage appeared in a burst of flame. He bathed in the light of the City of Brass and grinned. (1,400/1,700) –) (1,600/1,900)

"What?" said Rasputin, crossing his arms. "I'm supposed to be worried because you managed to summon someone who benefits from my Field Spell? He's still no match for Mr. Volcano."

"I'm not done," said Yumi, taking another card. "I play Magical Dimension.

"Now I'll sacrifice Blast Magician, and summon Magician's Valkyria."

Blast Magician vanished, and Valkyria appeared in his place. (1,600/1,800)

"Now I can destroy one Monster," continued Yumi. "Guess who…"

Mr. Volcano groaned, and then shattered into pieces.

"Valkyria… Attack him directly!"

Valkyria leapt up into the air and aimed her staff…

"Uh oh…" said Rasputin.

An explosion of magical energy centered on him, and he staggered backwards.

"Well…" said Nicholas. "He asked for it…"

**(Y: 8,400) -------------------- (R: 6,600)**

"So, now what do you have to say?" asked Yumi.

Rasputin chuckled.

"I must say…" he said. "This is quite… invigorating. Reminds me of the old days, actually, when I was a young man, and mortal combat was more common…"

He drew a card.

"But it's time for me to bear my claws…"

He placed a card in his Disk.

"I play… Fire Fever. And I Equip it to your Valkyria."

Magician's Valkyria groaned, as if in pain, and held her sides. Her cheeks turned beet-red, and then a fiery aura appeared around her.

"Rasputin…" gasped Yumi. "What did you do to her?"

"I inflicted her with a disease called Fire Fever, Yumi," said Rasputin. "It's an illness that sometimes strikes mortals who come to the Plane of Fire. She should have known better than to such a dangerous place unprepared.

"An interesting bit of planar knowledge… The efreet have been known to make willing slaves out of mortals who contract this disease. They give them a serum that puts the disease into remission, but only for a short time. The disease only stays gone if they continue to take the serum. The afflicted mortals have a choice: They can either stay and serve the efreet, or they leave and die from the disease when the serum wears off."

"He wasn't kidding…" muttered Chelsea. "Those creatures _are_ cruel…"

"What did your Spell Card do to her?" demanded Yumi.

"In game terms, Yumi," said Rasputin, "she'll lose 400 Attack Points every time you start your turn. If her Attack Points fall to zero because of it, she dies. Best of all, when that happens, the card itself goes back to my deck.

"In the meantime, I'll set a Monster in Defense Mode…"

A facedown Monster appeared.

"And then, I'll remove Stray Asmodian from play, to also summon Inferno in Defense Mode."

The Stray Asmodian card slipped out of his discard slot, and he placed it inside his jacket. In a burst of flame, a Monster best described as a huge bonfire with eyes appeared next to the facedown Monster. (1,100/1,900) –) (1,300/2,100)

"Your move…" he said.

Yumi angrily drew a card.

Valkyria groaned as the flaming aura got worse, and her Attack Score fell to 1,200.

"Well, Valkyria…" said Yumi, "you aren't in any condition to attack, but at least you can defend…"

Valkyria crouched in Defense Mode.

Yumi placed two more cards in her Disk, and a facedown card and a facedown Monster appeared.

She glared at Rasputin.

"I take it that means you want me to move…" he said, drawing a card.

He chuckled as he looked at it.

"I summon Darkfire Soldier #1 in Attack Mode," he said.

He played the card, and another fiery figure appeared on his side of the field. It looked like a warrior with bronze skin and a bare chest, holding a large scimitar. He bathed in the light of the burning city, and grinned. (1,700/1,150) –) (1,900/1,350)

"I'll also flip my facedown Monster into Attack Mode…" he said. "Reveal… Abaki!"

His facedown Monster flipped, and there appeared a nasty, red-skinned ogre, with a bald head with two small horns and a toothy mouth, carrying a spiked metal club. (1,700/1,100) –) (1,900/1,300)

"Well, let's see, Yumi…" he said. "I could simply wait for the Fire Fever to run its course and your Valkyria to be consumed by flames… That might be amusing…"

He chuckled.

"But I'm growing impatient… I'll be merciful and grant her a quick death…

"Abaki, attack Valkyria!"

Abaki roared, and charged at Valkyria with its club raised high.

"Oh no you don't…" said Yumi. "I activate… Dust Tornado!"

Her Trap Card flipped up.

"And my target will be… Your Field Spell!"

Rasputin gasped as the Tornado tore across the field, and the buildings of the City of Brass started to tumble. Within minutes, the City had collapsed into shards, and they were back in the crater of the volcano.

"Too late to call off your attack," said Yumi, "but without the boost from your Field Spell, Abaki isn't strong enough to beat Valkyria's Defense."

Abaki tried to hit Valkyria with its club, but she whacked it with her staff, and it toppled backwards.

Rasputin was clearly angry.

"Congratulations, Yumi…" he muttered. "You have managed to bring about the fall of the City of Brass. Since the beginning of recorded history of the Plane of Fire, no enemy has ever so much as breached the city's walls…

"Enjoy that small accomplishment while you can…

"Darkfire Soldier, attack her facedown Monster!"

Darkfire Soldier raised his flaming scimitar, and rushed at the facedown Monster. The Morphing Jar appeared on the card, and he sliced the shadowy snake in twain.

"Ho boy…" muttered Olga.

"Now we have to dump the cards in our hands and draw five more," said Yumi.

Rasputin looked at the cards in his hand and growled. He discarded them, and drew five.

He gave them a look.

"My turn is over, Yumi," he said. "Valkyria may have lived that round, but she's three rounds away from a fiery death."

**(Y: 8,400) -------------------- (R: 6,500)**

Valkyria closed her eyes and started to tremble. Yumi drew a card.

Valkyria groaned and fell to an Attack of 800.

"Wrong, Rasputin," said Yumi. "She'll be spared that fate. I'm going to sacrifice her before that happens."

Valkyria smirked at Rasputin, and then vanished.

Then Chaos Command Magician appeared in a flash of light. (2,400/1,900)

"Destroy his Abaki!" she shouted. "Chaos magic!"

Chaos Command Magician blasted his lethal spell, and Abaki howled before exploding in a burst of flame.

Then Yumi cringed as an aura of much more painful flames licked at her skin.

"What happened?" she gasped.

"The Fires of Renewal are only a minor part of the element of Fire, Yumi," said Rasputin. "Even more powerful are the Fires of Destruction. Abaki is the polar opposite of Stray Asmodian.

"When it dies in battle, both duelists lose 500 Life Points. I guess that came as quite a shock to you…"

**(Y: 7,900) -------------------- (R: 5,300)**

"Fine…" said Yumi. "I'll end with this facedown…"

She played a card, and a facedown card appeared behind Chaos Command Magician.

"Ren…" said Chelsea, "did you notice something different about this Yami no Oujou?"

"Other than the pit of molten lava?" asked Ren.

"I just realized it…" said Chelsea. "No-one told them to start at the beginning… No instructions, and no house rule… Whoever is running this thing doesn't care, apparently."

"Yeah…" said Ren. "Maybe not all of the Sorcerer Kings survived…"

"I noticed something else…" said Sam. "Where the heck did Anastasia go?"

Rasputin drew a card.

"Time to get serious, Yumi!" he shouted. "I sacrifice Darkfire Soldier and Inferno…"

The two Monsters burst into shards, and the shards spun around, forming a flaming tornado…

"…to summon Infernal Flame Emperor!"

In an explosion of flame, a ten-foot-tall, fiendish demon made totally out of fire appeared, gazing at Yumi with blazing eyes. (2,700/1,600)

"Now I activate its effect… I can remove up to five Fire Monsters in my grave from play, and destroy an equal number of Spell or Trap Cards. So I'll get rid of Darkfire Soldier, and destroy your facedown card.

Darkfire Soldier fell out of his discard slot. Infernal Flame Emperor threw a fireball, and Yumi's Mirror Force was incinerated.

"Now, attack!" shouted Rasputin. "Destroy her Chaos Command Magician!"

Infernal Flame Emperor lunged, and punched Chaos Command Magician with a fiery fist. The mage shattered into bits.

**(Y: 7,600) -------------------- (R: 5,300)**

"I'm still in the lead…" said Yumi.

"But not for long…" said Rasputin. "You didn't forget the huge, flaming demon on the field, did you?"

"I didn't forget," said Yumi. "And I already have a way to destroy it…"

She drew a card.

"I summon… Injection Fairy Lily!"

She played the card, and the cute, winged nurse carrying her huge syringe appeared hovering in front of her. She gave Rasputin a dirty look. (400/1,500)

"You know how Lily works, right, smarty-pants?" asked Yumi. "I pay 2,000 Life Points, and her Attack Score goes up by 3,000…"

Yumi glowed with a red aura, as Lily rose to an Attack of 3,400.

"Lily, give Infernal Flame Emperor a checkup!"

Lily lifted her syringe above her head, and hurled it forward, striking the huge, flaming beast in the center. It howled, and exploded into a blaze of flames.

"That cost _you_ more Life Points than it did _me_!" exclaimed Rasputin with a laugh.

Yumi glared at him.

"I'll place two cards facedown," she said, "and end my turn…"

Two facedown cards appeared, and Lily fell back to an Attack of 400.

**(Y: 5,600) -------------------- (R: 4,600)**

Rasputin paused. He drew a card.

When he saw what it was, he looked rather surprised. He just looked at it for a minute. He didn't do anything except look at it.

"What's he doing?" asked Sam. "It looks as if he's surprised to see one of his own cards…"

"Rasputin?" asked Yumi. "Hello? Are you gonna move or not?"

"Good moves take time…" said Rasputin, adding it to his hand. "Especially for a man like me. You ever try a fancy recipe, that takes all day to prepare, or even has to simmer all night?"

"Sometimes…" said Yumi.

"Well, for an alchemist," replied Rasputin, "a powerful formula might take a week – or more – to prepare. It isn't a craft you can undertake if you aren't patient. Alchemic formulas aren't things you can simply cook up over the kitchen stove."

"Well…" said Yumi, "while I'm waiting…"

One of her facedown cards flipped up.

"I activate Life-Absorbing Machine."

"Fine," said Rasputin, choosing another card. "And I'll play Pot of Avarice."

He played the card, and the goofy, pink jar appeared in front of him. Five cards – Mr. Volcano, Inferno, Little Chimera, Abaki, and Infernal Flame Emperor – slipped out of his discard slot. He quickly shuffled them into his deck and drew two cards.

He looked at them, and added them to his hand.

"In the study of alchemy," he said, taking a card, "I have studied many tomes and manuals, all of them containing powerful arcane knowledge, some of which so revealing, they would make lesser men tremble in fear. Here's a similar one… The powerful Book of Moon. Now, I can move your Fairy Lily into Defense Mode."

Lily gasped, and then vanished, replaced by a facedown card.

"Next…" he continued, "I play Premature Burial, to raise a creature I kept in my Graveyard… Molten Zombie."

He played the card, and the lava in front of him bubbled and burst. A humanoid creature that seemed to be made of melting, runny, gloppy lava appeared in front of him. (1,600/400)

"And, when Molten Zombie is summoned from the Graveyard, I get to draw one card…"

He made one draw. He looked at it and added it to his hand.

"Next…" he said, playing a card, "I summon Hiita the Fire Charmer…"

He played another card, and a young girl with red hair, a brown cloak, and a fiery, red fox on her shoulder appeared. (500/1,500)

"Now I can activate a special effect," he continued. "By sacrificing Hiita and one other Fire Monster…"

Hiita and Molten Zombie burst into flaming shards.

"…I can summon Familiar-Possessed Hiita from my deck."

A new female figure reappeared on the field. She looked like the previous Hiita, only somewhat older, her fox was fiercer, and she carried a staff tipped with a flaming ruby. (1,850/1,500)

"Hiita, attack!" shouted Rasputin. "Fire sorcery!"

Hiita twirled her staff, and shot a blast of flame. Lily appeared on the card, and screamed before she was incinerated.

"And because I summoned her with her effect," said Rasputin with a grin, "you lose 350 Life Points."

**(Y: 5,250) -------------------- (R: 3,800)**

"Brilliant…" muttered Yumi. "Anything else in your bag of tricks?"

"I think I'll set these facedown, and end my turn…" said Rasputin.

A nervous look was on his face as he played the two cards, and they appeared behind Hiita.

"Then I'll go…" said Yumi, drawing a card. "And due to Life-Absorbing Machine, I gain Life Points equal to half of what I paid on my last turn…"

She glowed with golden energy, and looked at the card she had just drawn.

Dark Magician Girl. It was time for _her_ to get serious.

"I activate Call of the Haunted!" she shouted.

A dark coffin appeared on her side of the field, and it opened, Magician's Valkyria stepped out.

She gave a dirty look towards Rasputin. (1,600/1,800)

"But she won't be here long…" continued Yumi. "I sacrifice her… To summon Dark Magician Girl!"

Valkyria vanished, and in a flurry of stars, Dark Magician Girl appeared. (2,000/1,700)

Rasputin scowled.

"Oh, I forgot…" said Yumi. "You don't like her, right?"

"Don't like her?" asked Rasputin. "Would you like someone who ruined a plan that had taken you a year to put together? The deck I had used to face your grandfather had one goal… Using his own God Cards against him, and I built it with tireless care… Only for that harlot to ruin my plans and cost me the most powerful cards in the world…"

"Cry me a river, build me a bridge…" said Yumi, taking another card. "I play Sage's Stone!"

She played the card, and in a flash of light, the Dark Magician appeared. Dark Magician Girl smiled, and nodded to him. (2,500/2,100)

"Ha!" laughed Erik. "Yumi has her king and her queen out. It's gonna be checkmate soon!"

"Dark Magician…" ordered Yumi, "attack Hiita! Dark magic attack!"

Dark Magician twirled his scepter, and fired a lethal blast. Familiar-Possessed Hiita screamed, and shattered into shards.

"Okay, Rasputin…" shouted Yumi, "here's a direct attack courtesy of my best Monster.

"Dark Magician Girl, get him!"

Dark Magician Girl flew at Rasputin, her staff glowing.

"I activate… Power Wall!" shouted Rasputin.

One of his Trap Cards lifted, showing a frightening image of a warrior in royal armor in a castle courtyard, holding his hand up, as a titanic dragon loomed overhead.

As Dark Magician Girl flew towards him, Rasputin reached for his deck, and grabbed a handful of cards, he hurled them in front of him, and the cards formed a barrier, blocking Dark Magician Girl's advance.

Everyone stared at him. The tossed cards vanished one by one, until they were gone.

"Rasputin…" muttered Yumi. "What… what did you do?"

"Power Wall is a Trap Card that I can use if I'm threatened by battle damage," replied Rasputin. "For every card from my deck that I throw away, the damage is decreased by 100. And since I just threw away twenty of my cards, your blond minx's attack didn't hurt me at all."

Everyone was speechless. They stared at Rasputin in disbelief.

"He… he… He threw away _twenty_ of his cards?" shouted Sam. "That was the stupidest…"

"Hold on…" said Nicholas. "Hold on one second… He's had six turns so far… That's eleven cards… Then there was the Morphing Jar… Pot of Avarice… Subtract five then add two… Hiita… Molten Zombie…

"Great McGregor's ghost! That leaves him with only five cards in his deck!"

"Rasputin, have you lost your mind?" shouted Olga. "Why did you even put that card in your deck?"

Yumi stared at him.

"You threw away half your deck…" she muttered. "Threw away half your cards like they were garbage…"

"And what if I did?" he replied. "They're my cards, Yumi. Who are you to tell me how to use them?"

"Rasputin…" said Yumi, with a snarl.

"Oh, please, Yumi," said Rasputin, rolling his eyes, "let's not bore us both with the tired old 'a duelist should respect his cards' speech, because that sort of thing got old fast."

Yumi looked down.

"Okay, you don't want speeches?" she said. "Fine. I won't bother with any speeches. You know why? Because you doing that helped me make a decision I was trying to make.

"See, when you told me that story, I thought for a minute that there might be a small shred of decency left in you… Some small, minute spark of the moral and virtuous man you used to be… I thought that maybe, just _maybe_, there might still be hope for you…

"But now… I know for sure that there isn't…

"I'm through trying to reason with you, Rasputin… It's clear to me that no matter how much I try, I'll never get though to you. So I'm not even gonna bother any more.

"Make your move…"

**(Y: 6,250) -------------------- (R: 3,250)**

Rasputin drew a card.

"I remove Molten Zombie from play," he said, taking a card from his Graveyard, "in order to summon Spirit of Flames in Defense Mode."

In a burst of fire, a fiery demon with horns on its forehead appeared, and crouched in defense. (1,700/1,000)

"That's all," he said.

"Then look out!" shouted Yumi.

She drew a card.

"I summon Skilled Dark Magician!" she shouted.

She played the card, and the mage in the bulky robe and flat skullcap appeared next to the other two Spellcasters. (1,900/1,700)

"Skilled Dark Magician… Destroy his Spirit of Flames! Black magic blast!"

Skilled Dark Magician cast a powerful spell, and the spirit burst into an explosion of fire.

"Face it, Rasputin…" said Yumi, "it's over! Dark Magician Girl…"

"I activate my last Trap!" shouted Rasputin. "Skull Lair!"

His facedown card lifted.

"Now, I can remove the cards in my Graveyard from play, and destroy Monsters on the field with Levels equal to the number I remove. So I'll remove seventeen cards from play, to destroy all three of your Monsters!"

Dark Magician, Dark Magician Girl, and Skilled Dark Magician were surrounded by a fiery aura…

And then they all burst into shards.

Yumi collapsed. She fell on one knee and bowed her head.

"No…" gasped Ren.

"This is just what happened to Holly…" muttered Chelsea. "When her Mermaid Knight was destroyed… Yumi just took the same blow…"

"And that's why he tossed half of his deck…" gasped Sam. "So he'd have enough… make that MORE than enough cards in his Graveyard to use Skull Lair and destroy practically anything…"

Yumi lifted her head, panting for breath. Sweat was pouring down her face.

She slowly got up.

She had one card left in her hand, and it was Buster Blader.

"Okay, fine…" she muttered. "I have to end my turn… But what more can you do, Rasputin? You only have four cards left in your deck, and due to that last move, you hardly have any left in your Graveyard either."

"I also have three in my hand…" replied Rasputin, with a sinister look on his face.

He drew a card. He looked at it and shrugged.

"You see, Yumi…" he said. "You probably thought that this was a Fire Deck… Well, you were only half-right. This deck actually represents a certain… _aspect_ of fire.

"There's a lot to be said about fire… When you control it, it can be your best friend…

"But if it goes out of control, it burns… It runs rampant and devours everything in its path, destroying and laying waste to what man and nature alike has created.

"In case you didn't notice, Yumi… The creatures in my deck weren't very nice… They were wicked creatures who used fire as a weapon…

"My deck represents the dark side of fire… The side that represents destruction and death…

"Remember what I said about the Fires of Renewal and the Fires of Destruction? There is one more aspect of fire that most people don't know about… The fire that the world was created in, in the primordial birth of the cosmos, when no order existed…

"The Fires of Chaos…

"Now, I summon a creature born in those same ancient fires… The true lord of my deck…

"I summon Gren Maju Da Eiza!"

He played a card, and a roaring inferno appeared in front of him…

A creature stepped out of the inferno. It was hard to describe. Its demonic features suggested that it was a Fiend, but it wasn't humanoid – more bestial in shape. It had a typical fiendish face, with knobs on its skull, a red, bloated exoskeleton, two huge claws, a barbed tail, and huge, dragon-like wings.

"Meet the Lord of Chaos," said Rasputin. "For every card that I've removed from play so far, its Attack and Defense are 400. And I've removed twenty cards from play so far…

"Multiply it…"

(8,000/8,000)

"No!" screamed Ren.

"Yumi!" screamed Chelsea.

Rasputin chuckled.

"So tell me, Yumi…" he asked. "Where are your so called gods now? Still believe that they're watching? Still believe that they give a damn about you?"

Yumi looked at him.

"Yes," she said, softly. "Yes, yes, I do."

Rasputin gave a look of shock.

"Attack me if you want, Rasputin…" said Yumi. "I can't stop you. But my stance won't change. You won this duel because you dueled better than I did, nothing more. It wasn't because I was abandoned by anyone.

"No matter what you do, I'll still be a believer…"

Rasputin gave her a cold glare.

"So be it…" he growled.

"Gren Maju Da Eiza… Attack directly with Chaos Flames!"

The Chaos Fiend's eyes glowed, and a super-intense blast of white-hot flames shot at Yumi. Her friends screamed, and they heard her screaming in agony as the blast hit, and the world seemed to come undone…

**(Y: 0) -------------------- (R: 3,250)**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Cassandra looked at the card next to The High Priestess.

It was The Tower.

"The prediction I showed Yumi has come to pass," she said, sadly.

She bowed her head.

Then she lifted it with a start.

"Wait…" she said. "There's something new… The cards are telling me to draw again…

"Something unexpected has come to light…"

She reached for the card at the top of her deck…

_Yumi has fallen… Will she rise again? Perhaps… Perhaps not…_

_Stay tuned…_

**0**

**0**

**0**

**POWER WALL (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image:** A man in royal armor in a castle courtyard, holding up his hand as a titanic dragon looms overhead.

**Card Description:** You can activate this card when your opponent declares an attack. Discard any number of cards from the top of your deck to the Graveyard. For each card discarded in this manner, reduce the battle damage done from the attack by 100.

_Note: "Power Wall" was first used by Zane in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "The Darkness Within". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**CITY OF BRASS (Spell Card)**

**Field Spell**

**Image:** A magnificent Arabian city, sitting atop a brass sphere and under a burning sky.

**Card Description:** Downgrade all FIRE Monsters in both players' hands and on the field by one Level. Increase the ATK and DEF of all FIRE Monsters by 200 points.

Note: "City of Brass" was created by Man Called True for his fanfic, "Yu-Gi-Oh! Tilting the Balance". Creative credit goes to him.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**FIRE FEVER (Spell Card)**

**Equip Spell**

**Image:** A man in broken armor, surrounded by an aura of flames.

**Card Description:** This card cannot be Equipped to a Pyro-Type or FIRE Monster. The Monster Equipped with this card loses 400 ATK during each of its owner's Standby Phases. If the Monster Equipped with this card is reduced to zero ATK by this effect, destroy the Equipped Monster and shuffle this card into your deck.

**0**

**0**

**0**

_To be continued…_


	36. Yumi's Struggle

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**CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE**

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**Yumi's Struggle**

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**Where No Duelist Has Gone Before**

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Both the two duelists and the witnesses of the duel were back in the arboretum, but all was not well…

Yumi was lying on her back, and not moving. Erik rushed up and knelt beside her.

Rasputin was twenty paces away, the Rod of the Ancients firmly in his grasp, and a grin on his face. Olga and Nicholas were behind him, and they didn't seem very pleased.

Ren and Sam were downright angry, and Chelsea looked about ready to commit murder.

"Success!" laughed Rasputin. "So… The Mouto legacy has finally reached its endpoint… I only wish it could have lasted longer…"

He started to walk towards Yumi.

"Well, all I must do is claim the Crown of Souls, and I'll be done here…"

And then he stopped short…

…in the next instant, the Sword of Tsunami was against his throat, and Chelsea was looking him in the eye with a look of fury.

"You're dreaming, pal…" she said with a scowl. "Make one more move towards Yumi's Crown, and you won't have a head to wear it on."

Rasputin looked at her. He gulped.

"I won the duel…" he said, nervously. "It's rightfully mine…"

"I don't recall any wagers," said Chelsea. "Now take what's yours, and get lost before I _really_ get mad."

Rasputin started to sweat. She was right… No wager had been made. He had meant to make one, but after telling Yumi about his past, he had completely forgotten…

His eyes turned to Yumi. She was apparently dead… The Crown had no owner, so it was free for anyone to take, but now…

"Nicholas, Olga!" he shouted. "Help!"

"Uh, Rasputin…" said Nicholas. "Didn't you tell us that whoever has that Sword can't be bested in combat?"

He looked at his Gale Shield.

"Didn't you also tell me that this thing doesn't protect me against someone possessing another Charm?"

_Damn…_ thought Rasputin. _Damn, damn, damn…_

He looked at Chelsea.

"You're making a mistake girl…" he said. "My contacts reach very far… Think of your family, your future, your…"

He gagged as he felt the blade press into his neck.

"I really don't care…" whispered Chelsea. "You have to the count of ten to start running…

"One, two…

"…skip-a-few, eight, nine…"

"All right, you win!" shouted Rasputin, backing up. "But this is far from over!"

He turned and fled, and Nicholas and Olga ran after him.

In the meantime, Erik was trying desperately to apply CPR to Yumi.

"Come on, Yumi," he pleaded. "Please start breathing…"

Anastasia appeared in a burst of light. It was clear that something had happened to her.

"Where have YOU been?" shouted Ren. "You took off when Yumi needed you the most!"

"It wasn't my fault," gasped Anastasia. "When I tried to follow, something grabbed me and locked me in some dark cell. I don't know how. I just now managed to break out."

Ren turned to Yumi.

"No…" he said, as a tear fell down his face. "Yumi… You can't be dead…"

Anastasia looked at Yumi.

_She isn't dead…_ she thought. _If she were, I'd be receiving instructions to escort her soul to the afterlife…_

_So then… She's somewhere else…_

_But where? Where are you Yumi?_

She looked through the glass ceiling towards the sky…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Cassandra looked at the three cards in front of her with a confused look on her face.

The first one was The High Priestess. The second one was The Tower.

The third…

It bore the image of a young teenager wearing armor, holding a long, wooden staff.

"I didn't expect this…" said Cassandra. "The Knights of the Minor Arcana usually represent travel, and the Knight of Wands most often represents travel to an exotic and exciting place…

"What in the world could it mean?"

She slowly drew another card.

She smirked.

The image on the card was that of a young man resting on a pallet, with three swords hanging on the wall above him, and one on the floor under him.

"The Four of Swords," she said. "The meditation card. A card that represents recovery and healing after a painful ordeal.

"Whoever or whatever the Knight of Wands represents, I believe it is a positive sign…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Yumi – at least the part of her that was truly her – was lying on a sandy surface with her eyes closed. Her head was swimming.

As the dizziness faded, she heard a soft cooing noise, and something brushing up against her face…

Something soft and fuzzy…

She slowly opened her eyes, and saw the small creature. It was a Kuriboh…

A Kuriboh with wings on its back.

"Uhm, hullo?" she said. "Where am I?"

She sat up. She was on a beach of some sort…

Then she gasped…

On the horizon, over the trees of some rainforest, in a night sky, there was a huge, looming planet that suggested Jupiter. Several other planets and moons hung around it.

Yumi stopped to catch her breath. She looked towards the ocean.

A group of dolphins surfaced. They chittered.

The strange Kuriboh cooed again.

"Uh, I'm sorry…" said Yumi, "I don't speak your language…"

She bowed her head.

"Where am I?" she repeated.

"Let me retrace my steps… Got up… Had breakfast… Dueled Rasputin and his Fire Chaos Deck…

"Oh…

"Crud… This is it… I didn't survive that Shadow Game…

"So maybe this is Heaven or Hell…"

Then she heard someone laughing behind her.

"You know," said the voice, "that was exactly what I thought when I came here the first time…"

Yumi turned and got up.

Twenty paces behind her, sitting on a rock, was a young man who seemed about two years older than she was. He had a trendy haircut and wore a red college blazer.

Yumi looked at him, now more than a little afraid. The strange Kuriboh cooed happily, and flew up to the young man, perching on his shoulder.

"Okay…" said Yumi. "Now I _know_ I'm dead… Mom, dad, I'm so sorry…"

"You aren't dead, Yumi," he replied. "Not yet, anyway… See…"

"But…" said Yumi. "If I'm not dead, how can you be here? Everyone knows the story… Forty years ago…"

"Forty years ago…" interrupted the young man, "Jaden Yuki and a group of his allies on the Pro League chartered a private plane to take them to a convention in New York. The plane crashed in the Rockies, and when a rescue team found it, only the pilot was there. He told the rescuers that his passengers had wandered off to look for help. Search parties were mounted, but they were never found, and later it was presumed that they had starved in the wilderness."

Yumi looked at him.

"Is, uh… THAT what you were going to say?" asked Jaden.

"Uh… yeah…" muttered Yumi. "More or less. You guys are the Amelia Earharts of the dueling world."

Jaden sighed.

"We were all watching the memorial service they had for us," he continued. "It was… touching.

"Anyway, I'll share with you the truth…

"First of all, the crash wasn't an accident. Chazz bribed the pilot to crash the plane on purpose. He had to pay the guy almost all the money in his trust fund to get him to do something that might get his license revoked if he was ever caught, but Chazz knew he'd never need material wealth again.

"When the plane's radio assured us that a rescue team was on the way, we told the pilot to stay with the plane while we looked around. We left, and as far as he knew, we got lost.

"In reality, we all knew exactly where we were going. We went to a waiting portal that led here."

"Where is 'here' exactly?" asked Yumi.

Jaden smirked.

"Neo-Space," he said.

Yumi stood spellbound for a second.

"You see Yumi…" said Jaden. "The Neo-Spacians had made me an offer… To rule over them. But I had owed my friends a great deal, so I offered them a chance to come too. They accepted. Now, you might say I'm the Head of State, and they're my governors.

"And the benefits are great… The Neo-Spacians have made us truly immortal. You notice I haven't aged a day. That Rasputin… He'd give his left arm for their secrets, not that they'd ever give any to him, even if they could."

"Well… Why am I here?" asked Yumi.

"I was getting to that," said Jaden. "We also have the ability to see any duel that's happening. Even Shadow Games. In fact, we've been watching the Duelatopia tournaments for the past nineteen years. There isn't a single one of us who doesn't wish he could compete…"

He sighed.

"Yumi… Do you remember the words you exchanged with Rasputin before his Gren Maju Da Eiza attacked?"

"Well it's… kind of a blur…" muttered Yumi.

Jaden shook his head.

"Rasputin hoped you'd see his side," replied Jaden. "That you'd admit that your faith had gotten you nowhere.

"But you defied him. You were facing certain defeat, and you told him otherwise.

"Yumi, as much as Rasputin denies it, such faith does not go unrewarded. Most folks would have been killed instantly by that attack. But you were sustained with enough of a spark left for me to draw you here. I'm able to tap into the power of Neo-Space itself for a variety of uses…

"The Sorcerer Kings normally put up protective measures to make sure there are no rescue attempts from a Yami no Oujou… But they never knew about Neo-Space, and have no understanding about its power. It's an energy source unlike anything they ever dreamed of. They could never have prepared against my intervention.

"And I can help. I know how the Yami no Oujou works, because I encountered a similar situation."

"Really?" asked Yumi.

"I'll be as brief as possible," said Jaden. "Time is of the essence, as some folks are so fond of saying.

"In my third year at school, we were under the tutelage of a guy named Professor Thelonius Viper. Now, with a name like that, I knew right away he would be tons of fun, if you get my drift... Most students would be scared of a seven-foot-tall muscleman in a military uniform who never smiled, with the same name as a snake, and frankly, we were."

He rolled his eyes.

"But anyway, he introduced a new system called Survival Duels. Each student wore this sort of wristband called a Bio-Band, and whenever we dueled, in theory, it would measure our energy, effort, spirit, and motivation. If we gave more effort, we'd get better grades."

"Sounds like a good idea," replied Yumi.

"Yeah…" replied Jaden. "I thought so too at first. And it would have been if that's what they _really_ were doing. The truth was, the Bio-Bands weren't measuring our energy, they were _stealing_ it. It drained the duelists to the point of exhaustion, so that once a duel was over, they'd be as tired as they would be from dueling ten times in a row."

Yumi was shocked.

"Why…" she said. "Why was this Viper guy doing this?"

Jaden looked a little nervous.

"He…" he muttered. "He was just a pawn. The Survival Duels led to some things… Some bad things…

"Well, let me just say, it's one of the reasons _why_ I owed these friends a lot.

"But anyway, back to the here and now…

"A Yami no Oujou is kind of like a Survival Duel. The winner keeps his duel energy, the loser is sucked dry, and might even die as a result.

"Look…"

Jaden pointed. Yumi turned her head.

She saw a portal, which seemed to display a freeze-frame. Erik was in the process of trying to resuscitate her.

"Your true body is back on Earth, Yumi," said Jaden. "Your heart just stopped beating. Erik is trying his best. But in five minutes, he'll have no choice but to give up."

Yumi started to tremble in fear.

"Fortunately," continued Jaden, "a time warp is in effect. Another gift from the Neo-Spacians. Five minutes on Earth now equals about an hour here. We have that long to save you."

"How?" asked Yumi, frantically. "Do these… Neo-Spacians you keep mentioning have a doctor on call?"

"Well, yes," he said, "but he's rarely needed. There's no such thing as illness here, and injuries are rare."

He hopped off the rock.

"Here's what we have to do," he continued. "Your duel energy is nearly depleted, and it's what's maintaining your life energy. We have to build it up again, and channel it back to you body.

"We have to duel…"

Yumi paused.

"Me? Versus you?" she asked. "Well… Uhm… Couldn't you get one of your friends to do it?"

"I'm sure they'd be happy to," replied Jaden. "But the all of them in their bases at different locations around Neo-Space, or working on some sort of project. Governing this place isn't all fun and games, you know. Syrus is working towards colonizing a planet that we just discovered, Alexis is doing an inspection of the farming sectors… I myself had to interrupt something that I'm going to have to start over from scratch once we're done. To get them here, I'd have to call one of them, he or she would have to drop everything, come here, and that would take time. And we only have an hour, remember?"

"Well…" said Yumi. "I… guess I could try…"

_I can duel him…_ she thought. _It just doesn't have to end in victory._

In two flashes of light, Duel Disks appeared on both of their arms.

"I must say, Yumi," said Jaden, "this will be great… For the past forty years, I've had to duel the same opponents over and over again… So good to finally have a new one!"

"I'll try not to be a disappointment…" said Yumi.

The Disks activated. Then Yumi's Puzzle glowed.

"Yumi…" said the Pharaoh's voice.

"Oh good, you made it," she replied.

"Barely," he said. "I was able to find a silver cord, and it led me here. Of course, I'm not exactly sure where 'here' is. Care to fill me in?"

"Long story short," replied Yumi. "We have to get through one more duel for my body to recover."

There was a pause.

"Works for me," he replied.

Her Puzzle glowed brighter, and the change overtook her.

She looked at Jaden.

"Game on!" they shouted.

**(Yumi: 8,000) -------------------- (Jaden: 8,000)**

_Okay, let me think…_ thought Yumi, as she drew her opening hand. _From what I heard, Jaden started out with an Elemental Hero Deck…_

_But then, his deck was strengthened… By strange creatures that came from the stars…_

_Could those be these… Neo-Spacians he keeps talking about?_

_I guess the only thing to do is… Expect the unexpected…_

She made her first draw.

"For my first move…" she said. "I summon Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer."

In an aura of dark energy, the bald, scarred monk appeared, and crossed his arms. (1,800/700)

"That's enough for now…" she said.

"All right!" exclaimed Jaden. "I draw…"

He drew a card.

"And I play… Graceful Charity."

He played the card, and his deck glowed. He picked up three cards.

He looked at his hand for a second, and then discarded two cards.

"Now to bring out a guy you're gonna be sure to love," he said, playing a card. "I play the Spell Card, O-Oversoul. Now, I can Special Summon an Elemental Hero from my Graveyard, so long as he isn't an Effect Monster."

"You're gonna bring out one you just tossed in there!" replied Yumi.

"You got it!" replied Jaden. "So come on out…"

A burst of light shot out of the ground, and flew into the sky, making a burst against the stars. Then, a brilliant form flew downward.

"Meet Elemental Hero Neos!" shouted Jaden.

The figure that was in front of him now was clearly not only a hero, he was a _cosmic_ hero. Dressed in a silvery bodysuit with a triangular design on the chest and a cowl with a pointed crest, this Warrior radiated an air of power that was impossible to ignore. (2,500/2,000)

_Good lord…_ thought Yumi. _He's just as strong as Dark Magician… And he summoned him on his first turn!_

"I'm not done," said Jaden. "Since I was here to welcome you to Neo-Space, I thought I'd introduce you to the guy who was here to greet me when I first came here. So come on out, Neo-Spacian Aqua Dolphin!"

The ocean churned, and a wave rushed to the shore. A small form somersaulted out, and landed next to Neos.

It suggested, if anything, a humanoid dolphin wearing a blue spandex outfit. He crossed his arms and smiled at Yumi. (600/800)

_I was right…_ thought Yumi. _This is more than Elemental Heroes… This is Elemental Heroes for the space age…_

"Now…" continued Jaden, "I'm activating Aqua Dolphin's special ability. I discard one card…"

He tossed a card into his discard slot.

"…and then I get to see your hand. If there's a Monster there that has less Attack Points than one of my Monsters, like, say, my Elemental Hero Neos, it's destroyed, and you lose 500 Life Points.

"Aquos, echolocation!"

Aqua Dolphin opened his mouth, and a wave of ear-splitting sound shot out, and struck Yumi's hand of cards.

"Not that one!" shouted Yumi.

The phantom image of Dark Magician Girl appeared next to her, and cringed in pain. Her card vanished, and then she shattered.

"I'm not done," said Jaden. "Neos, attack Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer! Cosmic crusher!"

Neos flew at Kycoo, and struck with a savage karate chop, blasting the Ghost Destroyer into shards.

"Aquos, you're up," said Jaden.

The Neo-Spacian flew at Yumi, and then punched her across the face. She fell over.

"Ow…" she muttered.

**(Y: 6,200) -------------------- (J: 8,000)**

"I thought you were trying to help me…" she muttered.

"I never said I'd go easy on you," replied Jaden. "In fact, I can't. If I use kid gloves, if I make this too easy, the energy might not be enough. This duel has to be for real, Yumi.

"I'll place this facedown, and let you go."

He fit a card into his Disk and a facedown card appeared.

Yumi made a draw.

_Nuts…_ she thought. _I have no-one who even comes close to beating his Neos…_

_But… His Aqua Dolphin is much weaker, and if I don't get rid of him, he might use that same trick again on his next turn._

She placed a card on her Disk.

"I summon… Gemini Elf!"

The two twin elves appeared, and looked around in wonder at their surroundings. (1,900/900)

"Attack his Aqua Dolphin!" she shouted.

The two elves raised their hands, and they started to glow with energy.

"Go, Trap Card!" shouted Jaden. "Interdimensional Matter Transporter!"

His facedown card lifted up, and the odd machine appeared behind Aqua Dolphin. In a flash of light, the Neo-Spacian vanished.

"Uh, yeah…" muttered Yumi. "Good save… I have to end my turn…"

The machine flashed, and Aqua Dolphin reappeared.

Jaden drew a card.

"Now I'm gonna show you the neat trick that Neos can do…" he said.

"Neos… Aquos…"

The two Warriors nodded to each other.

"Contact Fusion!"

Neos and Aqua Dolphin flew into the air, and collided in a burst of light…

Then, a new Hero landed in front of Jaden. It resembled Neos wearing a costume that was a combination of his and Aqua Dolphin's, blue and white, with a finned crest on the cowl. He glowed with a blue energy aura. (2,500/2,000)

"Meet Elemental Hero Aqua Neos," said Jaden.

"Wait…" said Yumi. "Contact Fusion? What the…"

"Neos possesses the power to fuse with any Neo-Spacian to form a special Fusion Monster," said Jaden. "I don't need any Polymerization card, and Neos and the Neo-Spacian go back to my deck instead of the Graveyard.

"It has one downside, but before that happens…"

He discarded one of his cards.

"I activate Aqua Neos's special ability. Sonar wave!"

Aqua Neos blasted a beam of pure sound from his hands. The Polymerization card in Yumi's hand vanished.

_Well, it could have been worse…_ she thought, looking at her other cards.

"Next…" said Jaden, "I play… H-Heated Heart. I choose one of my Monsters, and it gains 500 Attack Points and a trampling effect for one round.

Neos rose to an Attack of 3,000.

"Aqua Neos, attack Gemini Elf!"

Aqua Neos shot a blast of water mixed with sound, and Gemini Elf screamed before they were blasted to bits.

"I end my turn," he said. "And now we get to that downside… At the end of a round where I do a Contact Fusion, the Fusion Monster has to leave…"

Aqua Neos turned into a column of water, and then shot into the sky before vanishing.

**(Y: 5,100) -------------------- (J: 8,000)**

"My move…" said Yumi.

She drew a card.

_He ended the turn with nothing on his side of the field at all!_ she thought. _Heh… I almost feel dirty for doing this…_

She placed a card on her Disk, and Breaker appeared on the field. (1,600/1,000) –) (1,900/1,000)

_No cards to destroy,_ she thought, _but I can save it for later._

"Attack him directly!" she shouted.

Breaker lifted his sword, and flew at Jaden…

Then a fiendish-looking Warrior appeared behind Jaden. He had a mane of white hair, and spiked, banded armor. He put his arms around Jaden, and the sword was deflected.

"What on Earth?" muttered Yumi.

Jaden chuckled, and held up a card.

"When I activated Aqua Dolphin's ability," he said, "the card I sent to the Graveyard was this guy… Necro Gardna. When he's in there, I just have to remove him from play, and I can deflect one attack."

The card vanished, and Yumi shook her head.

She turned to the Pharaoh, who was standing next to her.

"Any ideas?" she asked.

He shook his head.

"Planning a strategy requires a basic idea of what you're facing," he said. "I'm afraid that Jaden represents an opponent unlike anything I've ever faced before. This makes him defy comprehension.

"We can only try to follow as the duel progresses, and hope our own cards open a possibility of their own."

Jaden drew a card.

"All I have to do," he said, "is throw down two facedowns, and that will be my turn."

He placed his two remaining cards into his Disk, and they appeared in front of him.

Yumi took the card she had drawn.

"I play… Pot of Greed," she said, playing it.

The laughing jug appeared, and she drew twice.

She looked at the two cards.

_His only defense is those facedown cards…_ she thought. _They've got to do something…_

She played a card.

"I summon Magician's Valkyria," she said.

In a flash of light, Valkyria appeared, brandishing her staff. (1,600/1,800)

"Now…" she said, "I use Breaker's effect, to destroy your facedown card on the left…"

Breaker's Attack Score fell down to 1,600, and his shield glowed…

"Chain!" shouted Jaden, as his facedown Quickplay lifted. "The Flute of Summoning Kuriboh."

In a burst of light, that odd, Winged Kuriboh appeared in front of him in Defense Mode. (300/200)

"Which, as the name suggests, summons a Kuriboh."

Yumi looked at the small creature closely for a minute… Strangely, she felt a small connection to this Monster…

She figured she'd sort it out later.

She paused…

She had an idea…

"Sorry, Jaden," she said, choosing a card, "that will protect you from a direct attack, but I can still hurt you…"

She played a card.

"I play… Double Spell. Now, I'll discard this…"

She discarded her Dedication Through Light and Darkness.

"And I get to use a Spell Card in your Graveyard. And the one I have my eye on is that H-Heated Heart one."

Jaden took a step back, as the art for Double Spell turned into that for his card.

"So…" said Yumi. "500 more Attack Points and a trampling effect, right?"

Valkyria shot up to an Attack of 2,100.

She fired her burning magic. Winged Kuriboh shattered, and Jaden clutched his chest.

**(Y: 5,100) -------------------- (J: 6,100)**

"O-kay…" he grunted. "That… could have gone better…"

His other facedown card lifted.

"Activate… Hero Signal!"

A beam of light shot out of the card, and turned into a spotlight against the clouds, forming an odd symbol.

"Since my Monster was destroyed," he said, "I get to summon an Elemental Hero from my deck. So I'll bring out Burstinatrix in Defense Mode."

In a burst of flame, a female hero in a red costume and long hair appeared on the field. She did a backflip, and then knelt in Defense Mode. (1,200/800)

Yumi raised an eyebrow.

"Breaker," she said, "you know what to do."

As Breaker lifted his sword, Yumi didn't know whether her eyes were deceiving her or not. She could almost swear she saw a sneaky smile on the heroine's face just before he struck…

Then the sword fell, she exploded into pixels, and it was impossible to tell.

"Just so you know…" said Yumi, "I'm not going easy on you either. It's your move…"

"I draw…" said Jaden.

He drew a card.

"Sweet!" he said, placing it on his Disk. "I summon Elemental Hero Bubbleman!"

In a burst of watery bubbles, a new figure appeared. It was a Hero in blue, with a cape and cowl, with tanks on his back, connected to hoses on his wrists. (800/1,200)

Yumi raised an eyebrow.

"Now," said Jaden, "when Bubbleman is summoned, and I have no other cards on the field or in my hand, I get to draw twice…"

He made two draws.

"And look at that! One of them is my own Pot of Greed!"

He played the card, and then drew twice again.

"And it looks like I just drew his favorite Equip Spell," he continued. "Bubble Blaster!"

He played the card, and Bubbleman got down on one knee. A huge, bazooka-like cannon with a tank of water on top materialized in his hands. His Attack Score rose to 1,600.

"That makes him just as strong as my two Monsters…" said Yumi.

"I'm not done," said Jaden, taking another card from his hand. "I play… Common Soul."

"Okay, that one I'm not familiar with either," replied Yumi, as the card appeared.

"I'll explain," said Jaden. "I choose one Monster on the field. Then I Special Summon a Neo-Spacian in my hand to the same side of the field.

"So… I'll choose Bubbleman, and summon Neo-Spacian Air Hummingbird."

A gust of wind blew over the field, and a new alien materialized. It was a tall, humanoid bird with red feathers and a long beak, with white, feathered wings and a tail. (800/600)

"Then," continued Jaden, "due to the effect of Common Soul, Hummingbird's Attack Score is added to Bubbleman's."

Bubbleman glowed with blue fire, and rose to an Attack of 2,400.

"Good grief…" muttered Yumi.

"Did I mention that Hummingbird has a cool effect of his own?" asked Jaden.

Hummingbird flew into the air. Yumi was shocked as two huge flowers sprouted from the two cards in her hand. The Neo-Spacian dipped his beak into them, and Jaden glowed.

"Sure, it looks weird…" said Jaden, "but for each card in your hand, I gain 500 Life Points.

"Now… Bubbleman, attack Valkyria! Bombarding bubble barrage!"

Bubbleman fired an intense blast of water from his weapon. Valkyria sputtered and strained as a watery explosion erupted around her, and then she shattered.

"That's one bubble I can't wait to burst…" muttered Yumi.

**(Y: 4,300) -------------------- (J: 7,100)**

Yumi stopped to catch her breath…

"Of all the Monsters that I imagined I'd see playing this game…" she said, "an alien hummingbird never quite made the list…"

She took some deep breaths again.

"You know, Jaden," she said with a slight smile. "Maybe it's just the pain talking… But I think it's working… I feel fuller of energy than ever…"

"Good," said Jaden. "So keep it up…"

"You got it," said Yumi. "On with the duel!"

Yumi drew a card. She looked at the Trap Card.

_Breaker could take out his Hummingbird…_ she thought. _But if I did that…_

"I place one card facedown, and a Monster in Defense Mode," she said.

A facedown Monster and a facedown card appeared.

"Now… Breaker goes into Defense Mode…"

Breaker knelt and shielded himself.

"That will do it," she said.

"Okay then…" said Jaden.

He drew one card.

"And once again…"

A single flower sprouted out of the last card in Yumi's hand. Hummingbird sucked the energy out of it, and Jaden glowed again.

"Now, attack her facedown Monster!"

Hummingbird flew towards the facedown card, and was surprised when Morphing Jar appeared on it. He gave it a peck, and it shattered.

"Heh," said Yumi. "Now we gotta toss what's left of our hands and draw five new cards."

Jaden shrugged. They both discarded the one card they had, and made five draws.

"Bubbleman…" continued Jaden, "attack Breaker!"

Bubbleman fired his cannon at the Magical Warrior…

"I activate Draining Shield!" she shouted.

Her Trap Card lifted, and a dome of force formed around her. The blast of water struck the shield, and Yumi glowed.

Jaden looked at the cards he had just drawn.

"Well, that's it for now," he said.

**(Y: 6,700) -------------------- (J: 7,600)**

"Then watch out!" shouted Yumi, drawing a sixth card.

She chose one of them.

"I play… Monster Reborn!" she shouted. "And I'll bring back someone who your Dolphin made me discard…"

The ankh appeared in a fierce, glowing light, and Dark Magician Girl appeared in front of her. She twirled around, and smiled at Jaden. (2,000/1,700)

"Nice…" said Jaden. "Too bad that Syrus couldn't make it here…"

"Pardon?" asked Yumi.

"Long story…" replied Jaden.

"Uhm, continuing…" said Yumi. "I play Sage's Stone. Now, I get to summon someone else… The one and only Dark Magician!"

Dark Magician Girl held aloft her staff, and in a flash of light, the Dark Magician appeared beside her. His apprentice smiled at him. (2,500/2,100)

"And finally…" she said, "I sacrifice Breaker, to summon Chaos Command Magician."

She played the card, and Breaker vanished in grains of light. The more powerful chaos mage appeared. (2,400/1,900)

The three sorcerers glared at Jaden and his two Monsters…

"Dark Magician Girl…" ordered Yumi. "Attack his Hummingbird! Dark burning attack!"

Dark Magician Girl fired a blast of black magic, blowing the Neo-Spacian to shards.

"And without him," continued Yumi, "the effect of your Common Soul goes away."

Bubbleman fell to an Attack of 1,600.

"Chaos Command Magician… Attack his Bubbleman! Chaos magic!"

The chaos mage cast his own hex at the cowled Hero. Bubbleman shielded himself with the Blaster. It shattered, and he stood up, his Attack falling to 800.

"Bubbleman is unharmed…" muttered Jaden. "When he has Bubble Blaster, he can ditch it in order to reduce the damage to zero."

"Swell," said Yumi. "But what will protect him now? Dark Magician… Dark… magic… attack!"

The older mage fired a more intense blast, and Bubbleman was blown to pieces.

**(Y: 6,700) -------------------- (J: 4,700)**

"Not bad," said Jaden. "Got anything else?"

"That's it," said Yumi.

"Then I draw…" said Jaden, drawing a card.

"Heh, heh," he said. "Yumi, uhm… I gotta come clean with you… Using that Trap Card to summon Burstinatrix… I didn't do it to shield myself from a direct attack… See, when Winged Kuriboh was destroyed, my Life Points couldn't have been damaged any more that turn…"

"Then why did you…" started Yumi.

Then it hit her. Burstinatrix's smirk made sense now.

"You _wanted_ me to destroy her, didn't you?" she gasped.

"Yep," said Jaden. "Because I knew it was only a matter of time before I drew this. Check it out! It's Miracle Fusion!"

"Miracle Fusion?" exclaimed Yumi. "Don't you have any normal cards?"

"I'm full of surprises," said Jaden, playing the card. "This card lets me fuse together Elemental Heroes on the field and in my Graveyard by removing them from play. And I ditched Avian earlier to use Aqua Neos's effect.

"So now I can fuse together him and Burstinatrix…

"And let's bring him out… Elemental Hero Flame Wingman!"

Two figures appeared in front of Jaden. One was clearly Burstinatrix. The other was a winged Warrior in green.

Then they swirled together, and formed into a strange, humanoid creature. He had a fiendish-looking face, wore green and red spandex, had a single feathered wing and a long tail, and his right arm was a fierce, red dragon. (2,100/1,200)

"Uhm… Impressive…" said Yumi.

"Wait until you see what's coming next," said Jaden, holding up another Monster card. "I'm gonna use another Elemental Hero, and his name is Captain Gold.

"But don't worry, I'm not going to summon him…"

He discarded the card.

"See, by sending Captain Gold to the Graveyard, I get to add a certain Spell Card to my hand from my deck."

A card appeared in his hand. His Field Slot opened.

"And now I'll play it," he said, placing it in the slot. "Go, Skyscraper!"

Yumi stared in disbelief, as the whole landscape burst open, and the buildings of a huge, dark city rose around the two of them.

"I love playing this card," said Jaden. "Neo-Space doesn't have any large cities… This makes me think of home when I need to… And…"

He pointed upwards. Yumi looked up, and saw that the Flame Wingman was perched on the spire of the tallest building.

"…in this berg, Elemental Heroes gain a thousand Attack Points whenever they attack a Monster that has more Attack Points than they do.

"Flame Wingman, attack the Chaos Command Magician with skydive scorcher!"

Flame Wingman flew off the spire, and erupted in flames. He hurtled towards Chaos Command Magician like a meteorite… His Attack Score rose to 3,100.

Yumi shielded herself, as he was blown to pixels.

"And that's not all," said Jaden. "Thanks to Flame Wingman's effect, whenever he clocks a Monster, you take damage equal to the Attack Score of the Monster he clocks."

Yumi's eyes widened as the Hero pointed his dragon arm at her…

She screamed as she was engulfed in flames.

She fell on one knee.

**(Y: 3,600) -------------------- (J: 4,700)**

"Don't stop now, Yumi!" shouted Jaden. "We're almost there! Back on Earth, your breathing and pulse have restarted, but they're weak. We just have to finish, and you should recover good as new!"

"I have no intention of stopping…" growled Yumi.

Jaden placed a card in his Disk and a facedown card appeared.

"Then by all means, move…" he said.

_That hurt…_ she thought. _But he made one crucial mistake, and it's gonna cost him…_

"I play Premature Burial," she said, playing a card. "Now, I just pay 800 Life Points, and Chaos Command Magician comes back…"

The pavement in front of her burst open, and Chaos Command Magician leapt out of the ground. (2,400/1,900)

"Next…" she said. "I play Mystical Space Typhoon. That means your Field Spell is demolished!"

She played the card, and a cyclone tore across the field. The buildings shattered and collapsed, returning them to the alien beach.

"Chaos Command Magician…" she shouted, "attack the Flame Wingman!"

Chaos Command Magician aimed his staff.

"I activate a Trap Card!" shouted Jaden. "Go, Hero Barrier!"

His facedown card lifted, and Chaos Command Magician's blast was halted by a vortex of pure energy.

"When I have at least one Elemental Hero on the field," he said, "this lets me negate one attack."

"Fine…" said Yumi. "I've got two more Monsters…

"Dark Magician… You do it."

Dark Magician flew at the merged Hero. He fired a blast from his scepter, and the Flame Wingman shattered.

"Dark Magician Girl… Attack directly!"

"Uh… oh…" said Jaden, as the female Spellcaster flew towards him.

A blast of magic struck in a huge explosion, with Jaden in the center. He fell on one knee, and held his chest.

**(Y: 2,800) -------------------- (J: 2,300)**

"Uh… You okay?" asked Yumi.

"Are you kidding?" he replied, getting up. "I've taken _far_ worse than that…"

"Then I'll set this facedown," said Yumi, "and call it a turn."

A facedown card appeared.

Jaden made a draw.

"Okay, Yumi, here goes," he said, playing a card. "I play… Convert Contact. This is a little confusing, so try to follow.

"I can only use this when I have no Monsters on my side of the field. Then I discard two Neo-Spacians, one from my deck, and one from my hand. So, I'll discard Flare Scarab from my hand…"

He discarded a card.

"And then I'll discard Glow Moss from my deck."

He took a card from his deck, and discarded that one too.

"Later guys," he said.

"How many of these Neo-Spacians have you got?" asked Yumi.

"How many?" asked Jaden. "Well, Blair is in charge of keeping track of the population, and the last census was eight months ago… I think…"

"I meant in your deck!" interrupted Yumi.

"Oh, right!" replied Jaden with a laugh. "There are six races of Neo-Spacians, and I have one representative for each in my deck.

"Anyway, as per the effect of Convert Contact, I get to draw two cards."

He made two draws.

"Sweet!" he said, looking at them. "Now I can use a card that always makes me the hit of parties… It's called Cocoon Party.

"See, for every Neo-Spacian in my Graveyard, in other words, three, I now get to summon a Chrysalis Monster."

He played the card, and three small forms appeared on his side of the field.

The three small creatures on the field hardly looked formidable. One was a small, baby dolphin. (400/600) Another was a tiny, black kitten. (800/300) The third was a little, hedgehog-like animal. (700/100) All three of them were surrounded by a wispy, flimsy membrane that suggested a cocoon.

"How cute," said Yumi. "Little baby aliens…"

"They won't stay babies for long," said Jaden. "You thought Skyscraper was a cool Field Spell? Well, I've got another one…"

He placed a new card in his Field Slot.

"Time to go to the real final frontier. I play Neo-Space!"

There was a great flash of light…

Before Yumi knew it, she, her opponent, and their Monsters were standing amid the bodies of the cosmos, with stars, planets, and other celestial bodies both above and below them.

"Okay…" muttered Yumi. "Deep breaths… Deep, cleansing breaths…"

"It gets better…" said Jaden. "In Neo-Space, I can instantly evolve a Chrysalis into its grownup form…"

The three baby aliens glowed…

"So, say hello to Neo-Spacians Dark Panther, Grand Mole, and, uh, I think you already met Aqua Dolphin."

Yumi looked at the three Neo-Spacians. It was indeed the same Aqua Dolphin (600/800), along with a large, black panther wearing a cape (1,000/500) and a short, squat mole-man, wearing a metal collar that looked like two halves of a drilling machine. (900/300)

Yumi's eyes narrowed.

_I don't get it…_ she thought. _Those guys aren't nearly strong enough to beat my Spellcasters…_

_Unless…_

"You're gonna sacrifice those guys, aren't you?" she shouted.

"Heh…" chuckled Jaden. "Well, actually, only two of them…

"But first, I play E-Emergency Call. Now I can take an Elemental Hero from my deck, and add it to my hand…"

He took a card from his deck.

"You guessed it… It's my old friend Neos!

"Panther… Aquos… You two hit the showers…"

Dark Panther and Aqua Dolphin vanished…

And then, Elemental Hero Neos appeared in a flash of light.

"And by the way…" continued Jaden, "since we're in Neo-Space, Neos and all of his Fusions gain 500 extra Attack Points."

(2,500/2,000) –) (3,000/2,000)

"Now… Neos… Grand Mole… Contact Fusion!"

Neos and the Neo-Spacian soared into the sky, just as it had happened before. In a flash of light, a new Hero descended. This one was dressed in bulky, green and brown armor, and his right hand had apparently been replaced by a huge, metal drill. (2,500/2,000) –) (3,000/2,000)

"It's Elemental Hero Grand Neos," said Jaden.

"Okay, Neos, do your stuff!"

The Hero's drill began to spin. Slowly, a black hole in the very fabric of the void started to open…

"What's happening?" shouted Yumi.

Then she let out a cry of surprise as Dark Magician was sucked through the hole.

She let out another cry of surprise when she saw that his card was back in her hand.

"That's his ability," said Jaden. "Once per round, he can send one of your Monsters back to your hand.

"And I still have his normal attack. Neos, attack Chaos Command Magician!"

Chaos Command Magician took a step back. Grand Neos's drill started to spin again, and he flew forward…

It was all Yumi could do to keep from screaming as he plunged the drill into his torso. Luckily, the Spellcaster shattered before anything unpleasant could be seen.

**(Y: 2,200) -------------------- (J: 2,300)**

"All right…" said Jaden. "My turn is over."

Yumi paused. She looked at Grand Neos.

"Uhm…" she muttered. "It's the Field Spell, right? That's what keeps him from disappearing this time, right?"

Jaden nodded.

"In Neo-Space," he replied, "a Monster summoned by Contact Fusion doesn't have to leave."

"Swell…" said Yumi.

She sighed.

[IHe's certainly gotten smarter in the past forty years,[/I she thought. [IHe knew that Chaos Command Magician was immune to that effect… Maybe the stories about him getting by with dumb luck were exaggerations…[/I

She looked at her hand, which now consisted of Dark Magician and Staunch Defender.

Her facedown card was Call of the Haunted, but anything she summoned with it would be in Attack Mode. No Monster in her Graveyard was strong enough to stand up to Neos. And if he sent Dark Magician Girl back to her hand, she would be facing a direct attack next round from… Heavens knew what…

She drew one card.

She smirked…

She took her Staunch Defender card and placed it in her Disk.

"I place this card facedown…" she said.

The facedown card appeared.

"Then, I raise Chaos Command Magician from the Graveyard with Call of the Haunted!"

Her Trap Card lifted, and the Spellcaster appeared in a burst of light. He gave a worried look, and held his stomach with his free hand. Once he was sure that he was in one piece, he turned to face Grand Neos. (2,400/1,900)

"And now…" said Yumi, taking the card she had just drawn, "I Equip him with Mage Power!"

She played the card.

"Now, he gains 500 Attack and Defense Points for each Spell and Trap I have on the field. That's 1,500 points added to both scores…"

Chaos Command Magician glowed, and shot up to (3,900/3,400)

"…and that's just enough to bring this duel home. Chaos Command Magician, attack Elemental Hero Grand Neos with chaos magic!"

Chaos Command Magician smirked, and flew at Neos, his scepter glowing with multicolored flames. With a blast of energy, the cosmic hero was blown to shards.

"Dark Magician Girl, finish this!" shouted Yumi. "Attack directly!"

Dark Magician Girl flew at Jaden and cast her lethal spell. He hollered and fell to his knees.

**(Y: 2,200) -------------------- (J: 0)**

"Well, Jaden…" said Yumi, "that's game!"

"Heh, heh…" laughed Jaden. "Hey, that's my line!"

The void of Neo-Space vanished, returning them to the beach.

"Not bad, Yumi," said the voice of the Pharaoh. "It's good to know that we were able to spring back so soon."

"Let's hope it was enough," replied Yumi.

"Oh, it was enough," said Jaden, with a laugh.

He walked up to Yumi.

"As soon as I send you back, you'll recover completely, much to Erik's shock.

"But be careful… Rasputin will find out quickly that you aren't dead, and he won't give up. You'll have to be more careful. What I just did… I'll never be able to do it a second time. Not for you, and not for any of your friends.

"I had to exploit several loopholes I discovered in the laws of the cosmos to save you, and now that I've done that, at least one of those loopholes, likely more, will almost definitely close, making my intervention impossible."

Yumi sighed.

"I understand," she said. "But will I ever see you again?"

Jaden smiled.

"Maybe…" he said. "Remember when I said that Syrus was colonizing a new planet? He's been in charge of exploration and colonization of Neo-Space since we took charge. This place keeps getting bigger, and soon, we'll need more help to govern it.

"So… if you and your friends are ever interested in the positions when they open…"

"Well, I kinda had my heart on a medical degree," said Yumi, "but we'll think about it."

"I'll call you," continued Jaden. "In the meantime, take this."

He handed her a card.

Yumi looked at the Trap Card.

"Keep it as a souvenir," he said. "And I have a feeling you might need it eventually."

"Well…" said Yumi. "Thanks for the help… And thanks for the duel."

"Yeah…" said Jaden. "Boy, Chazz and Alexis are never going to let me hear the end of this when they find out you beat me… They're gonna want to duel me again the next chance they get…

"Anyway… good luck. Give Rasputin an extra shot for me, huh?"

He started to say something else, but Yumi couldn't make it out. He and the surroundings were fading away.

The last thing Yumi heard was Winged Kuriboh's gentle cooing before everything went black.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Ren, Chelsea, and Sam were about ready to cry, as Erik applied rescue breathing to Yumi for what would be his last attempt.

"Yumi, please…" pleaded Ren, with tears forming in his eyes.

"Mmph… Mmph… Mmph…" came a noise.

"ERIK!" shouted Yumi.

She pushed him off of her.

Erik looked in disbelief, as Yumi sat up.

"Just out of curiosity, Erik," said Yumi, "did you brush your teeth this morning?"

"YUMI!" screamed Ren and Chelsea.

Before Yumi could react, she was smothered by hugs.

"Guys, please, don't crush me…" she said.

Erik looked in further disbelief.

"No way…" he muttered. "A minute ago you were gone… No-one can recover so fast from that state like that…"

Yumi stood up.

"Well, guys, you see…" she said.

She paused. She didn't know if she wanted to tell them. She wasn't sure if she believed it herself…

"It was a miracle…" muttered Sam.

_Was it a miracle? _thought Yumi. _Maybe I could have just dreamed the whole thing…_

She noticed she was holding something.

She held it up. It was the card Jaden had given her.

She looked up, through the glass roof of the arboretum, into the night sky…

_Thanks, Jaden…_ she thought.

"Guys," she said, "miracle or not, I'm back… But Rasputin has the Rod of the Ancients…

"The true battle is about to begin…"

She paused.

"Man, I'm hungry…

"Oh, uhm, Ren? If you're thinking of reworking your deck, I have a little suggestion if you can find it…"

_Yumi has been saved from certain death by a hero from the past… But Jaden cannot intervene a second time, and Rasputin is still around, perhaps stronger than ever, now that the final Shadow Charm is in his possession. What will be the next move of this man with a longing for immortality? Who will be his next target?_

**0**

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**0**

**Chelsea: Yumi, you almost died! You have to just take it easy tonight!**

**Yumi: I know Chelsea, but I'm worried. Rasputin is out there, he has the Rod of the Ancients, and it's only a matter of time before he finds out how to use it. **

**He's a dangerous man. All five of us have Charms, and he might target any of us…**

**Cassandra: No, Yumi, tonight, his target is not you… It's time I stopped being a spectator…**

**Coming up next, "Rasputin versus Cassandra; Battle in the Realm of Thought".**

**Whom will Fate smile upon in this confrontation? Only time will tell…**

**0**

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**0**

_I'd like to share with you the history of this chapter._

_I had two problems outlining this fic. _

_Problem one: I was kind of at a loss to explain how Yumi could lose the duel and survive. I made sure to have Holly survive in the first Yami no Oujou to prove that survival was possible. Originally, I was going to have Yumi recover by having a secret power of her Crown activate. But then I thought it was lame._

_Problem two: I wanted badly to have a duelist use a Neo-Spacian Deck, but it was impossible. In the anime world, the cards in this type of deck are unique to Jaden, and he would have never sold them for any price. Making counterfeits of them was unlikely as well._

_Then it hit me…_

_I thought up a way to solve both problems at once._

_The reason I had Yumi win the duel in this chapter was to please people who are upset by Jaden's apparent invincibility. I know there are a lot of people out there like this._

_One small comment before I leave._

_This future possibility does not take into account Season Four of GX. Basically, the only thing that is now known about Season Four is, there is a Season Four. Should Jaden not survive to see the end of the series… Well, this fic is an alternate reality anyway. We'll chalk it up to another way the future turned out differently._


	37. Battle in the Realm of Thought

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**CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX**

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**Rasputin versus Cassandra**

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**Battle in the Realm of Thought**

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As the five of them left the arboretum, Chelsea had her arm around Yumi, both to comfort her, and to prevent her from collapsing, which Chelsea feared might happen any minute.

"Don't worry, Yumi," said Chelsea. "We're all at Gold… None of us have to duel again until the finals…

"We'll take it easy tonight… The two of us can order out…"

She grinned and whispered into Yumi's ear.

"…maybe order some spicy movies on the hotel channel that our parents would never let us watch…"

"Yeah…" said Yumi, with a weak smile. "I'd like that… A rest for a night…"

They didn't know that a block away, Rasputin and his two protégés were watching…

…watching with disbelief.

"She's alive…" muttered Rasputin.

He stared for a minute.

"Impossible…"

He frowned.

"Two of my men died… Another is in a coma… My homunculus was destroyed… And yet, Yumi walks away unharmed? It doesn't make sense…"

"Look on the bright side," said Olga. "At least you have one of the most powerful Shadow Charms."

Rasputin looked at the Rod of the Ancients with a quizzical look.

"Mmm," said Nicholas. "Even though you took a stupid risk to get it. I still don't believe you put that Trap Card in your deck."

Rasputin didn't answer. He leafed though his deck, and found the Power Wall card. He looked at it…

Truthfully, he _didn't_ ever put it in his deck. He had heard of this card before, but he had never considered obtaining a copy.

He frowned. He had a pretty good idea where this had come from, and he didn't like it…

"As the great Bard once said," he said, as he shuffled it back into his deck, "something is rotten in Denmark. Yumi knows something… And whatever it is, I want to know it too…"

"Uhm, I have a suggestion," said Olga.

Rasputin looked at her.

"Uh…" said Olga, "this is probably a long shot, but that Russian duelist I beat gave me this."

She handed Rasputin a business card. He looked at it.

**Madame Cassandra**

**Fortunes told! Futures revealed!**

**Open 9PM to 3AM**

"Olga, you know I don't trust soothsayers…" he muttered.

"I know their kind… Prophets, mediums, fortunetellers…Charlatans. They're all liars and con artists. Trust me, in my long life, I've met many of these scoundrels, each of them more underhanded than the last.

"And ones that can truly see the future are even worse… I heard stories about a duelist who could, who went insane and started some crazy cult…"

"Uhm, that guy wasn't insane," muttered Nicholas. "He was possessed by some evil entity from outer space."

Rasputin looked at him.

"Run that by me again…" he said.

"I could explain it, but it gets a little bizarre about halfway through," replied Nicholas.

"Look, this one might work," said Olga. "That Russian duelist… She saw her the first night, and this Cassandra told her to look for love by dueling someone at a certain spot. She told me that after she did, her nights here weren't as lonely as she expected them to be."

Rasputin looked closely at the card. His eyes narrowed.

"Hmmm…" he said.

"Well… It's not like I have anything planned at nine tonight anyway…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

It was close to nine PM when the door to Yumi's hotel room buzzed.

Chelsea peered through the peephole, and as she expected, the pizza guy was there.

"Hi," he said, as she opened the door, "I have an order here, two large, deep dish, three-sausage pizzas…"

"Got it…" said Chelsea holding up her badge. "Here, add five-dollars for yourself."

The pizza guy stared at her as she scanned the badge.

"A five-dollar tip for two pizzas?" he asked. "What are you, rich?"

"No," said Chelsea, "just happy to have gotten out of a bad situation…"

She took the pizzas to the living room, where Yumi was waiting.

"Oh, this is great," giggled Chelsea, opening one of the pizza boxes. "Yumi… I can't remember the last time the two of us just had a private 'girls' time'."

"We should do it more often…" said Yumi, taking a slice.

She paused.

"Chelsea…" she asked, "do you believe in… extraterrestrial life?"

"Mmm…" said Chelsea, between chews. "Well, I won't say no, but I'd have to see some before I say yes."

Yumi paused again.

"What would you say…" asked Yumi, "if the ruler of… some alien empire wanted you to help him rule?"

Chelsea looked at her strangely.

"Okay, I didn't expect a question like _that_," she said.

"Oh, never mind…" said Yumi. "Want to play Truth or Dare?"

Chelsea giggled.

"Okay, you go first," she said.

"Truth," said Yumi.

"What's the theme of your second deck?" asked Chelsea.

Yumi's eyes narrowed. She took one large bite of pizza.

"I'll tell you…" she said, "but breathe a word of this to anyone, and you're gonna be the first duelist who gets flattened by it…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Rasputin looked up at the two sinister eyes above Cassandra's door.

As he walked in, the fortuneteller was sitting at her table, looking at a card she had just drawn.

_Figures,_ she thought, putting it back.

"Soothsayer," said Rasputin, "I heard you were the real deal."

Cassandra's only answer was to look at him with a cold stare.

He stared back.

"I need answers," said Rasputin.

"I cannot give them," replied Cassandra.

"What?" said Rasputin. "Listen, soothsayer, I came because…"

"Because you are puzzled by Yumi's resilience, and you want to know her secrets," replied Cassandra. "I know them, but you will not."

Rasputin walked up to the table.

"Don't make me force you…" he said.

He held up the Rod of the Ancients.

"An empty threat," said Cassandra. "You have no idea yet how to use that Charm's power."

Rasputin's eyes narrowed.

"You have no idea what I'm capable of…" he said.

"On the contrary," she replied, "I know exactly what you are capable of, practitioner of infernal alchemy."

Rasputin stepped back in shock…

He had never told anyone that he practiced infernal alchemy…

His eyes narrowed again.

"So you know…" he said. "Then you obviously realize how dangerous I can be… How do you know that I don't have with me a dose of thrall powder that I could use on you right this moment?"

"First of all, I'm immune to such concoctions," replied Cassandra. "Second, I know you don't have any with you. The only things you have with you right now are your Disk, deck, side deck, wallet, watch, cell phone, and the gold ball point pen in the hidden pocket of your jacket that you've been looking for for two days now."

Rasputin drew back in surprise again. He felt for that pocket.

Sure enough, that pen was there. He had never realized that he had put it there.

"Well then…" said Rasputin, looming over her. "There is the fact that I'm a strong, healthy male, while you're a tender, young female…"

His hand fell on her shoulder…

Then her hand grabbed his hand in a powerful vice grip.

She angrily glared at him.

"Once, when I was younger and more 'tender'," she snarled, "a cretin made a similar mistake, and approached me with thoughts of rape… By the time I was done with him, he was begging me to call the constabulary…"

Rasputin started to sweat. Cassandra glared at him and slowly released him.

"I'm not unreasonable…" she said. "And maybe there's a way I can teach you humility, Rasputin…

"You want to know how Yumi survived… I'll let you know her secrets, perhaps… But only once I lie defeated at your feet."

"You mean… duel?" asked Rasputin.

Cassandra stood up.

"Yes…" she replied. "After all, that is how duelists do things, is it not? We are both duelists…

"But one condition… We duel at my arena…"

Rasputin looked at her.

"I accept!" he said.

Cassandra smiled evilly.

Her eyes burned with purple fire. The room started to warp and twist…

"What's happening?" shouted Rasputin. "Stop this!"

"Too late…" replied Cassandra. "You accepted my challenge… Now you must duel me… At my arena…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"No way…" muttered Chelsea.

"Yes way…" replied Yumi. "My grandfather… He started looking for the cards right after he got back from Duelist Kingdom. After the rules changed with Battle City, he got more serious…

"He never completed the deck, but my dad started where he left off. And even he never finished it.

"I added the last card two weeks ago. It's finally done…"

"So why don't you use it?" asked Chelsea.

"I want to save it for a special occasion," said Yumi. "Trust me, I will eventually… I'm just waiting for the right time…

"Remember the deal… You tell anyone, I test it out on _you._"

"My lips are sealed!" said Chelsea, nervously.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Where the devil…" said Rasputin, holding his head.

He looked around…

He was standing on a rocky surface, and above and to all sides was a silvery, glowing void. Strange shapes that he couldn't make out floated in the ether.

"Where am I?" he asked.

"The Realm of Thought," said Cassandra's voice.

She appeared twenty paces in front of him.

"Look, woman…" said Rasputin. "I may be an alchemist, but actual acts of sorcery I usually steer clear of."

"Don't fret," said Cassandra. "This realm, the Astral Plane, is a fitting battleground, because it represents both of us.

"Me, because it is the Realm of Thought, and my powers derive from thought.

"As for you, as you might know, there have been times in the past when powerful entities, beings that some would call gods, have perished.

"Sometimes they simply lose all their worshippers, lose all their power, and die from a sort of spiritual starvation… Or whatever they represent no longer exists, depriving them of a purpose, giving them no reason to be…

"Or perhaps a mighty battle occurs where titans clash, and a divine force is slain… It has happened at times…

"But anyway, whenever a god dies, whether it is with a whimper or a bang, its body is transported to the Astral, where it becomes a giant island of stone.

"Thus, this place fits your ideals… It proves that gods can die.

"In fact, we're standing on one right now, though I won't reveal its identity."

All of a sudden, Rasputin became excited… He had heard stories… Stories about how the corpses of dead gods held priceless minerals that could be used for powerful alchemical solutions…

"Don't even think about it," said Cassandra. "Even if I let you, and I won't, there are powerful entities here that protect these god-islands from being desecrated.

"Now… Like I said… I will only reveal my secrets when I lie defeated at your feet. So now… We duel…"

"Very well…" said Rasputin, placing his deck into his Disk.

"After all, I beat the Princess of Games. How hard could you be?"

Cassandra raised her left arm, and a Disk that seemed to be made of pure glass with a flared tray appeared on it.

The two Disks activated.

"Duel…" she said.

**(Cassandra: 8,000) -------------------- (Rasputin: 8,000)**

"The first move is yours," said Cassandra.

Rasputin drew his first card, and looked over his hand.

_Not a bad start…_ he thought.

He placed a card on his Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared.

"That will do," he said.

Cassandra drew a card.

"I summon… Arcana Force III: The Empress," she exclaimed.

She placed a card on her Disk, and a tall form materialized. It looked like a vaguely female creature with glowing eyes, tendrils in place of hair, and claws, clothed in a blue bodysuit with a very high collar. (1,300/1,300)

"Erk!" gasped Rasputin. "And people say MY Monsters are creepy! So what does that thing do?"

"This 'thing', as you put it, has two effects," replied Cassandra. "Which one it gets depends on who's luck is better…"

The Empress's card appeared over it, and started to spin.

"Simply say when you want the card to stop, and it will do the rest…"

"Stop that card!" shouted Rasputin.

The card slowed, and came to a halt right-side-up.

"Here's the deal, Rasputin…" said Cassandra. "Whenever you Normal Summon a Monster, The Empress's upright effect will allow me to summon one."

"Heh…" said Rasputin. "Too bad it won't be around for long… I can kill it with no problem…"

"Then by all means, try," replied Cassandra. "I end my turn…"

Rasputin drew a card.

He looked at The Empress.

_What is she planning?_ he thought. _It has only 1,300 Attack Points, and she has no facedown cards… She should know I could destroy it without half-trying…_

He looked at the card he had drawn.

_Not bad…_ he thought.

"I summon… Darkfire Soldier #2," he said.

He played the card, and a Pyro appeared clothed in a fiery kimono, holding two blazing katana blades. He held them up dramatically. (1,700/1,100)

"I activate The Empress's effect," said Cassandra. "I summon its companion… Arcana Force IV: The Emperor!"

In a flash of light, the much bigger Monster, the one made of black metal with no legs, claws, bat-like wings, and a skull-like face appeared. (1,400/1,400)

"And once again…" said Cassandra.

The card appeared, and started to spin.

"Okay, stop!" shouted Rasputin.

The card stopped, landing right-side-up.

"That means that all Monsters on my side of the field with the words 'Arcana Force' in their names gain 500 Attack Points," said Cassandra.

The Empress rose to an Attack of 1,800, while The Emperor itself rose to 1,900.

"Now…" continued Cassandra. "You were saying that killing my Empress would be no problem?"

Rasputin looked at her angrily.

"I end my turn!" he shouted.

Cassandra drew a card.

"I summon… Arcana Force II: The High Priestess!" she shouted.

A new Monster materialized. This one resembled light carved into a female form, carrying an orb in either hand and seated in a ruby throne. (1,200/1,200) –) (1,700/1,200)

The card appeared above it, and started to spin.

"I'm not even gonna bother this time…" growled Rasputin.

The card slowly stopped, and landed upside-down.

"HA!" laughed Rasputin, as he started to glow with golden energy. "Looks like I win that one!"

"Indeed…" said Cassandra. "That means you gain 1,000 Life Points. But you'll need all the Life Points you can get…

"Empress, attack his Darkfire Soldier. Mystical blast."

The Empress put its hands together, forming a crackling globe of light. It hurled it at the Pyro, and he burst into an explosion of flame.

"Emperor, attack his facedown Monster."

Four metal claws shot forward. Stay Asmodian appeared on the card, and was torn apart.

"Thank you…" said Rasputin. "Now we both gain 800 more Life Points."

"High Priestess," said Cassandra, disregarding the comment, "attack directly. Flaming orbs."

The Priestess's two orbs burned with fire, and it hurled them at Rasputin. He cringed and staggered backwards.

**(C: 8,800) -------------------- (R: 8,000)**

Cassandra chuckled.

"The High Priestess is the card that represents Yumi, by the way," she said. "Ironic, isn't it?"

"All right…" growled Rasputin. "My move…"

He drew a card.

"I play… Graceful Charity…" he said.

He played the card. It was unlikely that any angel would ever appear to him, but his deck simply glowed, and he drew three cards.

He looked over his hand, and then discarded Little Chimera and Darkfire Soldier #1.

"If Normal Summoning is going to let you summon a Monster each time…" he said, "I'm just going to have to defend myself without Normal Summoning.

"First, I'll set a Monster in Defense Mode."

A facedown Monster appeared.

"Next, I'll remove Little Chimera from play to Special Summon Inferno. Defense Mode."

The card fell out of his discard slot, and the fire spirit, resembling a large bonfire, appeared in front of him. (1,100/1,900)

"Next…" he said, "I'll remove Stray Asmodian from play to Special Summon another one, also in Defense Mode."

Another card fell out of his discard slot, and another of the fiendish, fiery spirits appeared in a blaze of flames. It shielded itself in defense. (1,100/1,900)

"And that's all…"

Cassandra drew a card.

"I summon Arcana Force VI: The Lovers," she said.

She played the card, and in a burst of energy, a new Monster appeared. It was strange… It definitely did NOT suggest lovers. It was an armored figure with a helmet, and two arms that ended in metal mitts. (1,600/1,600) –) (2,100/1,600)

"I'm sure you know how it works…" she said.

The card appeared and started to spin…

"Grrr… Stop!" shouted Rasputin.

The card landed right-side-up.

"You're cheating, soothsayer!" shouted Rasputin.

"I've been accused of that several times," said Cassandra. "Many people have called me a cheater, liar, charlatan, and names I don't care to repeat.

"Bottom line, Rasputin, my powers are great, and my faith in the entities who granted me my powers is also great. Thus, the outcome is favorable for me most of the time.

"Especially here, the Astral Plane, at the source of my power, where it feeds me directly.

"Now where were we? Oh yes…

"Lovers… Attack the first Inferno with bright embrace."

The Lovers's eyes glowed, and a blast of multicolored orbs flew at Inferno. It exploded into a burst of fire.

"Emperor, attack the facedown Monster!"

The four claws shot forward. Abaki appeared on the card, and was ripped to pieces.

"That means we both lose 500 Life Points…" muttered Rasputin.

**(C: 8,300) -------------------- (R: 7,500)**

"I end my turn…" said Cassandra.

_I'm getting mighty sick of this…_ thought Rasputin. _I'm gonna have to deal with that Empress one last time to summon a powerful Monster…_

He drew a card.

His eyes opened. It was Power Wall.

He looked at the other cards in his hand. He chose one.

"I play Premature Burial," he said.

He played the card, and Darkfire Soldier #2 reappeared. (1,700/1,100)

"Now, I sacrifice both my Monsters, to summon Flame Ogre."

Darkfire Soldier and Inferno vanished, and a hulking, muscular, bald giant with orange skin dressed in a ragged pair of trousers appeared in front of him. (2,400/1,700)

"His effect activates, letting me draw one card..."

He made a draw.

"And now The Empress's effect activates," said Cassandra. "The Monster I want to summon this time requires two sacrifices. And due to its upright effect, The Lovers can count as two sacrifices.

"So, I sacrifice The Lovers…"

The Lovers vanished…

"To summon Arcana Force XVIII: The Moon!"

In a burst of energy, a huge creature appeared. It looked like a giant chamber with a glass bubble on the front, with two thin arms on its sides with large hands, mounted on a mass of metal tendrils. (2,800/2,800) –) (3,300/2,800)

"That's no moon!" shouted Rasputin. "That's a space station!"

"Old pop culture references will not save you…" said Cassandra.

The card appeared above The Moon and started to spin. Rasputin was silent.

Eventually, it landed right-side-up.

"What a surprise…" growled Rasputin. "But I will not be denied…

"Flame Ogre, attack that blasted Empress! Flaming fist!"

Flame Ogre's fist became enveloped in fire, and it threw a punch, squashing The Empress flat.

"I place two cards facedown, and end my turn," said Rasputin.

Two facedown cards appeared behind Flame Ogre.

**(C: 7,700) -------------------- (R: 6,700)**

"I draw one card…" said Cassandra.

She smiled. Apparently, this was what she had been waiting for.

"The upright effect of The Moon activates, giving me something extra," she said.

The bubble on The Moon burst in an explosion of vile, blue liquid, and a small, alien creature leapt out, landing on all fours. (0/0)

"It's called a Moon Token. And now, I sacrifice it, and The High Priestess, in order to summon my mightiest Monster…"

The Token and The High Priestess vanished into sparkles of light…

Then an explosion of light erupted in front of Cassandra.

"I summon… Arcana Force XXI, also known as…

"THE WORLD!"

A titanic creature loomed over the field. It looked like a metal ring, etched with eldritch runes, mounted on a spire, with two mighty claws on each side. In the lower half of the ring was a small protrusion that suggested a face. (3,100/3,100) –) (3,600/3,100)

"Impressive, isn't it?" she asked.

"Kind of depends on your definition of 'impressive'," said Rasputin, looking at the huge creature.

The card appeared above it and started to spin.

"Why should I even bother…" muttered Rasputin. "Oh, stop!"

The card stopped quickly, and landed right-side-up.

"Enough talk," said Cassandra. "Moon… Attack his Flame Ogre. Meteor mash."

The Moon glowed with energy.

"I activate a Trap Card!" shouted Rasputin. "Flame Barricade!"

One of his facedown cards lifted.

"I just have to sacrifice one Fire Monster, and I can't lose any Life Points this round."

Flame Ogre vanished, and a wall of flames sprang up, deflecting the blast.

Cassandra shut her eyes.

"Very well, Rasputin…" she said. "You saved yourself from losing for now, but you still won't escape unscathed…

"I activate The World's upright effect, which I can do by sacrificing two Monsters… Emperor, Moon, begone."

The Emperor and The Moon shattered into pixels, and The World fell to an attack of 3,100.

"Sorry, Rasputin," she continued, "but now, your next turn is skipped."

"WHAT?" shouted Rasputin, as the flames died down to nothing.

"Which means it's my turn again," said Cassandra, drawing a card.

She looked at it.

"It seems your only protection now is that last facedown card… Use it if you dare…"

Rasputin looked at the facedown Power Wall.

_There's no way I can discard thirty-one cards!_ he thought. _I don't have that many left!_

_Maybe I can just discard some…_

_But I don't have Gren or Skull Lair in my hand! If I use it, there's no telling what I'd lose…_

_Clearly… This card was a double-edged sword… Just like all of the other "gifts" that beast has given me…_

"Arcana Force XXI," ordered Cassandra. "Attack him directly! Wrath of Gaea!"

Thunder rolled, and a lightning storm erupted over the field, striking Rasputin and sending him sprawling to the ground.

Cassandra paused.

She fit a card into her Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

"Your move…" she said.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The pizza was finished, and Yumi had found a few board games in her room's closet. She and Chelsea were reclined on the floor, in the middle of a game of Go.

"So, Yumi…" said Chelsea, "I gotta admit, you had us worried for a while… We really though you were dead for a few minutes."

Yumi shook her head as she placed a new stone on the board.

"Well, it's kind of complex, Chelsea," she muttered. "Very hard to explain without making me sound like a complete lunatic…

"Let me just put it this way… Sam said it was a miracle, and maybe that's the best way to explain it…

"But I know one thing… The same miracle won't happen again. If another one of us loses a Yami no Oujou…"

"Hey…" said Chelsea. "All eight of the Charms have been claimed! That means no more Yami no Oujous!"

Yumi looked at her.

"Yeah…" she muttered. "You're right…

"But then… That leaves the question of how we're going to get those three Charms away from Rasputin and his henchmen…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Rasputin was down on one knee. He took some long, deep breaths…

**(C: 7,700) -------------------- (R: 3,600)**

"Ironic, isn't it?" asked Cassandra. "Struck down by the very thing you seek to conquer and subjugate."

Rasputin got up.

"You know, maybe I do want to rule the world," he growled. "But I don't see what harm that would do… If I were in charge, I couldn't run things much worse than the way they're being run now. I mean, have you watched the evening news lately?"

"Touché," replied Cassandra.

"Furthermore," he continued, "have you ever considered how much better off the world might be if we got rid of religion? Do you have any idea how many crimes, atrocities, and terrorist acts are committed by people who use such beliefs as an excuse?

"If we had the nerve to abolish the higher powers from our lives, so many wars would be avoided, there'd be no excuse for half the hatred and prejudice in the world, and we might have the beginnings of actual peace…"

"So thought the Communist governments that ultimately failed," said Cassandra. "They tried to do away with religion for the same reasons, and discovered that their ideas were not well-received.

"If such ideas were widespread, the world would be a sad and depressing place. Unlike you, a lot of people would be unhappy with nothing to put their faith in.

"You must be loads of fun at Christmas, Rasputin."

"Oh, what does Christmas have to do with religion any more?" asked Rasputin. "When I was young, it had a deep meaning… Now its meaning has been lost thanks to business and the media…"

He drew a card.

"All right, soothsayer," he said, "I'm done playing around.

"I play… Pot of Greed."

He played the card, and the jug appeared in the air. He drew two cards.

He looked at them.

"Next I'll play… Blasting Vein. I'll destroy my Power Wall, in order to draw two more cards."

The Power Wall card lifted up, and flaming cracks appeared over it. It exploded into fiery shards. He drew twice again.

"That may be the smartest thing you've done in years," replied Cassandra with a slight grin.

Rasputin looked over the four cards in his hand.

"Next I play Card Destruction," he said, playing one. "Now we must fold our hands, and draw an equal number."

Cassandra shrugged, and discarded her cards as Rasputin discarded his. They each drew three cards.

Rasputin looked over his new hand.

"Next," he continued, "I play Soul Release. Now, I can remove five cards in either Graveyard from play. And I'm going to remove five of mine."

Five cards slipped out of his discard slot, and he placed them inside his jacket.

"I'll place a card facedown, and end my turn," he said.

A facedown card appeared.

Cassandra drew a card. She added it to her hand.

"Arcana Force XXI," she commanded, "destroy him!"

The World glowed with energy again.

"I activate my Trap!" shouted Rasputin. "Skull Lair!"

His facedown card lifted.

"Now, I'll remove eight more cards in my Graveyard from play, and your World is about to come tumbling down!"

Cassandra cringed as the large Monster in front of her exploded in a fiery conflagration.

"So be it…" she said. "It is your move…"

Rasputin chuckled, and drew a card.

"I play a Spell Card," he said, playing a card. "It's called Bonfire. Now, I can take any Fire Monster I choose from my deck, so long as it's Level Four or less…"

He chuckled again as he leafed through his deck.

"And it's funny… In this case, being low level does not amount to being weak at all…"

He took the card and held it up.

"Now I summon it… Gren Maju Da Eiza!" he shouted.

He played the card, and like in his duel with Yumi, the blazing bonfire appeared, and the hideous Chaos Fiend emerged from it.

Rasputin grinned evilly…

"I've removed fifteen cards from play so far…" he said. "That means… Well, see for yourself…"

Gren Maju Da Eiza burned with fire… (6,000/6,000)

"Attack her directly!" shouted Rasputin. "Fires of Chaos!"

The blast of white-hot fire shot forward, striking Cassandra. She screamed and flew backwards…

**(C: 1,700) -------------------- (R: 3,600)**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Having put the game away, Chelsea was doing Yumi's hair.

"No disrespect for your family," said Chelsea, "but you all do seem to have strange tastes in beauticians. Where did you all get your hair done?"

"It's a family secret," answered Yumi.

"Well, in a few minutes, I'll have a new, trendy style for you," said Chelsea with a smile.

"Wonder what Rasputin is doing?" sighed Yumi. "I really don't trust him, you know. We don't even know what that Rod can do, and he's likely doing no good with it…"

"Eh, what're you gonna do?" asked Chelsea, shaking a can of mousse.

"I have to do something, Chelsea!" she replied. "I can't help but feel that it was my fault… That I let the Rod fall into his hands because I did something wrong…"

"Don't feel too bad…" replied Chelsea. "Everyone makes mistakes once in a while…

"You know, I remember once, I really goofed up… A friend of mine was sick in bed with the mumps, so I made her breakfast in bed…

"Heh, heh, and I spilled it all over her!"

She giggled.

Yumi frowned.

"Chelsea, that was me…" she said with a sigh.

There was a long pause.

"We'll worry about that later," said Chelsea, combing her hair out. "Way I see it, you know his strategy now, so you can prepare for it. You won't be defeated next time. Some people say you learn more from losing than you do from winning.

"In other words, you can learn from your mistake, and not make the same mistake again.

"It's like an old song goes… From the ashes of disaster grow the roses of success."

"What old song was that?" asked Yumi.

"Oh… it was from some old Dick Van Dyke movie, I think…" replied Chelsea. "One that he made for kids…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Cassandra slowly sat up. Smoke was pouring from her body…

Her eyes glowed again…

"Not bad…" she said. "But this duel is not over yet…"

She stood up. She drew a card.

_That's impossible!_ thought Rasputin. _She should be on the ground writhing in agony!_

"I summon Arcana Force 0: The Fool," said Cassandra.

She played the card, and like in her duel with Yumi, the man-shaped creature made up of golden spheres, with a mask of comedy where the head would be, topped with a cavalier hat, appeared in front of her. (1,000/1,000)

Its card appeared above it, and it started to spin.

"Now," said Cassandra, "if it lands upright, I can destroy one of your Spell or Trap Cards, but if it lands inverted, you can destroy one of mine."

"Humph, as if it will matter," said Rasputin. "Stop."

The card stopped, and it was right-side-up.

"I choose to destroy your Skull Lair," said Cassandra.

The Fool's eyes glowed, and the Trap Card burst.

"I end my turn," she said.

"I don't see the point of that," said Rasputin, drawing a card. "Once my Chaos Fiend attacks, this duel will be over…

"Attack The Fool! Fires of Chaos!"

Gren Maju Da Eiza blasted its fiery scourge, and The Fool was eradicated.

"Hmmm…" said Rasputin, looking through the flames.

**(C: 1,700) -------------------- (R: 3,600)**

"What?" he said. "Your Life Points should be zero!"

Then a card appeared in front of Cassandra…

"I discarded a special Monster called Arcana Force XIV," replied Cassandra, as it disintegrated, "also known as Temperance. Doing so reduced the damage to my Life Points to zero."

"Damn it!" shouted Rasputin. "Why won't you die?

"Very well… Make your move… You'll never defeat my Chaos Fiend."

Cassandra drew a card.

"Actually," she said, "I intend to destroy it on this turn…

"I play the Spell Card, Necro Sacrifice."

"Necro Sacrifice?" replied Rasputin. "Don't like the sound of that… What does that do?"

"First…" explained Cassandra. "I take two Monsters from my Graveyard, and Special Summon them to your side of the field. However, you get to choose the battle modes.

"So… I think I'll give you… My Lovers and my High Priestess."

Two flashes of light shot forward, and the two Tarot Monsters appeared to either side of Gren Maju Da Eiza. (1,600/1,600), (1,200/1,200)

"I… I choose Defense Mode," said Rasputin.

The two Monsters knelt and shielded themselves.

Then the two cards appeared above them and started to spin.

"Now I get to tell them when to stop," said Cassandra.

"Stop right there!"

The two cards stopped, landing right-side-up.

"Looks like you got lucky," said Cassandra. "You got the positive effects. Since The High Priestess is upright, you gain 1,000 Life Points.

"However, The Lovers isn't going to survive long enough for you to use its effect. You see, since I summoned two Monsters to your side of the field, I can now Normal Summon a Monster that normally requires two sacrifices.

"And the Monster I'm summoning…

"Well… I don't use this one very often… It brings out the beast in me. This Monster represents the Adversary of Man… It represents our vices and impulses, all that is negative with the world…

"I'm talking about…

"Arcana Force XV: The Devil!"

In an explosion of energy, a horrid creature arose next to Cassandra. Its body was diamond-shaped, with four, glistening, lidless eyes, and was mounted on a thick tentacle. It also had two long, barbed tentacles for arms. The whole thing glistened with slime. (2,500/2,500)

"Look into its eyes, Rasputin…" said Cassandra.

"It's hard not to…" he replied.

The card appeared above the creature and started to spin.

"Listen closely," she said. "If it lands upright, then when it destroys one Monster in battle, I get to destroy another one. If it lands inverted, then when it attacks, all Monsters on the field are destroyed."

"WHAT?" shouted Rasputin. "Now wait just a minute! That's bad for me either way!"

"Fool," replied Cassandra. "Don't you know anything about the Tarot? When The Devil shows up, it's _never_ a positive sign."

The card stopped, and landed right-side-up.

"Attack The Lovers!" shouted Cassandra. "Wicked talon!"

The Devil lunged forward with one tentacle, and The Lovers shattered. Then, Gren Maju Da Eiza howled and burst into flames. Then it shattered as well.

"Gren…" gasped Rasputin. "Beaten…"

"I almost forgot to mention," said Cassandra. "You also lose 500 Life Points."

Rasputin cringed as a dark aura appeared around him.

**(C: 1,700) -------------------- (R: 4,100)**

"My move…" he muttered. "And I still can beat you… I'm no one-hit wonder…"

He looked at his deck. Then he looked at The Devil.

_You can beat it, Rasputin…_ he thought. _You've gotten the better of stronger devils than this one before…_

He drew a card.

He smirked.

He took a card from his hand.

"I Equip The High Priestess with Axe of Despair," he said.

A shadowy shape appeared in the Tarot Monster's arms, and then an ugly axe appeared in them. (2,200/1,200)

"Not strong enough," said Cassandra.

"Maybe not," replied Rasputin. "But now that it has more than 2,000 points, I can use it to summon something better. I sacrifice it, along with the last card in my hand…"

He discarded his Hiita the Fire Charmer.

"…to summon my Infernal Incinerator!"

In another burst of flame, a Monster that was just as big as Gren appeared on the field. It looked like some huge, fiery, fiendish beetle, with six clawed legs, a thick tail, and spikes protruding from its torso. (2,800/1,800)

"Not only is it strong enough to fry your Devil," said Rasputin, "but it gains 200 more Attack Points for each Monster on your side of the field."

The Infernal Incinerator roared as its Attack Score rose to 3,000.

"Attack!" shouted Rasputin. "Infernal rage!"

The Infernal Incinerator blasted a gout of flame that was almost as intense as the one that had hit Cassandra directly, and The Devil exploded in a burst of light and fire.

**(C: 1,200) -------------------- (R: 4,100)**

"Your Devil just went down in flames!" laughed Rasputin.

"Eh, parting is such sweet sorrow," muttered Cassandra. "Never did like it much anyway… Since you're out of cards, I guess it's my move…"

She drew a card.

"Well, it's been challenging…" she said. "But you lose on this turn.

"I play Reverse Reborn. I now get to raise an Arcana Force Monster from my Graveyard, so long as I bring it back with its inverted effect."

She played the card, and The Empress reappeared. (1,300/1,300)

"But it won't stay long. I sacrifice it to summon Arcana Force VIII: The Strength."

The Empress vanished, and a larger form appeared. It looked like a cylindrical torso made of steel, floating in the air, with a fiendish face in front, and two clawed arms to each side. (1,800/1,800)

The card appeared and started to spin.

"Now, if it lands upright, I get to take control of one of your Monsters," she explained. "If it lands inverted, you get to take control of all of my Monsters except this one."

The card slowly came to a stop…

It landed upside-down.

"HA!" laughed Rasputin. "Looks like I win!"

"No…" said Cassandra. "Like I said, you lose…

"Trap Card, activate…"

The facedown card she had set after she had attacked directly with The World lifted up…

"It's called Reversal of Fate. When it's played, all Arcana Force Monsters on the field switch from inverted to upright, and vice-versa."

Rasputin's eyes widened in horror as the card turned to right-side-up position.

Then Infernal Incinerator vanished, and reappeared on Cassandra's side.

"You didn't really think I didn't have some way to alter the results, did you?" she asked.

"Of course, since I now have another Monster on my side of the field, your Fiend loses 500 Attack Points…"

The Incinerator fell to an Attack of 2,300.

"But then… It doesn't really matter…

"Arcana Force VIII… Attack directly with crushing wave."

The Strength shot a rippling aura of energy at Rasputin, and he screamed as every muscle in his body cramped and strained.

"Infernal Incinerator… Infernal rage."

Rasputin screamed again, as an inferno from the Fire Fiend erupted around him.

**(C: 1,200) -------------------- (R: 0)**

Rasputin fell to his knees. Then he noticed that he was alone, amid complete fog.

Then a purple flame with two glowing eyes in the center appeared, hovering in front of him.

"You are beaten," said Cassandra's voice, which was now angry and threatening. "My secrets will remain mine. Leave, and do not return."

He clutched his head, and everything went dark…

In the next minute, he was on the street, near where he had entered the fortuneteller's place to begin with.

He got up, burning with rage. He wouldn't let her off that easily…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Well, Yumi," said Chelsea, packing up her stuff, "it's been fun, but we both need some sleep."

She got up.

"You know where my room is if you need me."

"Thanks, Chels," said Yumi. "You helped a lot. And I hope so much that we won't have to duel each other in the finals."

"Dunno," said Chelsea with a smile. "I want to be the Queen of Games as much as you do."

As she left, Yumi walked towards her bed, which at this point looked more desirable than Shangri-La.

She crawled into bed. It took her less than a minute to fall asleep…

And she dreamed herself in Neo-Space, with Elemental Hero Neos and the six strange Neo-Spacians…

Anastasia appeared next to her, and started gently massaging her back.

_I have to be more careful,_ she thought. _Clearly, Rasputin is more powerful than I imagined… He knows a way to trap an angel and lock her up for a while._

She shuddered.

_Obviously, he has made breakthroughs in his quest to rebuke divine powers. That's the only way to explain it…_

_We got lucky this time… I promise you, Yumi… He won't get me again…_

She looked, and saw the Pharaoh watching Yumi as well.

_And I'll do whatever it takes to help him too._

The spirit and the angel looked at each other, and they both nodded. Then they vanished.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Impossible…" said Rasputin.

No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't find Cassandra's place again. It was like her building had disappeared.

His brow furrowed. He knew who was truly to blame for this…

He took the Power Wall card out of his deck and looked at it.

He looked over his shoulder in anger.

"I know you gave me this," he said, even though there apparently wasn't anyone there. "This is what I think of your little favors…"

He tore the card in half. Then he tossed the pieces aside.

He sighed, and held his head.

"Maybe it's time to quit this whole insane quest while I still have my dignity…" he muttered. "I can still retire to Aruba… or Hawaii… At least I can die in comfort instead of…

"ERK!"

He clutched his forehead.

"Oh, what nonsense am I thinking? That soothsayer must have messed with my mind…

"Hawaii… Yeah, right. I'd be bored out of my skull…"

He looked at his badge, which was at Silver.

"Those five kids are at Gold…" he muttered. "Olga, Nicholas, and I will have to get the three remaining slots. We'll have to seek out some other high ranking contestants…"

"RASPUTIN!" shouted a voice.

Rasputin turned around, and saw Enrique.

"I've been looking for you, **Señor**," he said, angrily.

"Not very hard, Mr. Lobo," replied Rasputin. "You haven't returned any of my calls. One would think you were trying to renege on our little agreement."

"That's why I was looking for you, _adoquin_," he replied. "My padre says the deal is off. We're through dealing with you."

Rasputin glared at him.

He noticed Enrique's badge. It was at Silver. He smirked

"You must hate me pretty much, don't you?" he asked.

"Si," said Enrique, with a frown.

"Why not duel me, then?" asked Rasputin. "It would be the perfect way to… get even, so to speak."

Enrique smirked.

"I thought you'd never ask!" he laughed.

Both Disks activated.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Ten minutes later…

Things were not looking good for Enrique. He thought that Rasputin had been a fool for summoning Gren Maju Da Eiza when its Attack Score was only 800. He had tried to summon his Volcanic Doomfire… Only for Rasputin to wipe it out with Skull Lair.

Now, Enrique was facing the Chaos Fiend with an Attack Score of 4,000, enough to finish him, and all he had was his Firewall.

"You haven't beaten me yet!" shouted Enrique. "My Firewall is still standing, and not even he can bust through it!"

"Is that a fact?" asked Rasputin, drawing a card. "He could if you didn't have those three Scattershots and your Doomfire in your Graveyard…

"And once I play Soul Release to remove them from play, you won't, and your Firewall will be worthless."

He played the card, and Enrique gasped as the four cards fell out of his discard slot.

Then he screamed as the blast of flame struck him.

Rasputin looked at his opponent, who lying on the ground, wincing with pain.

He looked at his badge, which was now at Gold.

"Listen up, Chico," said Rasputin. "Most of the time, folks who openly defy me don't last much longer… But you've got some spine, and that's worth something…

"So tell you what… I'll make you a deal I don't often make…

"The League of Ascension won't go out of their way to look for you… However… Should they ever come across you again, you'll be put somewhere where no-one will ever hear from you again…

"As far as your father is concerned, when they send him up the river, it was your fault for breaking the deal. My advice to you is, just watch the finals if that amuses you, then get back to Mexico and stay there."

He started to walk away as Enrique looked at him.

_In your dreams…_ thought the young man.

Rasputin looked at his badge again.

_Success…_ he thought. _It's time to enter a new stage…_

_Rasputin may have lost to Cassandra, but his determination has not slipped, and his plans begin anew. What will be his next move? The finals are not set to begin just yet, and there may be a few more troubles in store for our heroes…_

_And brownie points to anyone who can name the Dick Van Dyke movie that Chelsea mentioned._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**ARCANA FORCE III: THE EMPRESS (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fairy/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,300  
**DEF:** 1,300

**Card Description:** Toss one coin when this card is Normal Summoned, Flip-Summoned, or Special Summoned. Depending on the result of the toss, acquire one of the following effects:

Heads: Whenever your opponent Normal Summons a Monster, you may Special Summon one Monster from your hand that has the words "Arcana Force" in its name. You must meet the Tribute requirements for Monsters that are Level Five or higher.

Tails: Whenever your opponent Normal Summons a Monster, discard one card in your hand to the Graveyard.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**ARCANA FORCE VI: THE LOVERS (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fairy/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,600  
**DEF:** 1,600

**Card Description:** Toss one coin when this card is Normal Summoned, Flip-Summoned, or Special Summoned. Depending on the result of the toss, acquire one of the following effects:

Heads: If you Tribute Summon a Monster with the words "Arcana Force" in its name, you can treat this one Monster as two Monsters for the purposes of the Tribute Summon.

Tails: This card cannot be Tributed.

_Note: Sartorious never revealed what the tails effect of this card was, and the card text was never seen. I have made an assumption._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**ARCANA FORCE VIII: THE STRENGTH (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fairy/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level:** 5  
**ATK:** 1,800  
**DEF:** 1,800

**Card Description:** Toss one coin when this card is Normal Summoned, Flip-Summoned, or Special Summoned. Depending on the result of the toss, acquire one of the following effects:

Heads: Take control of one of your opponent's face-up Monsters. Control lasts until this card is no longer face-up on the field.

Tails: For as long as this card remains face-up on your side of the field, your opponent gains control of all of your face-up Monsters except this one.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**ARCANA FORCE XIV: TEMPERANCE (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fairy/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level:** 6  
**ATK:** 2,400  
**DEF:** 2,400

**Card Description:** You may discard this card from your hand to reduce the battle damage you receive from one attack to zero. Toss one coin when this card is Normal Summoned, Flip-Summoned, or Special Summoned. Depending on the result of the toss, acquire one of the following effects:

Heads: All battle damage you receive is halved while this card remains face-up on the field.

Tails: All battle damage your opponent receives is halved while this card remains face-up on the field.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**ARCANA FORCE XV: THE DEVIL (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fairy/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level:** 7  
**ATK:** 2,500  
**DEF:** 2,500

**Card Description:** Toss one coin when this card is Normal Summoned, Flip-Summoned, or Special Summoned. Depending on the result of the toss, acquire one of the following effects:

Heads: When this card attacks, select one Monster on the field other than the attack target and destroy it. If you cannot, destroy this card. The owner of the Monster destroyed by this effect receives 500 points of direct damage to his/her Life Points.

Tails: When this card attacks, destroy all Monsters on the field.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**ARCANA FORCE XVIII: THE MOON (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fairy/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level:** 7  
**ATK:** 2,800  
**DEF:** 2,800

**Card Description:** Toss one coin when this card is Normal Summoned, Flip-Summoned, or Special Summoned. Depending on the result of the toss, acquire one of the following effects:

Heads: During each of your Standby Phases, you may Special Summon one "Moon Token" (Fairy/Light/Level 1/0 ATK/0 DEF) to your side of the field.

Tails: During each of your turn's End Phases, select one Monster on your side of the field. Shift control of the selected Monster to your opponent. (If your opponent does not have a free space in his/her Monster Zone, the selected Monster is destroyed.)

**0**

**0**

**0**

**ARCANA FORCE XXI: THE WORLD (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fairy/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level:** 8  
**ATK:** 3,100  
**DEF:** 3,100

**Card Description:** Toss one coin when this card is Normal Summoned, Flip-Summoned, or Special Summoned. Depending on the result of the toss, acquire one of the following effects:

Heads: If you offer two Monsters on your side of the field as Tributes during your turn, your opponent must skip his/her next turn.

Tails: During your opponent's Draw Phase, he/she adds the top card from his/her Graveyard to his/her hand.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**NECRO SACRIFICE (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** A grinning mouth above a wasteland full of twisted trees that resemble hands.

**Card Description:** Select one Level Five or higher Monster in your hand that can be Normal Summoned. Choose a number of Monsters in your Graveyard equal to the number of Monsters needed as Tribute to Tribute Summon the selected Monster, and Special Summon them to your opponent's side of the field (your opponent choose the battle positions). During the turn this card is activated, you may Normal Summon the selected Monster without Tribute(s).

**0**

**0**

**0**

**REVERSAL OF FATE (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image:** A circular, wooden, Ouija board with four eyes around the circumference.

**Card Description:** When this card is activated, all Monsters on the field with the words "Arcana Force" in their names who have their heads effects are switched to their tails effects, and vice-versa.

_Note: The proceeding nine cards were used by Sartorious at various times in the second season of "Yu-Gi-Oh GX". Creative credit goes to the writers._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**ARCANA FORCE II: THE HIGH PRIESTESS (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fairy/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,200  
**DEF:** 1,200

**Card Description:** Toss one coin when this card is Normal Summoned, Flip-Summoned, or Special Summoned. Depending on the result of the toss, acquire one of the following effects:

Heads: Increase your Life Points by 1,000

Tails: Increase your opponent's Life Points by 1,000

**0**

**0**

**0**

**FLAME BARRICADE (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image:** Hiita the Fire Charmer chanting and conjuring up a wall of fire.

**Card Description:** Offer one face-up FIRE Monster on your side of the field as a Tribute. During this turn, any damage you take from your opponent becomes zero.

_Note: "Flame Barricade" was first used in "Dark Messiah"._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**BONFIRE (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** A roaring fire in a large, metal brazier.

**Card Description: **Search your deck for one FIRE Monster that is Level Four or lower and add it to your hand. Then, shuffle your deck.

_Note: "Bonfire" was first used by__ Prof. Fontaine in a third season episode of "Yu-Gi-Oh GX". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**Sam: Yumi, what do you make of this?**

**Yumi: Looks like the two of us have been cornered, and these guys want to duel us… And not as individuals. Feel like teaming up?**

**Sam: If I must, I suppose I simply must… Can I trust you?**

**Yumi: Don't worry Sam, I've got your back.**

**Coming up next, "The Two-Way Trap; The Heirs Fight Together".**

**As the decedents of Yugi Mouto and Seto Kaiba call the most vital truce yet…**

**Sam: Just don't get in my way, Yumi…**


	38. The Two Way Trap

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**CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN**

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**The Two-Way Trap**

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**The Heirs Fight Together**

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Sleep…

To sleep, perchance to dream, as the great Bard once said.

In Yumi's dreams, she dreamed of the six races of Neo-Spacians… The strange creatures in Jaden's deck…

Then her dreams turned strange…

She dreamed herself back in Neo-Space, but at a different location. It was deep in the jungle, far away from the beach. A futuristic building loomed some distance away…

And there was a duel going on.

And Yumi could tell that this time, the two duelists were not on very friendly terms.

One of them was a young man about Jaden's age. He had a boyish face, spiky, black hair, and wore a black overcoat.

His opponent was more bizarre. It was a tall man dressed in a jacket that looked like it was sculpted out of silver, and black pants. He had no more hair on his head than an egg did.

Behind the young duelist, three Neo-Spacians were watching – one Aqua Dolphin, one Air Hummingbird, and one Flare Scarab – and they looked very frightened.

Yumi shuddered when she looked at the field. It was clear that the young man was losing. He had only 2,000 Life Points left, and his side of the field consisted of three defensive Monsters. Yumi recognized them as Ojama Yellow, Ojama Black, and Ojama Green.

This was pathetic compared to what his opponent had. His two Monsters were Horus the Black Flame Dragon Lv 8 and Jinzo, one of the deadliest combinations in the game. He also had a facedown card. He had 5,000 Life Points remaining.

The bald man laughed.

"Look at yourself, Princeton…" he said. "How the mighty have fallen… Cowering behind those three pathetic runts… If you had any sense, you would have thrown them away years ago."

"Eh, I've tried, they just won't let me," replied the duelist.

"You let your Monsters dictate your actions?" asked the man. "Heh… It's a wonder to me why Jaden even let you come… Unless he wanted someone to lord over…"

"Listen, Ming the Clueless!" shouted the young man. "If you think you can waltz down here and start something, you're dead wrong… Every one of us is more than ready to deal with anyone who threatens Neo-Space."

He drew a card.

"Heh, heh… And you are _really_ gonna regret that the Chazz found you first. I just drew the card that I traveled to the ends of the universe to find!"

"I'm so scared," said his opponent. "I'd like to see you try to beat me with it."

"Okay, I will," said Chazz, lifting his Disk. "Since you destroyed them, you know that there are exactly three Dark Monsters in my Graveyard.

"Return Zombie… Dark Blade… And Chthonian Soldier.

"When there are three Dark Monsters in my grave, no more, no less…

"I can Special Summon THIS!"

He threw a card on his Disk, and an explosion lit up the jungle.

A huge Duel Monster that Yumi had never seen before appeared in front of the young duelist. It was a Dragon twenty feet tall, that seemed to be made as much of metal as it was of flesh, and was covered with blades, spikes, and knives. Its eyes glowed with dark energy. (2,800/1,000)

"What is _that_?" shouted the man.

"It's the Armed Dark Dragon," said Chazz. "Quite a looker, isn't he? And he's got a powerful ability. By removing a Dark Monster in my Graveyard from play, I can destroy any card on the field."

His Chthonian Soldier slipped out of his discard slot.

"And I'm gonna start with your facedown card."

The duelist gasped as his facedown card, revealed to be My Body as a Shield, was impaled by knives and blown apart.

"Figures," said Chazz. "Now for your Dragon…"

Dark Blade slipped out of his Disk, and a volley of knives flew at Horus. The Black Flame Dragon screeched, and blew into bits.

"Third time's the charm…" said Chazz, as he took Return Zombie out of his discard slot.

The volley of knives shot at Jinzo, and the android exploded.

"Since you can't stop me from playing Spells any more," he continued, "I think I'll play Polymerization. Let's go guys!"

He played the card, and the three Ojamas flew into the air…

With a crash, the huge form of Ojama King landed. (0/3,000)

"Now I'll play an Equip Spell," he said, placing a card in his Disk. "Shield Attack. When a Monster is Equipped with this, its Attack and Defense Scores switch…"

Ojama King glowed with energy, and its Attack Score rose to 3,000.

"Not much to say, huh?" asked Chazz. "Ojama King… Attack him directly with Ojama belly-flop drop!"

Ojama King leapt into the air, and hang for a few seconds. The invader looked up in fear…

With a crash, the huge Beast body-slammed into him, shaking the whole forest.

The man got up, holding his head…

…only to see Armed Dark Dragon looming over him.

The Dragon struck with his claw, and one smash ended the duel.

Yumi cried out in joy. She tried to run to the victor, but as she did, the scenery blurred and faded…

Slowly, she woke up.

She yawned.

_Odd…_ she thought. _I guess Jaden and his friends have to defend Neo-Space from time to time…_

She shuddered.

_Man, I hope that what I was seeing was something that happened in the past, and not something that just happened now…_

_There's so much out there I don't know about…_

She yawned again.

She fell back asleep.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Rasputin sat in an easy chair in his hotel room, his head bowed.

He poured vodka from a bottle that he had already drank two thirds of…

Not because he wanted it…

…but because he was trying to drown the voice out of his head.

Rasputin hated a lot of things, but his own qualities were among the things he hated most.

He hated the fact that he could be weak at times.

He had been hearing that accursed voice for so long. So many times, it had offered to help him, and so many times, he had given in, and said yes.

But the help it offered always came with a price.

It was there when the duel with Yumi had started, and he had said yes. That was where the Power Wall card had come from, he was certain of it.

And when he found himself in the Astral Plane, it offered help again. And he was frightened by the soothsayer's strange powers… Enough to say yes…

It was a mistake. The help it gave him this time was to turn his fear into rage. So much that he made stupid mistakes throughout the whole duel…

And when he had been hit by the powerful direct attack, his rage was at its height. At this point, he couldn't believe what he had said… Had he actually said the most blasphemous thing he could think of while standing on the body of a deceased god?

Blasphemy, sacrilege, and desecration of a god's resting place in one single rant… Such vile words in such a consecrated place may well have been punished with death… He didn't know why he was spared by the strange beings that looked over that place. Did the soothsayer intervene?

It was certainly not the one who had promised him help. It didn't turn out to be much help at all.

He clutched his head, which was now pounding… The voice was still whispering into his ear…

"Get out of my head!" he screamed.

He threw the liquor bottle against the wall, and it shattered.

He closed his eyes. He lifted up his head slowly.

It was gone… For now… But it would return… It always returned…

He picked up the phone.

"Uhm, housekeeping?" he said, quietly. "Sorry to call at such a late hour… Yes, I know… I, uhm, dropped a liquor bottle and there's glass all over the place… No, I'm perfectly all right.

"Thank you…"

He sighed.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Four hours later…

It was six AM, the morning of Day Five…

…the last day to qualify for the finals.

On the street in the Restaurant District, two duelists were trying hard to do so. One was Olga, the other was Tucker.

Olga seemed to have the advantage. She had Dakini on her side of the field (2,700/2,400), while her opponent had nothing. But it was his turn.

**(Olga: 3,000) -------------------- (Tucker: 5,100)**

"Ready to throw in the towel?" asked Olga. "Your Golem is history, and I doubt you have anything else that can beat Dakini."

"We'll see," said Tucker, drawing a card.

He played two cards, and a facedown card and a facedown Monster appeared.

"That'll do."

Olga drew one card.

It was Ritual Weapon. Dakini couldn't be Equipped with it – she was too powerful.

"Dakini, destroy his Monster!"

Cyber Angel Dakini flew at the facedown card. A cute, red robot with googly eyes and a huge gear on its back appeared on the card, right before it was smashed to pieces. Tucker cringed.

**(O: 3,000) -------------------- (T: 3,900)**

"All right, my move…" he said.

He drew a card.

"I play Ancient Gear Workshop. Now my Golem comes back to my hand."

A card slipped out of his discard slot.

"And just how are you gonna summon it?" asked Olga.

"I'll show you," he replied. "I summon a second Red Gadget."

He played the card, and a cute robot, looking much like the one that was just destroyed, appeared on the field. (1,300/1,500)

"Now I get to take Yellow Gadget from my deck," he said, taking another card from his deck. "Next, I activate my Trap Card…"

His facedown card lifted.

"Ultimate Offering. Now I can pay 500 Life Points to summon Yellow Gadget…"

He played the card, and another cute robot appeared. This one was – obviously – yellow, with no face, and a gear through the center of its torso. (1,200/1,200)

"Now I can take Green Gadget from my deck," he continued, taking another card from his deck. "And I'll use Ultimate Offering again to summon it."

Yet another cute robot appeared, this one appearing to have one big, green gear for a torso. (1,400/600)

"Normally that would mean I could search for another Red Gadget, but I don't have a third one.

"Now I'll use the effect of Ultimate Offering one more time… And sacrifice Red and Yellow… To summon Ancient Gear Golem!"

Two of the Gadgets vanished, and the mighty Golem towered over the field. (3,000/3,000)

Dakini looked up with a look of fear…

"Ancient Gear Golem…" he ordered, "attack her Cyber Angel!"

The Golem threw its mighty fist, and it slammed into Dakini, smashing her flat.

"Green Gadget, attack her directly!"

Green Gadget flew at Olga, and walloped her in the eye.

"Heh, heh…" said Tucker. "Your move…"

**(O: 1,300) -------------------- (T: 2,400)**

Olga slowly drew a card.

"All right…" she said. "I play… Pot of Greed!"

She played the card, and drew twice.

"Perfect," she said. "I play Fulfillment of the Contract. Now I can bring Cyber Angel Idaten back."

In a flash of light, Idaten appeared. (1,600/2,000)

"Now I get one Spell Card back… And I choose… Pot of Greed.

"Now I play it again…"

She drew two cards again.

"I play Machine Angel Ritual one more time," she said. "I'll sacrifice Idaten to summon Cyber Angel Benten!"

Idaten turned to metal, and slowly vanished…

In a bolt of lightning, Benten appeared, holding her fans. (1,800/1,500)

"Now I play… Ritual Weapon, to give her a boost."

Tucker gasped, as Benten rose to (3,300/3,000).

"Benten…" ordered Olga, "destroy his Golem!"

Cyber Angel Benten leapt up, and delivered a savage kick to the Ancient Gear Golem. It toppled over, and smashed to pieces.

"It isn't over!" shouted Tucker.

"Afraid it is," said Olga. "Now you lose Life Points equal to your Golem's Defense Score, which I believe is 3,000."

Tucker shook in fear as Benten stared him in the eye…

He screamed as he erupted in green flames…

And then he collapsed.

**(O: 500) -------------------- (T: 0)**

Olga looked at her badge, which was now at Gold.

She walked up to Tucker, and bent over him. She planted a deep kiss on his lips.

His eyes opened wide, as green wisps of smoke escaped from where they met. Then he closed them and was still.

"Excellent work, my dear," said a tired voice.

Olga turned around, and saw Rasputin, who was clutching his forehead.

"It's done," she mumbled.

"Yes…" he said with a sigh. "And that will be the last time you'll have to use your old Cyber Angel Deck. At the finals, your real deck will shine again.

"And once Nicholas finds his target, all three of us will be in the finals…

"But that doesn't mean we can't strike at our foes one last time before they start…"

He looked at Tucker.

"I have a plan in mind to use a few things we've been saving… Which should be interesting at least…"

Olga looked at him.

"Rasputin…" she said. "How much did you have to drink last night?"

Rasputin sighed.

"A little…" he replied.

"A little?" said Olga, clearly not believing him. "Oh, come on. I know a hangover when I see one."

"What difference does it make, Olga?" he asked. "It's not like I intended to drive – ever since we've known each other, I've used a chauffer. And I don't have to worry about liver disease.

"If I want to drink until I can't see straight, I'm not hurting anyone except myself…

"Now why don't you go get breakfast?"

Olga shook her head, and walked in the other direction.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

It was almost eleven o'clock when Yumi woke up again. She yawned and stretched. She hadn't felt so refreshed for a long time.

Rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, she walked over to the computer her hotel room had provided, and turned it on. Checking her e-mail was always the first thing she did when she woke up.

"You've got mail!" exclaimed the familiar voice.

Yumi smiled, and clicked on the small mailbox. It was an e-mail from Sheena Arachne.

She read the e-mail.

_Dear Ms. Mouto,_

_Congratulations! You have qualified as a finalist for this year's tournament. I shake you warmly by the hand! By being one of the first to reach Gold, more opportunities open for you – the possibility to be crowned Queen of Games, with the five million dollar prize, and the biggest prize of all… Any wish that KaibaCorp can fulfill that your heart desires._

_Tomorrow at noon, be by the front of your hotel with all your luggage. A limousine will arrive to take you to the special VIP accommodations, which you will find far more luxurious than your present ones. _

_Once that is done, you will receive instructions on attending the briefing for further instructions for the finals, where the true King – or Queen – of Games will be crowned._

_If you have any questions, or need special arrangements, don't hesitate to call the number provided below. _

_We await your arrival – the finals are going to be an event like nothing ever before, and you are the main attraction._

_Sincerely,_

_Sheena Arachne_

Yumi smiled.

"Yumi," said the Pharaoh's voice.

Yumi jumped slightly at this.

"Good grief," she replied. "I've had cats that made more noise than you!"

"Sorry," replied the Pharaoh, "but as you know, a lot has been happening lately…"

"Tell me about it," she said.

He sighed.

"I've been thinking a lot lately," he said. "With each Shadow Charm that has been claimed, things have been coming back to me… Memories have been returning… Bits and pieces…"

He picked up Yumi's deck, and looked though it until he found Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl.

"I see the two of them clearly now… Mahad and Mana…

"I see others too… So many I left behind…"

"Hey…" said Yumi, trying to put her hand on his shoulder (which was hard, since he was immaterial) "I know it's hard… I promise you, I'll do whatever it takes to help you get back to them…"

The Pharaoh sighed.

"And we have help, Yumi," he said. "The Charms are taunting me, it seems. They're letting me regain only bits and pieces of my memories about myself…

"But they're letting me remember a _lot_ about the Sorcerer Kings."

He sat down.

"When I was Pharaoh, I knew about them. Everyone feared them, because they didn't recognize anyone's rule except their own. Anyone who tried to force them to was never seen again, unless they were dealing with Machius. He was generous enough to negotiate for a prisoner's release. He was even kind enough to tell us that any dealings with them should be done peacefully… He told us that the ones who had gone to the others looking for a fight were enslaved…"

He sighed.

"He also told us that attempts at rescue were suicide, and warned us not to try it.

"We did try peaceful negotiations. But they refused to form alliances, saying they were quite happy the way they were.

"Then we sent scholars and sages, offering all manner of things for whatever knowledge they had accumulated. Some of them – but not all of them – were flattered enough to tell us a little, but not anything of great importance…

"One important thing we did find out… This information may be key…"

"I'm listening," said Yumi.

"Well," said the Pharaoh. "It seems that the Sorcerer Kings practiced a rare form of magic called Macroism, which was based on the theory that the universe was composed of eight basic building blocks, eight concepts, more or less…"

"So, I'm guessing that each of them specialized in one of them," replied Yumi.

"Exactly," said the Pharaoh, "and each Charm, if used correctly, can harness the power of that concept.

"The Sword of Tsunami represents Matter. The Cat's Cradle Comb, the one owned by Olga, represents Energy.

"Erik's Amulet of the Mind represents Thought, while Sam's Ring of Spirits represents Time.

"Nicholas's Gale Shield represents Order, while Ren's Horn of Chance represents the opposing force, Chaos."

She paused.

"The Crown of Souls represents a more powerful force… Life."

Yumi paused. She took the Crown from the side of the desk, and looked at it.

"Wait…" she muttered. "Does that mean that the Rod of the Ancients represents Death?"

"Not quite…" replied the Pharaoh. "We learned the specifics about this from Machius, because no-one was ever brave enough to approach Unus. The rumors of the dark magic he possessed frightened even the hardiest of mortals…

"The Rod's power more properly represents Entropy. Destruction and decay.

"Your Charm creates… Rasputin's Charm… destroys."

"Wonderful," muttered Yumi. "Rasputin just got even more dangerous. We have to…"

"You've got mail!" said the computer.

"Huh?" said Yumi.

She turned, and clicked on the message.

She read:

_Princess of Games,_

_I am holding Ren and Chelsea hostage. They were no match for me._

_If you want to see them again, come to the roof of the Serpent Complex Pavilion. Tell the Centurions, and their souls will be sent to the darkness. _

_Bring your Disk and the Crown of Souls._

There was no signature.

"No…" muttered Yumi.

"Yumi…" the Pharaoh. "Beware… This has trap written all over it…"

"So I see…" said Yumi, taking out her cell phone.

Fear turned to panic after calls to Ren and Chelsea resulted in no answer.

Yumi got up and started looking for some fresh clothes.

_Hang on guys,_ she thought, _I'm coming…_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Half an hour later, Yumi was in the Shopping District, running towards the Serpent Complex Pavilion, a huge shopping center with a giant statue of a Sinister Serpent on the top.

As she reached the front doors, she almost collided with Sam.

"Get out of my way, Yumi!" screamed her rival.

"What's the matter, Sam?" replied Yumi.

"What's the matter?" shouted Sam. "Erik's been kidnapped!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," replied Yumi. "Erik too? So has Ren and Chelsea."

There was a pause.

"Sam, calm down…" she said. "Whoever is behind this must be very powerful to have beaten all three of them…"

"Well, I'm gonna get him back," said Sam. "No-one messes with Samantha St. Clare Arachne!"

She walked into the lobby and headed towards the elevator.

"Your middle name is St. Clare?" asked Yumi, as they both got in the elevator. "I… never knew that…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Five minutes later, the door to the roof bust open, and Yumi and Sam rushed out.

They stopped short. Ren, Chelsea, and Erik were sitting in the center of the roof, their hands tied behind their backs, and their eyes and mouths closed with duct tape.

Sam fumed with anger. She ran towards them.

"Sam, wait!" shouted Yumi.

Sam didn't wait. Yumi ran after her.

As the two of them approached, the three hostages blurred, and vanished.

Yumi paused, puzzled.

"A hologram?" she mused.

"A very good hologram, I must say, Yumi old girl," said a familiar voice. "These Disks are quite the cutting edge."

Yumi and Sam spun around.

Two people they knew were behind them. One was Marlon, still dressed in his prim clothing. The other, contrasting against Marlon's formal look, was Tucker, leaning casually against a vent.

"Tucker…" growled Sam.

"Nice to see you too," he replied.

"Marlon, what's going on?" asked Yumi.

"Before you two worry yourselves too much," replied Marlon, "the kidnapping thing was all a big ruse. We slipped your friends a note and a coupon for a free lunch at a seafood restaurant. It's an all-you-can-eat buffet today. Our employer is buying."

"Erik never could resist shrimp…" muttered Sam. "Damn, he's gonna get fat on me…"

"They're likely having a ball," said Tucker. "You guys ain't so lucky… The only way out is past us, and we're not budging until you duel us.

"And once we pummel you, we'll be taking your Charms…"

Yumi's eyes narrows.

"Your employer…" she said. "Marlon… You can't be working for Rasputin, you would never…"

She stopped short…

She remembered something…

After Rasputin and Marlon had dueled, the two of them shook hands… And then something had been wrong with Marlon's hand…

"Arthritis my butt," she muttered. "Rasputin must have been wearing a ring or something… He used it to transmit a poison of some sort…

"Anastasia?"

Anastasia appeared next to her. Sam looked up, noticing her.

"Can what you did for Felicia work on these two?" asked Yumi.

"Well… In theory, yes…" replied Anastasia. "But the same restriction is in effect."

Yumi sighed.

"It's never easy…" she muttered. "Just once I'd like it to be easy…

"Feel like a two-on-two, Sam? I mean, it's not like we have much of a choice… In physical confrontations between burly British explorers and petite teenage schoolgirls, petite teenage schoolgirls don't usually win."

"Tucker doesn't look like a pushover either…" muttered Sam. "Eh… why not? I beat this clown once, I can do it again…"

She quickly opened the pouch that contained her side deck, and took a couple of cards from it. Then she removed the same number of cards from her deck, made a switch, and reshuffled.

"Just try not to drag me down!" shouted Sam.

The four of them stood apart in a rectangular pattern… Simultaneously, four Disks activated.

"Hey…" said Yumi with a chuckle. "There was once a time when Fiends and Dark Spellcasters went together in a deck like two peas in a pod. Dark Magician and Dark Ruler Ha Des were once practically brothers."

"Game on!" all four of them shouted at once.

**(Yumi: 8,000) ----- (Sam: 8,000) ----- (Marlon: 8,000) ----- (Tucker: 8,000)**

"I'll start this show," said Marlon, making his first draw.

He carefully looked over his first hand.

"I place one card facedown, and a Monster in Defense Mode."

A facedown Spell or Trap appeared in front of him, followed by a facedown Monster.

"I end my turn."

"My move!" said Yumi, drawing a card.

She played three of them.

"I toss two cards facedown on the field, and toss Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer out in Attack Mode."

Two facedown cards appeared, and the bald, scarred monk materialized in a burst of darkness. His eyes narrowed, and he crossed his arms. (1,800/700)

"I'm not allowed to attack until everyone has drawn once, so I'll end my turn there."

"Then it's my move!" said Tucker, drawing a card.

"And I summon my Hammer Golem in Attack Mode."

In a cloud of dust, a Machine that neither Yumi nor Sam had ever seen before appeared. It was similar to Ancient Gear Soldier in outline, but bulkier, in gunmetal grey armor, with a hammer in place of one hand, and a pick in place of the other. (1,500/1,000)

"That doesn't seem so tough," said Sam.

"Looks can be deceiving," said Tucker. "It can resist being destroyed – by anything – twice. However, in exchange for that, I have to pay 1,000 Life Points if I want to attack with it.

"I end MY turn."

"Then watch out!" shouted Sam.

She drew a card.

"I summon The Bistro Butcher!"

She played the card, and the fiendish chef appeared, holding his cleaver. (1,800/1,000)

_Okay…_ she thought. _I'm free to attack, so… Let's see…_

_Can resist being destroyed, twice, huh?_

"Butcher, attack the Hammer Golem!"

The Bistro Butcher cackled, and made a swipe with its cleaver, smashing off a chunk of Hammer Golem's armor. Tucker cringed.

"Don't celebrate yet," he replied. "Since your Butcher damaged my Life Points, I get two cards."

He made two draws.

"Whatever," said Sam. "I'll set one card facedown, and end my turn."

A facedown card appeared.

"Our side is stacked already, and you two have barely anything. This duel is as good as ours."

**(Y: 8,000) ----- (S: 8,000) ----- (M: 8,000) ----- (T: 7,700)**

"Or so you'd like to believe…" replied Marlon. "True, I don't have much, but what I do have is incredibly powerful…"

He drew one card.

"I flip my Babycerasaurus into Attack Mode."

The Monster Card in front of him turned, and flipped up, and a small form materialized on the field. It looked like a baby triceratops, wearing an eggshell the way most infants would wear a diaper. It looked at Sam and Yumi with an adorable smile. (500/500)

"HA, HA, HA, HA, HA!" laughed Sam. "Oh, I get it… You're trying to make us laugh until we collapse, is that it?"

"Sam, watch out…" cautioned Yumi. "Low Attack Points usually means powerful effect…"

"Indeed," replied Marlon. "Next, I'm going to use my Destroyersaurus."

He discarded one of his cards.

"By discarding Destroyersaurus to the Graveyard, I get to take a certain Spell Card from my deck…"

He looked through his deck, and got what he wanted.

"Now I'll play it," he said, opening his Field Slot. "Jurassic World!"

In a burst of energy, the rooftop faded away, and a primitive jungle sprang up around them. Haze filled the air, dinosaurs trudged by in the distance, and an active volcano was far behind Marlon.

"In this place, all Dinosaurs gain 300 to both Scores," explained Marlon, as Babycerasaurus rose to (800/800). "But that won't matter in a minute…

"I move right to my End Phase, and then activate this…"

His facedown card lifted.

"Volcanic Eruption!"

Suddenly, the volcano behind him blew its top. Fire filled the sky, and burning rocks crashed onto the playing field. First, Kycoo, then The Bistro Butcher, and then Babycerasaurus were incinerated. Then Yumi's facedown A Hero Emerges and Mirror Force and Sam's facedown Option Hunter were blown to pieces. Finally, Jurassic World itself went up in flames, and collapsed into ash.

"Marlon…" gasped Yumi. "What did you do?"

"Volcanic Eruption is a powerful Trap that I can only play during my End Phase when Jurassic World is active," said Marlon. "As you saw, it destroyed every card on the field.

"Well… almost every card."

"Why do you think I only summoned my Hammer Golem?" asked Tucker, with a grin. "As you can see, he survived."

"And we have someone else," continued Marlon. "Since Babycerasaurus was just destroyed by a card effect, its effect activates, letting me Special Summon a Dinosaur from my deck, so long as it's Level Four or less…

"So I'll summon Sabersaurus!"

In a flash of light, the armored, fiercer relative of the triceratops appeared, and growled. (1,900/500)

"Well, Sam…" muttered Yumi. "As one great mind once said, we may be in deep do-do…"

She drew a card.

_No kidding…_ she thought. _Marlon has gotten better, and I'd wager Tucker has too… Rasputin may even have strengthened their decks…_

"I summon Magician's Valkyria."

She played another card, and Valkyria appeared. (1,600/1,800)

"Valkyria… Destroy Tucker's Hammer Golem!"

Valkyria fired her burning blast, and with no armor left to shield it, Hammer Golem was blown to pieces.

**(Y: 8,000) ----- (S: 8,000) ----- (M: 8,000) ----- (T: 7,600)**

"I end my turn," said Yumi.

"Then it's my move…" said Tucker.

He drew a card. He smirked.

"First…" he said, "I play Graceful Charity. I'm sure everyone here knows how that works…"

The card glowed, and he drew three cards. He discarded two of them very quickly.

_That's the fastest I've ever seen anyone decide what to discard,_ thought Yumi. _He's up to something…_

"Next…" said Tucker, "I'll conjure up my Ancient Gear Castle."

He placed a card in his Disk, and with a loud, rumbling noise, a huge structure rose out of the floor behind him. It was a crazy, clockwork castle, full of gears, gaskets, and sprockets, with cannons mounted on its towers.

"Now, any Monster with the word 'Ancient' in its name gains 300 extra Attack Points. And I'll play Premature Burial to summon one back."

He played the card, and in a burst of dirt and dust, Ancient Gear Soldier rose up again. (1,300/1,300) –) (1,600/1,300)

"And I'm not done," he continued. "Next I'll summon Barrier Statue of the Drought."

He played the card, and a large monolith appeared next to Ancient Gear Soldier. It was a stone statue of a muscular man with a rhino's head, mounted on a pedestal. (1,000/1,000)

A torch in one of the windows of the Castle lit up.

"I know…" said Tucker, "you're wondering what the Statue does, right? Well, so long as it's on the field, all players are forbidden to Special Summon Monsters, unless they happen to be Earth Monsters.

"My partner and I have almost ALL Earth Monsters. I doubt either of you have even one."

"Yeah?" asked Sam. "Well, your Statue has only 1,000 Attack Points, so it won't be lasting very long."

"Oh, right," said Tucker, playing a card. "Thanks for reminding me… I play Mist Body. So long as it's Equipped with this, my Statue can't be destroyed in battle."

A misty aura surrounded the Barrier Statue.

"Now I have something for you… Two direct attacks! Ancient Gear Soldier, attack Sam directly! Rapid-fire shot!"

The Soldier blasted its gun, and Sam doubled over in pain as they stabbed into her chest.

"Barrier Statue, attack her with dust blast!"

The Statue opened its mouth, and breathed a blast of sand and grit, knocking Sam over.

"One card facedown, and my turn ends," he said.

A facedown card appeared.

**(Y: 8,000) ----- (S: 5,400) ----- (M: 8,000) ----- (T: 6,800)**

"Uh, Sam?" asked Yumi. "I'm guessing that asking if you were okay would be cruel…"

"Shut up, Yumi…" said Sam, getting up.

She drew a card.

She looked at the Castle.

_Swell,_ she thought. _Normal Summoning is just going to help him… And I can't Special Summon… Could this get any worse?_

"I summon… Gil Garth," she said.

In a burst of energy, the robotic Fiend appeared, brandishing its scimitar. (1,800/1,200)

A second torch lit in another window of the Castle.

"Smash his Soldier!" she shouted.

Gil Garth obeyed, making a slash with its sword, cutting the Machine down the center. The pieces fell apart, and then shattered.

"That'll do…" she muttered.

**(Y: 8,000) ----- (S: 5,400) ----- (M: 8,000) ----- (T: 6,600)**

"Then the turn comes to me," said Marlon, drawing a card.

He looked at it.

"I'll place a card facedown to start," he said, setting a card. "And then I'll play… Side Attack."

A facedown card, and then an odd Spell Card appeared.

"Side Attack?" said Yumi. "What's that?"

"A special card for team duels, Yumi," replied Marlon. "Now, you can only target my field, and Sam can only target Tucker's.

"My partner and I, however, gain a bonus… We can attack either of you directly if even ONE of you lacks Monsters."

"No fair!" shouted Sam. "That's playing dirty!"

"It's a perfectly legit card," replied Marlon with a shrug.

The Pharaoh appeared beside Yumi.

"That is true," he said. "It's perfectly legal. But I agree with Sam, it is playing dirty… Neither Sam nor the two of us came here knowing this would be a two-on-two, but Marlon and Tucker have apparently prepared in advance. There's no telling what advantages they may have."

"Bad guys aren't known for playing fair," said Yumi. "Any ideas?"

"Well, it all depends on how well we can work with Sam," he replied.

"We are doomed…" muttered Yumi.

"Sabersaurus…" commanded Marlon, "attack Yumi's Magician's Valkyria!"

The Dinosaur charged like a rhino at the young Spellcaster. She screamed as it rammed into her with its horn, and she shattered.

**(Y: 7,700) ----- (S: 5,400) ----- (M: 8,000) ----- (T: 6,600)**

"Heh, heh…" chuckled Marlon. "I end my turn…"

"And I start mine!" shouted Yumi.

She drew a card.

"So, I can only attack you, Marlon? I see no problem with that…

"I play Monster Reborn… And if I can only Special Summon Earth Monsters, I'll use it to summon Babycerasaurus from your Graveyard."

She played the card, and the young Dinosaur appeared in a flash of light (500/500).

"Now… I sacrifice her, to summon Chaos Command Magician!"

Valkyria vanished in a burst of energy, and the powerful Chaos Mage appeared, glowing with light. (2,400/1,900)

A third torch lit in the Ancient Gear Castle.

"Destroy his Sabersaurus!" shouted Yumi. "Chaos magic!"

Chaos Command Magician aimed his scepter.

"Hold it right there!" shouted Marlon. "I activate… Magic Cylinder!"

Yumi's eyes opened wide as Marlon's facedown card lifted.

"It throws your chaos magic in reverse…" he said.

Two cylinders appeared in mid-air. Chaos Command Magician fired his blast, and one of them caught it. Then the other one fired a blast at Yumi like a cannon, and she was propelled backwards.

**(Y: 5,300) ----- (S: 5,400) ----- (M: 8,000) ----- (T: 6,600)**

Yumi slowly got up.

"I have to end my turn…" she muttered.

Tucker drew a card.

He smirked.

"First, I move my Barrier Statue to Defense Mode, just to be safe," he said.

Barrier Statue of the Drought crossed its arms in Defense.

"And now, the moment you've all been waiting for… I sacrifice the Ancient Gear Castle itself…"

The torches in Ancient Gear Castle burned fiercely. Then the Castle itself burst into an explosion of shards.

"To summon… Ancient Gear Golem!"

In a dark shadow, the huge Golem loomed over the field. Its single optic sensor glowed red as it glared at Sam and her Monster. (3,000/3,000)

"Not bad, old sport," said Marlon. "Just remember… As ancient as your Machines are, my Monsters are older still."

"Your Monsters are extinct, Marlon," replied Tucker. "Mine are hundreds of years old, and still running smoothly. Unlike yours, they were built to last.

"Anyway… Golem, attack Gil Garth with mechanized melee!"

Ancient Gear Golem raised its fist, and then threw a mighty punch. Gil Garth crumpled like it was tinfoil.

**(Y: 5,300) ----- (S: 4,200) ----- (M: 8,000) ----- (T: 6,600)**

"Any ideas, Yumi?" asked Sam.

"Don't give up, Sam!" replied Yumi. "Remember, my grandfather was in a situation like this with your great uncle!"

She paused.

"Of course, back then, your great uncle had Obelisk… He's someone who'd be useful to have right about now…"

"I don't need any dumb old God Card…" muttered Sam, making a draw.

She looked at the card.

"I play… Graceful Charity," she said.

Her deck glowed with energy, and she drew three cards.

She lifted an eyebrow when she saw what one of them was. She took it, and discarded it along with another card that was already in her hand.

"I set two cards facedown, and then summon Opticlops in Attack Mode," she said.

Two facedown cards appeared in flashes of light, and then, the muscular, one-eyed ogre appeared. (1,800/1,700)

"That's my turn," she said.

Marlon drew a card.

"Hmm…" he said.

"What hmmm?" asked Yumi. "I don't like hmmm."

Marlon played a card.

"I sacrifice my Sabersaurus in order to play a Spell Card," he said, as Sabersaurus vanished. "It's called Big Evolution Pill.

"This card stays on the field until my opponent has had three turns. Unfortunately, in this type of duel, both of my opponents count, meaning I can only use its effect for two of my turns.

"But… For when I can, I'm allowed to Normal Summon a high-level Dinosaur without making any sacrifices.

"And I'm going to summon this one… My Saurobeast Brachion."

He played the card, and a titanic creature loomed over the field. It looked like a demonic Apatosaurus or Diplodocus, or some other giant herbivorous dinosaur, with a small head on a long neck, huge body, and long tail. (1,500/3,000)

"Uhm, okay…" gulped Yumi. "That's certainly... big… But it has only 1,500 Attack Points. It can't beat our Monsters."

"It has help," replied Marlon. "I play the Spell Card, Tail Swing. I can only use this when I have a Dinosaur on the field that's at least Level Five, and my Brachion is Level Eight. Now, I can send two Monsters on the field that are a lower level than said Dinosaur back to their owners' hands."

Brachion lashed with its tail, creating a gust of wind. Chaos Command Magician and Opticlops staggered against the force, and then vanished. Their cards appeared back in Yumi and Sam's hands.

"Brachion…" ordered Marlon, "attack Yumi directly!"

"Here it comes…" muttered Yumi.

Brachion charged forward, causing the rooftop to tremble…

"Don't worry, Yumi," said Tucker, "I've got your back… Or rather, Sam does…"

His facedown card lifted.

"I activate Revolving Stage. Since Side Attack is on the field, Sam will be the one taking that hit."

"Say WHAT?" shouted Sam. "That is the dirtiest…"

And then she was cut short as the huge herbivore slammed into her. She was thrown ten feet backwards, and fell on her back.

**(Y: 5,300) ----- (S: 2,700) ----- (M: 8,000) ----- (T: 6,600)**

"Is it possible?" asked Sam, sitting up. "Could it be possible that I hate him even more now than I did before?"

"Tucker!" scolded Marlon. "I do NOT believe that was part of the plan!"

"Sorry, old dude," said Tucker, "but this babe humiliated me twice now. You take your shots when you can."

"Tucker, I was against working with a rogue like you from the start," said Marlon. "Our goal is to defeat them to take their Charms, not some silly desire for revenge. Now stick to the plan, before they manage to find some flaw in it!"

_Well, well…_ thought Yumi. _Seems there is a weakness…_

"Anything else, Marlon?" she asked.

Marlon looked at his cards.

"No…" he muttered.

Yumi drew a card.

"I play… Graceful Charity," she said. "Man, this is getting repetitive…"

She played the card, and the lovely angel materialized behind her. Her feathers showered on her deck, and she drew two cards.

_Hmm…_ thought Yumi. _A plan is starting to form…_

She looked at Barrier Statue of the Drought.

_I've just got to hope Sam finds a solution to that problem fast…_

She discarded two cards.

"I summon my second Magician's Valkyria," she said.

Another Valkyria, seemingly a twin of the first, appeared in a burst of light. (1,600/1,800)

"Sorry, Yumi," said Marlon, "but my Monster won't be taken down so easily. As soon as your Monster appears, it moves into Defense Mode."

Brachion sat down and curled up, as two spiny, wing-like protrusions sprouted from its shoulders.

"Dang…" muttered Yumi.

She took another card from her hand and placed it in her Disk. A facedown card appeared.

"I end my turn…" she said, nervously.

_Those facedown cards Sam has had better be good ones, or she's a goner… One smash from that Golem, and she's out of this duel…_

_And there's no way I can beat both of them on my own…_

Tucker drew a card.

"Now I'm gonna finish you off, Sam!" he shouted. "And I'm gonna put some serious marks on your friend while I'm at it…"

"I move my Barrier Statue to Attack Mode, and summon a second Ancient Gear Soldier."

Barrier Statue of the Drought uncrossed its arms, and another Soldier appeared. (1,300/1,300)

"GO!" shouted Sam, as one of her facedown cards lifted. "Shadow Spell!"

A mass of chains shot up from the ground, looping around Ancient Gear Golem. It struggled, but was secured to the ground, and its Attack Score fell to 2,300.

"Okay, fine!" shouted Tucker. "I can still attack you with my other…"

"I activate my other Trap!" shouted Sam, as her other facedown card lifted. "Call of the Haunted!"

"Weren't you listening a few minutes ago?" asked Tucker. "You can't Special Summon anything."

"WRONG," replied Sam. "I can Special Summon an Earth Monster. And you were wrong when you said my deck didn't have any…"

Three separate tombstones appeared in front of Sam…

Then, three tall creatures with green, scaly skin, bald, knobbed craniums, and pointed ears, wearing armor and holding spears, rose up in front of her. (2,200/1,500)

"Goblin Elite Attack Force?" shouted Tucker.

"Yep," said Sam. "I put them in my Graveyard when I played Graceful Charity. And they're no less an Earth Monster than your guys."

"Ooh!" cursed Tucker. "I end my turn! Even with your Shadow Spell, those guys aren't strong enough to destroy my Golem!"

"Sam…" said Yumi, "it's up to you… I don't think I can take down a Monster with 3,000 Defense Points without Special Summoning…"

Sam drew a card.

"It's all taken care of…" she said.

"I play… Mystical Space Typhoon. And my target is… your Statue's Mist Body!"

She played the card, and the cyclone blew forward, blowing the mist right off the Barrier Statue.

"Now…" she said. "I sacrifice my Goblins…"

Goblin Elite Attack Force shattered into pixels.

"…to summon Dark Ruler Ha Des!"

In a burst of shadow, the mighty ruler of Fiends loomed over the field, casting his shadow on Tucker.

He eyed Tucker, and frowned. (2,450/1,600)

"Oh, look…" said Sam, with a chuckle. "I think he remembers you from our last duel.

"Ha Des… smash his Barrier Statue! Stygian blast!"

Dark Ruler Ha Des blasted his bolt of black flames, and the Barrier Statue of the Drought shattered into shards of rock.

**(Y: 5,300) ----- (S: 2,700) ----- (M: 8,000) ----- (T: 5,150)**

"So what now, 'partner'?" asked Tucker, sarcastically. "I seem to remember that putting that dumb statue in my deck was _your_ idea."

"Tucker, get a hold of yourself!" shouted Marlon. "If we start arguing, we'll lose for certain! Need I remind you, this is exactly what happened to Lumis and Umbra? You know what happened to them…"

Tucker paused. He gulped.

"And it's my move…" continued Marlon.

He drew a card.

"I use the effect of Big Evolution Pill again," he said, "to summon… Black Tyranno!"

With a bellowing roar, Black Tyranno materialized on the field. (2,600/1,800)

"That's just what I was waiting for, Marlon," said Yumi. "Trap Card, activate…"

Her facedown card lifted…

A black coffin appeared on her side of the field, and the lid opened. With a fierce rush of air, both Magician's Valkyria and Black Tyranno were sucked inside it, and the lid slammed closed.

"What in blazes…" said Marlon.

"It's called Dark Renewal," replied Yumi. "My grandpa got this very card from Arcana in Battle City as a result of the ante rule. He could have taken his Dark Magician, but he didn't want it… His deck's Dark Magician didn't share the spotlight with anyone.

"What this Trap does is activate when you summon a Monster. Now I can sacrifice that Monster along with one of mine to summon a Spellcaster from my Graveyard. And I put a good one there using Graceful Charity…"

The coffin glowed with eldritch energy…

"Dark Magician… You're on!"

The lid opened, and Dark Magician stepped out. (2,500/2,100)

"Lovely…" muttered Tucker. "Now the aces of both their decks are on the field."

Marlon nervously looked at his other cards.

"I have to end my turn…" he muttered. "I still have my Brachion!"

The Big Evolution Pill card vanished.

"Soon to change…" said Yumi, drawing a card.

She quickly added it to her hand.

"I summon Skilled Dark Magician," she said.

The mage in a bulky, black robe appeared on the field. (1,900/1,700)

"But he isn't staying," she continued. "Next, I play Magical Dimension. I sacrifice him, and bring Dark Magician Girl to the field."

Skilled Dark Magician vanished into grains of light, and Dark Magician Girl appeared in a flurry of sparkles. She pirouetted and winked at Dark Magician. (2,000/1,700)

"And as per the second effect of Magical Dimension, I can destroy one Monster," continued Yumi.

Marlon shielded himself as Brachion exploded into a burst of shards.

"You've got nothing left, Marlon!" shouted Yumi. "Dark Magician… Dark Magician Girl… double dark magic attack!"

The two sorcerers leapt into the air, and then clashed their staffs together. A thunderous blast shot from where they met, striking Marlon and knocking him backwards in an explosion that nearly drowned out his scream.

**(Y: 5,300) ----- (S: 2,700) ----- (M: 3,500) ----- (T: 5,150)**

"Well…" said Yumi, smugly, crossing her arms. "It's about time you lost some Life Points."

"Yumi, be careful," said the Pharaoh's voice.

Yumi looked at him.

"Do not gloat too much," said the spirit. "Keep in mind that both of them are victims."

"I know, I know…" muttered Yumi, "but I really didn't need this today…"

"While you're picking yourself up, I'll move…" muttered Tucker.

He made a draw.

"I'll move Ancient Gear Soldier to Defense Mode, to start…"

The Soldier knelt, and held its gun on its lap.

"Then another Monster in Defense Mode…"

He played a card, and it appeared facedown.

"Then I set a card facedown."

A facedown card appeared behind his Monsters.

He glared at Sam.

Sam drew a card.

"I play Pot of Greed," she said, playing the card.

She made two draws.

She was a little surprised to see what one of them was. It was one of the cards from her side deck…

She looked at Tucker with an evil grin…

"Look at this, Tucker!" she said, showing him the card. "I drew my Electric Virus! I put it in my deck just for you…"

She discarded the card.

"By sending it to the Graveyard, I can take control of one opposing Dragon or Machine for one round…"

"You can't!" shouted Tucker.

"I can, and I will," replied Sam. "So hand over your Golem!"

Electricity sparked all over the bound Golem, and it tore itself free from the chains, and walked over to Sam's side of the field.

"Now…" said Sam. "To get rid of it… I sacrifice your junk heap…"

Ancient Gear Golem dissolved into particles of light.

"…in order to summon Lesser Fiend."

With a roar, the hulking, four-armed Fiend rose where the Golem had been. (2,100/1,000)

"Lesser Fiend, destroy his Soldier!"

Lesser Fiend grabbed the Ancient Gear Soldier with all four arms, and literally tore it apart. The pieces shattered into bits.

"Ha Des, destroy his last Monster!"

The Dark Ruler fired his Stygian blast at the facedown Monster. An Ancient Gear appeared on the card, and was vaporized.

Sam placed a card on her Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

"Marlon, think of something…" said Tucker, nervously. "They've got four powerful Monsters, and we've got none…"

Marlon sweat as he drew a card.

"I play my own Pot of Greed," he said, playing the card.

He drew two cards. He looked at them.

"I set one card facedown, and then play Monster Reborn. I'll bring back my Sabersaurus.

In a burst of light, the armored Dinosaur appeared again. (1,900/500)

"You have no more cards, so it's my move…" said Yumi.

She drew a card.

"I place a Monster in Defense Mode…" she said, setting a Monster.

"Dark Magician Girl, attack…"

"Not so fast, Yumi!" exclaimed Marlon. "I activate… Zero Gravity!"

His Trap Card lifted.

"Now, all Monsters on the field switch Modes."

Dark Magician, Dark Magician Girl, Dark Ruler Ha Des, Sabersaurus, and Lesser Fiend all crouched in Defense Mode.

"Hey, not bad!" said Tucker.

"A little something I often combo with Black Tyranno," muttered Marlon. "I gave you a chance, Tucker… Now don't waste it."

"I have to end my turn," muttered Yumi.

Tucker drew a card.

"Guess what, Marlon?" he said. "We're gonna turn this duel around right now…"

"Oh?" asked Sam. "How? Your Golem has been junked."

"True…" said Tucker, with an evil glint in his eye, "but I have in my hand, two medieval Machines that are even stronger than the Ancient Gear Golem!"

"What?" gasped Sam. "There's no such thing!"

"Prepare to believe…" said Tucker. "First, I'll summon Red Gadget…"

He played the card, and Red Gadget materialized in a burst of light. (1,300/1,500)

"And just by summoning him," he said, taking his deck, "I get to search my deck for Yellow Gadget.

"Next, I activate… Ultimate Offering."

His facedown card lifted.

"Now I'll pay 500 Life Points to summon Yellow Gadget."

Tucker glowed with red energy. In another flash, Yellow Gadget appeared. (1,200/1,200)

"That means I get to search my deck for Green Gadget," he said, taking another card from his deck. Then I'll use the effect of my Trap Card to summon him as well."

Tucker glowed again, and Green Gadget appeared on the field. (1,400/600)

"Three toy robots," muttered Sam. "I'm so scared…"

"Sam…" said Yumi. "You should know better than anyone that Monsters that look like toys can be deadly…"

"Uh, heh, heh…" chuckled Sam. "Uhm, touché…"

Her facedown card lifted.

"I activate Gift of the Mystical Elf!" she shouted.

The gentle form of Mystical Elf appeared behind her, and cast a spell.

"Now I gain 300 Life Points for every Monster on the field, and I see nine total."

She glowed with energy as her Life Points went up.

"It won't help you," snarled Tucker. "Because now, I use the effect of Ultimate Offering a third time, and sacrifice Green and Yellow, to summon… the Ancient Gear Gadjiltron Dragon!"

Tucker glowed again, Green Gadget and Yellow Gadget vanished, and a huge, shadowy form rose into the air behind tucker. It was like something out of a nightmare… It looked like a makeshift mechanical dragon cobbled together from broken gears, bent metal, and pieces of junk. Its wings didn't look like they were capable of keeping a small creature – much less one this big – airborne, but it was flying nonetheless. (3,000/2,000)

"Ho boy…" muttered Sam.

"I'm not done…" said Tucker. "I promised you two powerful Monsters, remember? I use Ultimate Offering one last time, and sacrifice Red Gadget, to summon the Ancient Gear Gadjiltron Chimera!"

Tucker glowed with energy again, Red Gadget vanished, and another nightmarish contraption appeared. Like the Dragon, it looked like it had been cobbled together from spare parts, and its shape suggested a mechanical cross between an ape and a great cat. It had three small heads on the front with cold, inhuman eyes. (2,300/1,300)

**(Y: 5,300) ----- (S: 5,400) ----- (M: 3,500) ----- (T: 3,150)**

"I kinda liked the Golem better…" muttered Sam.

"Allow me to explain how these two terrors of technology work," continued Tucker. "The Dragon, no matter how it's summoned, has the same effect as most Ancient Gear Monsters… He prevents you from activating Traps and Spells during the Battle Phase.

"As for other effects… If they're summoned by sacrificing Gadgets, they gain effects depending on the types of Gadget.

"So, since I sacrificed a Green Gadget to summon my Dragon, it gains a trampling effect, just like the Golem.

"And since I also sacrificed a Yellow Gadget, it inflicts 600 points of damage to the owner of any Monster it destroys.

"As for my Chimera… Since I summoned it by sacrificing a Red Gadget, it deals 500 extra points of damage whenever it deals battle damage.

"Enough talk… Chimera… Attack Dark Ruler Ha Des with toxic blast!"

The Ancient Gear Gadjiltron Chimera opened its three mouths and vomited three blasts of toxic sludge at Ha Des. The Fiend ruler screamed, and then melted into a stinking puddle of ichor.

"You'll pay for that…" growled Sam.

"Just send me the bill…" replied Tucker. "Dragon… Wipe out her Lesser Fiend with mechanized molten blast!"

Ancient Gear Gadjiltron Dragon roared, and opened its jaws. Flames appeared in its throat…

A volley of white hot spheres of burning plasma shot towards Sam's side of the field, eradicating Lesser Fiend and throwing Sam off her feet.

**(Y: 5,300) ----- (S: 2,800) ----- (M: 3,500) ----- (T: 3,150)**

Sam got up, clutching her chest in pain.

"Heh, heh, heh…" chuckled Tucker. "Your move…"

Sam nervously drew a card.

She looked at it closely for a minute.

"I play… Monster Reborn," she said.

She played the card, and the glowing ankh appeared over her.

"Heh, heh," chuckled Tucker. "Nothing in your Graveyard can help you…"

"Maybe not…" replied Sam. "But one in your partner's Graveyard will help…"

Marlon looked surprised as his discard slot started to glow…

Then, Saurobeast Brachion loomed over Sam, and curled up in Defense Mode. (1,500/3,000)

"Three-thousand Defense Points, Tucker!" said Sam, crossing her arms. "Your Dragon's trampling effect is worthless if it can't beat a Monster's Defense!"

"Very smart, Samantha…" muttered Marlon. "But it's my move now…"

He drew a card.

He quickly placed it facedown, and it appeared. Sabersaurus moved back into Attack Mode.

"Sabersaurus, attack Yumi's Dark Magician Girl!"

Sabersaurus charged and the whole roof shook. Dark Magician Girl covered her head with her hands before she was run down and smashed.

Yumi clutched her heart. That had hurt more than when he had done it in their first duel…

She slowly drew a card…

"I first move Dark Magician into Attack Mode…" she said.

Dark Magician stood up.

"Then I flip my facedown Monster… my Morphing Jar!"

Her facedown Monster flipped up. The Morphing Jar appeared and cackled. (700/600)

"Now every one of us has to toss every card and draw five. It's a benefit to everyone, but I had no choice."

Everyone discarded the rest of their cards (except Marlon, who had none) and drew five.

Yumi looked over her cards, and then took one.

"Next I play… Premature Burial."

She played the card, and Dark Magician Girl appeared in a sparkle of light. She smiled sweetly, as if nothing had happened. (2,000/1,700)

"I activate my Trap Card!" shouted Marlon, as his facedown card lifted. "It's called Hunting Instinct. Since you just Special Summoned a Monster, I get to Special Summon one.

"So behold… Dark Driceratops!"

The rooftop rumbled, and the huge half-bird-half-lizard Dinosaur burst out in an explosion of pebbles. (2,400/1,500)

"Not bad…" muttered Yumi. "Dark Magician… Destroy it…"

Dark Magician fired his blast, and Dark Driceratops roared as the black magic enveloped it. It shattered into bits.

"Dark Magician Girl, take out the other one."

Dark Magician Girl cast her own spell, and Sabersaurus cringed before it shattered too.

"And I'm not done with you, Marlon…" said Yumi.

The shadowy creature inside the Morphing Jar darted forth and rammed Marlon in the stomach. He winced a little as his Life Points dropped slightly.

Yumi placed three cards in her Disk, and three facedown cards appeared.

**(Y: 4,500) ----- (S: 2,800) ----- (M: 2,600) ----- (T: 3,150)**

_If all goes right…_ she thought, _we can still win this…_

Tucker drew a card.

_Three-thousand Defense Points, huh?_ he thought. _Well, I can't take Sam down on this turn… Next turn, however…_

"Okay, Sam," he said, playing a Spell Card, "I play Ancient Gear Drill."

He discarded one of his cards, and a large drilling machine appeared in front of his two Monsters. With a loud, boring noise, it plunged its drill into the floor, sending up a shower of sparks.

The machine vanished as Tucker took a card from his deck.

"Since I have an Ancient Gear Monster on the field, I can take any Spell Card I want from my deck, and set it on the field. I can't use it this turn, but next turn, it will be ready to go."

He fit it in his Disk, and it appeared.

"Or will it?" asked Yumi. "Go, Dust Tornado!"

One of her three facedown cards sprang up, and Tucker watched in horror as the Tornado blew towards the facedown card. The card, revealed to be Limiter Removal, lifted up and shattered to pieces.

"Yumi…" muttered Sam. "I… I don't know what to say…"

"A thank you would be nice," replied Yumi.

"OOHH!" shouted Tucker. "Fine, I end my turn! Just TRY to defeat my Dragon!"

Sam nervously drew a card.

"Uhm, Sam…" said Yumi. "I don't know if your second copy of you-know-who is in your hand right now, but if he is, why not use my Morphing Jar to summon him, and then attack that big Dragon?"

"WHAT?" shouted Sam. "Are you crazy?"

Tucker and Marlon looked at each other with quizzical looks.

"Sam, trust me…" replied Yumi.

Sam looked at her cards. She started to sweat…

She took one of them.

"I sacrifice Yumi's Morphing Jar to summon Dark Ruler Ha Des!" she shouted.

The Morphing Jar vanished, and the Dark Ruler appeared again. (2,450/1,600)

"You'd best know what you're doing, Yumi!" screamed Sam. "Ha Des, attack the Ancient Gear Gadjiltron Dragon!"

Ha Des raised his hand, and black flames surrounded it…

"Go, Spell Card!" shouted Yumi, as another facedown card lifted. "Rush Recklessly!

"Now I can increase the Attack Score of any Monster on the field by 700… And I think I'll choose Sam's Dark Ruler!"

Dark Ruler Ha Des rose to an Attack of 3,150. A much more intense Stygian blast struck the Dragon, and it howled. It smashed into pieces of junk that rained upon the field. Everyone covered their heads.

**(Y: 4,500) ----- (S: 2,800) ----- (M: 2,600) ----- (T: 3,000)**

Sam grinned.

"Still no thank you?" asked Yumi with a shrug.

Sam fit one card into her Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

_If he tries to attack me now, my Bark of Dark Ruler will make him sorry,_ she thought.

She nodded.

Marlon angrily drew a card.

"I place one card facedown, and summon Black Stego," he said.

A facedown card appeared, followed by the huge stegosaurus. (1,200/2,000)

"I end my turn…"

Yumi drew a card.

"I remember your Black Stego's effect, Marlon," she said. "It will move to Defense Mode when I attack. So, I just have to attack it with my stronger Monster.

"Dark Magician, attack!"

Dark Magician cast his spell again. Black Stego crouched in Defense Mode, right before it was blasted to bits.

"Dark Magician Girl…"

"Hold it, old girl," said Marlon.

His Trap Card lifted.

_Just how many Trap Cards does this guy have in his deck?_ thought Yumi.

"I activate Survival Instinct. Now, I can remove the Dinosaurs in my Graveyard from play, and for each one I remove, I gain 400 Life Points.

A menagerie of Dinosaurs appeared behind Marlon. Black Stego, Dark Driceratops, Sabersaurus, Black Tyranno, Babycerasaurus, and a fierce-looking thing that must have been Destroyersaurus. They vanished into mist.

"That means 2,000 more Life Points. So your sorceress's attack means nothing."

"I'll attack anyway," said Yumi.

Marlon grunted as Dark Magician Girl blasted him with her spell.

"I'll end my turn there…" muttered Yumi.

**(Y: 4,500) ----- (S: 2,800) ----- (M: 3,000) ----- (T: 3,000)**

Tucker sighed. He drew a card.

"I'll set a card facedown," he said, "set a Monster in Defense Mode, and move Chimera to Defense Mode…"

A facedown card, followed by a facedown Monster appeared. Then the Ancient Gear Gadjiltron Chimera sat and shielded itself.

_My Trap Card is a powerful one that I could use to blow all their Monsters to Kingdom Come,_ he thought. _Only problem is, I need to discard another Trap from my hand to activate it, and I don't have one!_

Sam drew a card.

"I sacrifice Brachion…" she said.

The huge Dinosaur next to her shattered into pixels.

"…to summon my second Lesser Fiend!"

In a burst of dark energy, another Lesser Fiend arose. (2,100/1,000)

"Take down that Chimera!" she shouted.

Lesser Fiend roared. It charged, and punched the Ancient Gear Gadjiltron Chimera; the Machine exploded into a fiery blast of molten slag.

"Ha Des, destroy his mystery Monster!"

Ha Des cast his evil spell, and Tucker's final Ancient Gear Soldier appeared, and exploded into spare parts.

"I'm done for now…" said Sam, crossing her arms.

Marlon frowned, and drew a card.

"Heh, heh, heh…" he chuckled. "Tucker, old boy… I drew… it…"

"Really?" asked Tucker.

"It?" said Sam. "What's 'it'? I have a feeling I don't like 'it'…"

"It is a special Spell Card I put in my deck especially for this duel," said Marlon. "One that lets our decks work together to bring out a mighty Monster. It's called Ultimate Evolution.

"First, I remove from play one Dinosaur from my Graveyard…"

Brachion appeared behind him.

"Then…" said Tucker, "I'll remove one Machine from mine…"

Ancient Gear Soldier appeared behind him.

The two Monsters vanished.

"And as a result…" continued Marlon, "I'm able to Special Summon… My Super Conductor Tyranno."

Yumi stepped back, half in fear and half in awe, as a giant Dinosaur loomed over Marlon. It was twenty feet tall, looked like it was made as much metal as it was flesh, and electricity coursed over its whole flesh.

It roared, and both Yumi and Sam stepped back again… (3,300/1,400)

"Yumi…" said the Pharaoh, "we've seen Marlon use this thing before…"

"Yeah," she replied. "In his duel with Rasputin, and he would have won if Rasputin hadn't gotten a lucky draw. Any ideas?"

"Bearing a good idea from Sam, I'm running out of them," he said. "We've used up almost all of our good cards… And we're down to less than half our deck."

"Well…" said Marlon. "I could just attack… But I'm not going to risk that Trap Card you have just yet… Fortunately, this beast has another way to hurt you…"

He placed another card on his Disk.

"I summon Balloon Lizard."

The large, spherical lizard appeared, floating in mid-air. (500/1,900)

"Now, by sacrificing a Monster, my Tyranno can inflict 1,000 points of damage to your Life Points."

Balloon Lizard exploded into shards. Super Conductor Tyranno breathed a blast of electric energy, striking Yumi. She screamed.

**(Y: 3,500) ----- (S: 2,800) ----- (M: 3,000) ----- (T: 3,000)**

"Yumi!" shouted Sam.

"I'm all right…" muttered Yumi.

She slowly drew a card.

She turned the two cards on her Disk, and Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl knelt in Defense Mode.

"That's all I can do…" she muttered.

Tucker drew a card.

He grinned. It was Damage Condenser.

"Okay, Sam!" he laughed. "I activate… Safecracker!"

His facedown card lifted, showing the image of Cliff the Trap Remover working on a safe.

"Now, by discarding one other Trap Card…"

He discarded the Damage Condenser.

"I can duplicate a Trap Card in either of my opponents' Graveyards. And I think I'll duplicate your Shadow Spell!"

Sam gasped, as a mass of chains sprouted up, grabbing hold of Ha Des and tying him down.

"Now, I set a Monster in Defense Mode, and end my turn."

A hidden Monster appeared.

_My facedown Monster is Gear Golem the Moving Fortress,_ he thought. _Her Lesser Fiend will never crack it. And as soon as I draw Ancient Gear Workshop, I can easily bring back my Golem…_

Sam drew a card.

It was another card she had switched from her side deck. But the purpose of this Spell was very different…

She sighed… She had hoped to use this against Yumi when the two of them finally dueled… But it appeared she had no choice now…

"Yumi…" muttered Sam. "I… I have something that might… just might, mind you, get us out of this… But I have to borrow your Dark Magician to do it."

Yumi looked at her strangely.

She looked at the Pharaoh, and he nodded.

"Okay, Sam…" she said. "Good luck…"

Sam played the card.

"Go, Polymerization!" she shouted.

"Polymerization?" asked Marlon.

"What the heck are you gonna fuse?" asked Tucker.

"I have a very rare, and very special Fusion Monster…" replied Sam. "And it can only be summoned by fusing a Fiend and a Spellcaster, both of which must be at least Level Six…

"So… I choose to fuse my Dark Ruler Ha Des, and Yumi's Dark Magician!"

A dark portal opened behind her, and a ring of fire formed around it. Dark Magician was sucked through. The chains holding Ha Des snapped, and he was drawn through it too.

"The resulting creature is both a Fiend and a Spellcaster," said Sam. "I bring forth… Astaroth, Sage of the Underworld!"

Stepping out of the portal was a diabolic-looking creature. It had the head of a fiendish wolf, or maybe jackal, with sharp fangs and glowing eyes. It had claws that were a cross between a wolf's paws and a human's hands. It was dressed in the flowing, formal robes of a scholar, with scroll tubes tied to its belt, and it carried a leather-bound tome under its arm.

"As far as points go," said Sam, "we take the Attack and Defense, respectively, of the two Monsters I fused, add them together, and then divide by two."

(2,475/1,850)

Tucker gulped…

"Humph…" said Marlon. "A wasted effort… Even if you could attack my Tyranno, and you can't, it isn't nearly strong enough."

"Did I mention its cool special effect?" asked Sam. "Once per round, I can pay 800 Life Points to flip the top card of my deck. Then, I remove that card from play, and destroy a face-up card of the same type.

"So, let's see…"

She took a card off the top of her deck.

She smirked.

She showed it to him. It was Ring of Defense.

"HA!" laughed Marlon. "That's a Spell… So you can't destroy my Monster."

"True…" replied Sam. "But… I _can_ destroy that annoying Side Attack."

Astaroth formed a crackling ball of black energy in its free hand, and hurled it, blasting the Side Attack card to pieces.

"And now that it's gone," continued Sam, pocketing the Ring of Defense card, "I'm free to attack either one of you.

"Astaroth, attack his Super Conductive Tyranno with forbidden curse!"

The Fiend sorcerer prepared to fire its lethal hex again…

"What are you doing?" shouted Marlon. "It isn't strong enough!"

Sam nodded, and her facedown card lifted, revealing Bark of Dark Ruler.

"I'll give up 1,900 Life Points," she said, "and that will cut your Monster down to a more manageable level."

Super Conductor Tyranno glowed with an aura of dark energy, and its Attack Score fell to 1,400.

Astaroth hurled the ball of darkness, and the giant Dinosaur exploded in a burst of light and flames.

"Lesser Fiend… Attack him directly!"

Lesser Fiend lunged at Marlon, and clobbered him with all four fists. He fell over.

**(Y: 3,500) ----- (S: 100) ----- (M: 0) ----- (T: 3,000)**

"Well, that's it for me…" said Sam. "Yumi, take care of Tucker for me, will you?"

"Right!" shouted Yumi, drawing a card. "Time to end this…

"I activate… Call of the Haunted!"

Her facedown card lifted, and a black coffin appeared on the field. Dark Magician stepped out of it.

She looked at the card she had just drawn.

She played it.

"Now I summon… my second Skilled Dark Magician!"

In a burst of dark energy, the lesser Spellcaster appeared next to the two stronger ones. (1,900/1,700)

"Dark Magician, attack his facedown Monster!"

Dark Magician cast his mighty spell. Gear Golem the Moving Fortress appeared on the card, and was blown to pieces.

Dark Magician Girl and Skilled Dark Magician aimed their scepters. A double blast of dark magic struck Tucker, and he collapsed.

**(Y: 3,500) ----- (S: 100) ----- (M: 0) ----- (T: 0)**

The remaining Monsters vanished, and Yumi ran up to their two opponents, with Anastasia behind them.

"Sam…" said Yumi, placing her hand on Marlon's chest (and fortunately, not meeting with any objections), "once we're done here, we have to hurry and find Ren, Chelsea, and Erik."

"What?" asked Sam. "You don't think these guys were lying, do you?"

Yumi paused.

"The Crown lets me see the holders of other Charms when they're in crisis…" said Yumi.

"Erik is in one right now… He's just been goaded into a duel…"

_The two heirs are triumphant. Yumi and Sam have managed what Yugi and Kaiba did so many years ago. But Rasputin seems to have been crafty, using the divide and conquer strategy that Yumi had tried so hard to avoid. Can Sam arrive in time to provide support for her boyfriend? Stay tuned…_

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**ARMED DARK DRAGON (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Dragon/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level:** 7  
**ATK:** 2,800  
**DEF:** 1,000

**Card Description:** This card cannot be Normal Summoned or set. This card can be Special Summoned from your hand when there are exactly three DARK Monsters in your Graveyard. By removing one DARK Monster in your Graveyard from play, you can destroy one card on the field.

_Note: "Armed Dark Dragon" will be released in the upcoming "Phantom Darkness" booster pack, due out in Japan in November._

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**SHIELD ATTACK (Spell Card)**

**Equip Spell**

**Image:** A cartoonish picture of an old man hitting a younger warrior with a beer keg.

**Card Description:** Switch the base ATK and DEF of the Monster Equipped with this card.

_Note: "Shield Attack" was first used by Jaden in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Blinded by the Light (Part Two)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**HAMMER GOLEM (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Machine/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,500  
**DEF:** 1,000

**Card Description:** When this card is Normal Summoned, place two "Armor Counters" on it. If this card would be destroyed, you may remove one "Armor Counter" from it to prevent it from being destroyed. You must pay 1,000 Life Points to attack with this card.

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**ASTAROTH, SAGE OF THE UNDERWORLD (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fiend/Fusion/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level:** 7  
**ATK:** ?  
**DEF:** ?

**Card Description:** _Any one Fiend-Type Monster that is Level Six or greater plus Any one Spellcaster-Type Monster that is Level Six or greater_

This card can only be summoned via Fusion Summon using the above-named Fusion Material Monsters. The base ATK and DEF of this card are that of the ATK and DEF, respectively, of the two Monsters used as Fusion Material, added together, and divided by two. This card is also considered a Spellcaster-Type Monster. Once per round, you may pay 800 Life Points to reveal the top card on your deck. Then, destroy a face-up card on the field of the same type as the revealed card. Then, remove the revealed card from play.

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**SAUROBEAST BRACHION (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Dinosaur/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level:** 8  
**ATK:** 1,500  
**DEF:** 3,000

**Card Description:** When a Monster is Normal Summoned, Flip-Summoned, or Special Summoned to your opponent's side of the field, this card is switched to face-up Defense Position.

_Note: "Saurobeast Brachion" was first used by Tyranno in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Primal Instinct". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**DARK RENEWAL (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image:** A dark coffin with a pentagram on the cover.

**Card Description:** You may activate this card when your opponent Normal Summons, Flip-Summons, or Special Summons a Monster. Tribute the summoned Monster and a face-up Monster on your side of the field. Then, Special Summon one Spellcaster-Type Monster from your Graveyard.

_Note: "Dark Renewal" was first used by Arkana in the original anime episode "Master of Magicians (Part Two)" and used by Yugi and the Pharaoh infrequently after that. Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**ULTIMATE EVOLUTION (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** A capsule glowing with fiery energy in front of a roaring dinosaur.

**Card Description:** Remove from play one Dinosaur-Type and one Machine-Type Monster in your hand and/or Graveyard to activate this card. Special Summon one LIGHT Dinosaur-Type Monster from your hand or deck.

_Note: "Ultimate Evolution" was first used by Tyranno in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Taken By Storm (Part Two)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**SIDE ATTACK (Spell Card)**

**Continuous Spell**

**Image:** A yellow starburst with a ninja in each corner, each one facing the one diagonal to him. Two sets of arrows, one blue and one red, connect the two sets of ninjas facing each other.

**Card Description:** This card can only be used in a two-on-two Tag Duel. You are "A1" and your tag partner is "A2". When this card is played, select one of your opponents. That opponent is "B1" and his tag partner is "B2". "A1" is paired with "B1", "B1" is "A1's" attack target and cannot select anyone else. "A2" is paired with "B2", "B2" is "A2's" attack target and cannot select anyone else. When a Monster does not exist on "B1's" area of the field, "A1" may attack "B2" directly. When a Monster does not exist on "B2's" area of the field, "A2" may attack "B1" directly.

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**REVOLVING STAGE (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image:** Two splendidly dressed dancers on a circular stage with a spotlight on them.

**Card Description:** You can only activate this card when a "Side Attack" is active on the field. When one of your opponents is about to receive battle damage, you can redirect that battle damage to your other opponent.

_Note: "Side Attack" and "Revolving Stage" were first used by Thunder and Frost in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Taken By Storm". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**SAFECRACKER (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image:** Cliff the Trap Remover working on a safe.

**Card Description:** Discard one Trap Card from your hand. Select one Trap Card from your opponent's Graveyard and activate it from the Graveyard as your Trap Card.

_Note: "Safecracker" first appeared in "Dark Messiah"._

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**Sam: We gotta find Erik fast! I'm really starting to hate that Rasputin…**

**Yumi: Leave it to him to strike when we were busy… I wonder who he's dueling…**

**Anastasia: He's dueling someone who's mad at him, Yumi. While this duelist is under Rasputin's control, Rasputin may not have had to even bother… He might have dueled Erik on his own…**

**Coming up next, "Battle of Vengeance; Erik versus Leroy, Round Two".**

**Time for a rematch, and this time, it won't be so easy… **


	39. Battle of Vengeance

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**CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT**

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**Battle of Vengeance**

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**Erik versus Leroy, Round Two**

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As the duel between Yumi and Sam and Marlon and Tucker was starting, the duel for the last spot in the finals was nearing its conclusion.

On one side was Nicholas. On the other was one of the Pros still in the running, the illustrious Baron von Drumer, known in the Pro League as the Red Baron. He truly played the part of his notorious namesake, wearing an aviator's outfit, complete with a scarf, helmet, and goggles.

Right now, Nicholas had the three Ojamas (0/1,000x3) and Ojama King (0/3,000) on his side of the field in Defense Mode, and three facedown cards. The facedown cards were only there for protection against Drumer's Monster: Simorgh, Bird of Divinity. (2,700/1,000). Drumer also had a facedown Monster and four facedown cards.

Nicholas had 2,500 Life Points left, and Drumer had 2,100. But it was Drumer's turn.

"I draw!" exclaimed Drumer.

He looked at the card.

"Time to take control of this duel," he said. "I flip my facedown Monster into Attack Mode… Reveal… Tornado Bird!"

The facedown card flipped, and a huge bird of prey with bright red feathers appeared where the card had been. (1,100/1,000)

"And that activates his effect…"

Tornado Bird flapped its wings, and a burst of wind blew two of Nicholas's facedown cards off the field. They reappeared in his hand.

"Next…" said the Baron, playing a Spell Card, "I play Winged Repayment. I pay 600 Life Points, and then get to draw one card for each Winged Beast I have on the field. However, I can't use those cards this turn."

His Life Points fell to 1,500, and he drew two cards.

"Now… Tornado Bird… Attack Ojama Black!"

The huge Bird flew at the small Beast, and crushed it in its talons.

"Simorgh, attack Ojama Yellow. Divine wind!"

Simorgh flapped its wings furiously. Ojama Yellow tried in vain to shield itself, but it shattered.

"And I'm not done…" said the Baron. "I activate… Icarus Attack!"

One of his facedown cards lifted.

"Now I can sacrifice a Winged Beast, and destroy two of your cards."

Tornado Bird erupted into flames, and flew towards Nicholas's side of the field. Ojama King and his last facedown card exploded in bursts of fire.

"And I'll follow up with Explosion Wing!" he shouted, as another facedown card lifted. "Now, you lose 500 Life Points for each card that was destroyed."

Two birds flew out of the card, carrying bombs in their talons. They flew over Nicholas, and dropped them…

They detonated on impact, and Nicholas staggered back and shielded himself with his forearm. He groaned as his Life Points fell to 1,500.

"I end my turn," said Drumer, "and as you know, since you have no Spell or Trap Cards on the field, Simorgh's effect costs you 1,000 Life Points."

Simorgh beat its wings again, causing a virtual hurricane. Nicholas strained and staggered against the wind, as his Life Points fell to 500.

Nicholas made some slow gasps.

"All right…" he muttered. "My draw…"

He drew a card.

"And I'm going to end this… Playing that Winged Repayment was a big mistake…"

He played a card.

"I play… Silent Doom. I'll bring back Ojama Yellow."

Ojama Yellow appeared, and crouched in defense. (0/1,000)

"Now I play… Polymerization."

"What?" said the Baron. "You only have two Ojamas! You can't summon your King again!"

"I'm not going to…" said Nicholas. "For this fusion, I only need two. I'm fusing Ojama Yellow and Ojama Green…"

The two Ojamas locked arms and spun around, fading into a blur…

"To form… Ojama Knight!"

A new creature appeared on the field. It was a chubby knight in shining armor, wearing the same shorts as the Ojamas over the armor. Ojama Yellow's eyestalks protruded through its helmet. It held a short sword and a shield. (0/2,500)

"HA!" laughed the Baron. "Only 2,500 Defense Points? Simorgh will destroy it easily."

"Who's defending?" asked Nicholas. "Look closer… I summoned this guy in Attack Mode."

"Say what?" said Drumer, startled.

Nicholas took the card he had just drawn.

"I play Shield and Sword," he said. "Now, the Attack and Defense of all Monsters on the field switch. It's a benefit for my Knight…

"But your Bird of Divinity isn't so lucky. Now my Knight can carve it up like a Christmas goose. And you're about to be shot down, Baron."

Ojama Knight changed to (2,500/0), while Simorgh changed to (1,000/2,700).

The Pro's eyes widened in horror, as Ojama Knight flew at Simorgh, and with one swipe of its blade, cleaved it in half. Drumer's Life Points fell to zero.

He fell to the ground sobbing.

"Good match…" said Nicholas, walking away, as his badge changed to Gold.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

After retiring from dueling long ago, Mako Tsunami had enlisted in the Japanese Navy. He had a long career before finally retiring at the rank of Commander. In his old age, he put most of his money into investments, many of which paid off rather well.

One of them was A Legendary Ocean, a seafood restaurant in Duelatopia that he owned seventy percent of.

Inside the comfortable place's dining room, the first thing folks noticed was a large mural depicting The Legendary Fisherman battling a giant squid. Folks could dine on the buffet while watching the hourly screenings on a large monitor: Mako's duels from the first Battle City. (A lot of folks didn't realize that Mako had won three duels in that competition before losing to Joey Wheeler. Folks were surprised when they saw the other three and realized how good he had been. Still, the duel between him and Joey was always the favorite.)

As the two-on-two duel was starting, Ren, Chelsea, and Erik were oblivious. Rasputin had been clever in sending them the coupons. He had included a note with a forged signature, presumably by Yumi, saying that Sheena had wanted to question her and Sam about the Ascenders. The three of them were a little miffed about not being included, but a free lunch more than made up for it.

"Take it easy, Erik," said Chelsea, as Erik came back with his third plate of grilled shrimp. "Sam made reservations at the big restaurant tonight, remember?"

"I'll be hungry again by then," replied Erik. "I have a real fast metabolism."

Ren looked at him.

"Erik…" he pondered. "How did you and Sam meet?"

Erik chewed a piece of shrimp for a minute in silence.

"Well…" he said, scratching his head. "I guess that all goes back to my dad, the illustrious Erik Matell Sr.

"See, he's the head of accounting for a computer firm in Tokyo… He makes good money. But being an accountant, no matter how much money you make, is… well, boring.

"See, dad insisted I find a hobby of some sort, since he couldn't offer me much himself. So I looked into Duel Monsters. I bought a bunch of booster packs, made a deck that I thought would work, and went to see who would want to duel at Kaibaland. I rented a Disk… I wasn't committed yet.

"As fate would have it, Sam accepted my challenge, and she beat me good. It was a slaughter.

"Then she asked if she could see my deck. I showed it to her, and she was brutally honest. She said the reason she beat me so badly was because my deck stank. She said she'd help me build a real one.

"She said the first thing I needed was a common thread… A theme. But I didn't have any idea what sort of one to use.

"She had an idea. She told me that sometimes, the deck picks the duelist. So she took out a large package of cards that had come in an order, and told me to pick one without looking. So I did…"

Erik took his deck and skimmed through it.

He held up a Toy Soldier.

"It was this little guy," he said.

"Whoa…" muttered Ren.

"So, we worked on the deck," continued Erik. "She helped a great deal… And before long I was asking her if she wanted to go out for sushi… It progressed to more pricy dinners and movies…"

He sighed.

"Sam was someone who made me feel special… And she felt the same way…"

"You realize…" said Chelsea, "the two of you are in the finals… What if you two have to duel each other?"

Erik paused.

"Well…" he said, "it will be a duel like none other…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

As the three of them were walking out of the restaurant, Chelsea realized something.

"Did Yumi and Sam say when they'd be back?" she asked.

Ren stopped short.

"No…" he muttered.

"They won't be back," said a voice. "At least not in any shape to greet you."

They turned, and saw a familiar face in front of them… A tough-looking teenager with a ton of hairspray, smoking a cigarette.

"Leroy…" snarled Erik.

"That's right," replied Leroy. "Leroy Brown… Badder than old King Kong…"

"Oh, please…" said Erik. "You aren't even badder than Donkey Kong."

Leroy made a face, and then flicked the cigarette, hitting Erik in the chest.

"Say what you will," he said, "but you three have been played for suckers. While you were stuffing yourselves silly, your two friends have been getting the snot kicked out of them."

"Sam?" shouted Erik. "Where is she?"

"Not telling," replied Leroy.

"You're gonna tell me or I'll…" threatened Erik.

"Go on, slug me," said Leroy. "But I fully plan on slugging you back if you try."

Erik glared at him.

"Say…" said Leroy, "maybe we can cut a deal… You agree to duel me again with a wager… Say, that fancy necklace, and if you beat me again, I'll tell you where they are."

Erik stared at him.

_He wants the Talisman of the Mind?_ he thought_. I knew this guy was sleazy… But working for Rasputin?_

Erik hit the button on his badge, and it turned off.

"Fine," he said. "But we duel unofficially. I beat you once before, how hard can it be to do so again?"

_Very, very, hard,_ thought Leroy. _You may think I'm dumb, but this time, I've really planned in advance…_

Olga's face appeared in his mind.

_I'll make you proud of me, babe! Wait for me… I'll take him down with no problem!_

"Erik, be careful," said Chelsea. "I doubt this guy intends to play fair."

"Don't worry…" said Erik. "I didn't make it to Gold by being stupid…"

He and Leroy faced each other. The two Disks activated.

"Game on!" they both shouted.

**(Erik: 8,000) -------------------- (Leroy: 8,000)**

They both whipped five cards off their decks.

"I insist, you go first…" said Leroy.

Erik drew a sixth card.

"Buster…" he said. "You just made your first mistake…

"I summon… Toy Soldier."

He played the card, and Toy Soldier materialized, aiming his musket. (800/300)

"Now, I'll toss this facedown, and end my turn…"

A facedown card appeared.

_Just as I expected…_ thought Leroy, making his first draw. _He's fallen right into my trap…_

"I play… Reinforcement of the Army. Now, I get to search my deck, and once I find a Warrior that's Level Four or less, I get to add it to my hand…"

He spread his cards out, and chose one.

"And now that he's in my hand, I'm gonna summon him… Zombyra the Dark!"

In an aura of shadow, the masked, caped superhero that Ren was so fond of using rose up on Leroy's side of the field. (2,100/500)

"No way!" shouted Ren. "He's using Zombyra?"

_Three copies, actually…_ thought Leroy.

"I activate a Trap Card!" shouted Erik, as his facedown card lifted. "Zero Gravity. Now, both our Monsters move into Defense Mode."

Zombyra and Toy Soldier crouched down and shielded themselves.

_You must think you're so clever,_ thought Leroy. _Using that Trap to stop me from attacking… Well, joke's on you… I wasn't going to attack at all. Thanks for using up that Trap for me…_

He fit a card into his Disk.

"I toss a card of my own facedown, and end my turn."

A facedown card appeared.

Erik drew a card.

"My Toy Soldier's effect activates…"

In two bursts of energy, two more Toy Soldiers appeared. (800/300 x2)

"I was hoping you'd do that, Erik!" laughed Leroy. "Trap activate!"

His facedown card lifted.

"Deck Devastation Virus!"

Erik stopped short…

"WHAT?" he shouted.

"That's right…" said Leroy, with an evil smile. "I simply have to sacrifice a Dark Monster with an Attack Score of 2,000 or more…"

Zombyra the Dark exploded into a cloud of vile, black, spores…

"And all Monsters on your side of the field with 1,500 Attack Points or less are destroyed!"

Erik watched in horror as the three Toy Soldiers started to warp and rot like decaying wood. Finally, they collapsed and shattered.

"And the same goes for all Monsters in your hand, and any that you draw for the next three rounds!" added Leroy.

Erik looked at his hand. He gasped as his Giant Rat and Spell Striker vanished.

"That was a dirty trick, Leroy!" shouted Erik.

"Tell it to someone who gives a damn!" replied Leroy. "You humiliated me, remember? So I'm gonna pay you back in spades!

"I swear on my mother's good name, this time, none of your pathetic excuses for Warriors will even get close to hurting one of the ones in my deck that are worthy of the name!"

Erik growled, and placed a card in his Disk. A facedown card appeared.

"I end my turn!" he shouted.

"What's he gonna do?" asked Chelsea.

"I'm afraid to say it, but he can't do much…" replied Ren. "The majority of the Monsters in his deck would fall victim to that accursed virus. We can only hope he manages to survive until it runs its course."

"My draw…" said Leroy.

He drew a card.

"I summon… Marauding Captain."

The aged veteran appeared on the field, holding aloft his two blades. (1,200/400)

"And I'll use his effect to summon… Warrior Lady of the Wasteland."

Marauding Captain made a whistle, and the female Warrior with an odd sense of fashion stepped out. (1,100/1,200)

"You want me?" dared Erik. "Well come and get me!"

"Get him!" shouted Leroy.

"Aw crap…" muttered Erik.

He screamed as Marauding Captain's sword slammed into him.

He barely had time to regain his footing before Warrior Lady stabbed him in the gut with her own sword. He fell to his knees.

**(E: 5,700) -------------------- (L: 8,000)**

"Heh, heh…" chuckled Leroy. "I've been wanting to do that all tournament!"

Sweat poured down Erik's forehead. He slowly got up…

"It's your move…" said Leroy. "So draw… Of course, I get to see what it is, and if it's another one of your wimps, it goes bye-bye."

Erik angrily drew a card.

"Sorry, Leroy," he said, showing him the Mirror Force, "but this certainly is not a Monster.

"I place one card facedown and end my turn…"

A facedown card appeared next to the other one.

Leroy drew a card.

"I play… Pot of Greed," he said, playing it. "Bet you wish you had this card, don't you?"

He drew two cards.

"Sorry, Erik, but like I said, I'm not dumb… I know that the facedown card you just set is the Mirror Force you just drew.

"So until I manage to get rid of it, I'll set two cards of my own facedown, and end my turn."

Two facedown cards appeared. Leroy grinned at Erik.

Erik drew a card. He looked at it.

"Still not a Monster, Leroy," he said, showing him the Rush Recklessly card.

Leroy frowned. Then he smiled.

"You may think I'm all bad," he said with a chuckle. "But I can be a nice guy when I want to be… I think I'm gonna help you out…"

One of his facedown cards lifted. It was a Trap Card with a very intimidating picture on it, of a demon confronting a king with a scroll.

"I activate Despised Treaty."

"Despised Treaty?" asked Erik. "What does that do?"

"I'll explain," replied Leroy. "Since I activated this card, you get to Special Summon a Monster from your deck that's Level Four or less, if you so choose.

"However, if you do, I get to draw two cards.

"If you choose not too, well then, I lose 1,000 Life Points.

"So… be careful before you decide…"

Erik glared at him. Leroy's eye turned towards his other facedown card.

_What he doesn't know is,_ he thought, _my other facedown card is Weed Out, a Trap that will destroy all Level Three Monsters on the field. It may cost me my Marauding Captain, but it's worth it to smash another one of his damn toys…_

"I accept!" shouted Erik, taking his deck.

"Then I get two cards," said Leroy, drawing twice.

"Fine…" said Erik. "I summon… Toy Magician!"

In a flash of light, the colorful, elflike wizard made of plastic appeared on the field. (1,600/1,500)

"I activate…" shouted Leroy.

Then he stopped short.

"Wait a minute…" he said. "That's… That's Level Four…"

"Yes…" said Erik. "I distinctly heard you say, Level Four or less."

"NO!" screamed Leroy. "You can't! I won't let you…"

"I can, and try to stop me," replied Erik. "Toy Magician… Attack Marauding Captain with sparkle blast!"

Toy Magician thrust his scepter forward and shot a burst of glowing bolts at the Warrior. Leroy howled in anguish as the Captain exploded.

**(E: 5,700) -------------------- (L: 7,600)**

"I guess protecting your mother's good name doesn't mean that much to you," said Erik.

Leroy didn't respond at first. He was seething with rage.

"Curse you, Erik…" he growled. "Curse you to the darkest bowls of Hades!"

"I place a card facedown, and end my turn…" said Erik, as a facedown card appeared behind Toy Magician. "Make your move…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Yumi and Sam had finished their duel, and were now running through the streets of the city.

"We have to find him!" shouted Sam.

"Sam, Sam!" shouted Yumi, slowing down. "Hold up…"

"What?" shouted Sam, getting impatient. "My lover's in trouble!"

Yumi looked at her.

"Thanks, Sam," she muttered. "I was debating whether or not to come right out and ask you and Erik about that…"

Sam covered her face with her hand.

"Does your mom know about this?" asked Yumi.

"NO!" shouted Sam. "And if you tell her, so help me…

"Look, can we just find him before…"

"Hold up!" interrupted Yumi. "Did you even stop to think that we don't even know where we're going?"

Sam stopped short.

"Well, didn't they say some seafood restaurant?" she asked.

"Big help," replied Yumi. "There are a few, and they might have left by now…"

Then her Crown started to glow again.

"Huh?" she muttered. "Warrior Lady of the Wasteland… Toy Magician…"

She paused.

"Sam… I know where they are… Quick, follow me!"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Rasputin wasn't watching the duel. He figured he'd best pack his suitcases ahead of time.

He smirked as he went through one that he had yet to even unpack. He always brought too many things while he was traveling.

He sorted through some leisure jackets and shirts…

Then his eye caught something metallic.

He slowly reached for it.

He lifted it out of the suitcase and stared at it. It was a crucifix made of metal, elaborately carved, with every minute detail. Even though it was only eight inches long, the craftsman had been complete, right down to the eyebrows under Christ's forehead.

Despite the detail, it looked like the craftsman had used second-rate materials. The metal was very dull, and full of impurities.

_Now how did this get in there?_ he mused.

He stroked his beard.

_I… I know this from somewhere…_

He was startled as the mail alert rang on his computer.

By the time he got to his computer, he had almost forgotten about the crucifix…

…and he had no idea that he had placed it in the hidden pocket of his jacket…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Leroy drew a card and looked over his hand.

"I set a card facedown, and move Warrior Lady to Defense Mode," he said.

A facedown card appeared on his side of the field, and Warrior Lady of the Wasteland knelt in Defense.

"So move already. My Virus still has one round left on it."

Erik drew. The card was Giant Rat.

He snarled, and discarded the card.

"Heh, I hope that was a good one," said Leroy, "and by the way…"

The facedown card he had just set lifted.

"Go, Dust Tornado! Say goodbye to that Mirror Force!"

The Tornado tore across the field…

"I activate Emergency Provisions!" shouted Erik, as another of his facedown cards lifted.

The Mirror Force card lifted up and disintegrated.

"So now, your Tornado has no target."

**(E: 6,700) -------------------- (L: 7,600)**

"And it's still my move… Toy Magician, kill his Warrior Lady!"

Toy Magician fired his sparkle blast, and Warrior Lady of the Wasteland was blown to gibbets.

"I activate her ability!" shouted Leroy. "Now I can summon an Earth Warrior with 1,500 Attack Points or less. So I summon… Obnoxious Celtic Guardian!"

In a flash of light, the elven Warrior appeared on the field, holding aloft his silver blade. (1,400/1,200)

"I end my turn…" muttered Erik. "At least your Virus won't destroy any more of my Monsters."

Leroy growled and drew a card.

"Then I'll just have to destroy them the old fashioned way…" he said. "I summon someone new… The Hunter with 7 Weapons."

In a shadowy blur, a grim figure appeared on his side of the field. It was a bald, eyepatched Warrior with a stern face, clothed in leather. Like his name suggested, he was armed to the teeth with weapons: swords, knives, axes, bows, and maces. (1,000/600)

"He may not seem very strong, but he gains a special ability when he's Normal Summoned. I get to name one Type of Monster, and he gains 1,000 Attack Points while battling that Type.

"And I name Spellcasters."

The Hunter considered his impressive arsenal, and then pulled a long dagger out of a sheath.

"Go!" shouted Leroy. "Attack his Toy Magician with specialized strike!"

The Hunter lunged at Toy Magician with his dagger. His Attack Score rose to 2,000…

"Did you forget I had _this_?" asked Erik, as his facedown card lifted.

It was Rush Recklessly.

Toy Magician rose to an Attack of 2,300. He cast his spell as the Hunter lunged, and the Warrior was blown to bits.

Leroy seethed with anger again.

"I place one card facedown, and move my Guardian to Defense Mode," he said.

A facedown card appeared, and Obnoxious Celtic Guardian knelt and shielded himself.

**(E: 6,700) -------------------- (L: 7,300)**

"All right…" said Ren. "Now that his nasty Virus is gone, Erik might have a better chance."

"Let's hope so…" replied Chelsea.

Erik drew a card.

"Well, what do you know?" he said, showing Leroy the card. "I just drew Pot of Avarice!"

He played the card, and the ridiculous pink jug appeared in front of him.

All three Toy Soldiers, Spell Striker, and one Giant Rat slipped out of his discard slot. He shuffled them into his deck, and then drew twice.

He looked at the two cards.

"I play… Heavy Storm!"

He held up the card, and a violent wind ripped over the field. Leroy's Weed Out and Call of the Haunted lifted up and were blown to pieces.

Leroy glared at him.

"Next…" said Erik. "I summon Toy Wind-Up."

The bulky tin soldier with his blunderbuss appeared next to Toy Magician. (1,000/700)

"Now, I attack your Guardian with Toy Magician!"

Toy Magician cast his spell once again, and Obnoxious Celtic Guardian exploded.

"All right!" shouted Erik. "Toy Wind-Up, attack him directly! Blunderbuss blast!"

The Machine aimed his weapon at Leroy and it fired with a huge blast. Leroy screamed.

"Now I activate his effect…" said Erik. "Now I'm able to summon a second Wind-Up…"

Another of the tin soldiers appeared. (1,000/700)

Erik pointed, and the second one fired at Leroy too.

Erik smiled, as a third Wind-Up appeared. (1,000/700) Again, a blunderbuss fired, sending Leroy to his knees.

"My turn is over…" said Erik. "Looks like your big plan was a big dud."

**(E: 6,700) -------------------- (L: 4,300)**

"Whoa…" muttered Chelsea. "I really hope I don't have to duel him…"

"Someone's gonna have to," replied Ren.

Leroy got up, clutching his chest. He drew a card.

"Heh, heh, heh…" he chuckled. "My patience has paid off, Erik…"

"I play the Spell Card, Bronze Knight.

"Now, for each card that I choose to toss, I get to summon a Bronze Knight Token."

He tossed three of his cards. In three bursts of energy, three knights in shining armor carrying shields and swords appeared in front of him. (500/500 x3)

"And just what are you gonna do with them?" asked Erik, rolling his eyes.

"I'll show you…" said Leroy, taking another card. "I sacrifice my three Knights…"

The Bronze Knights vanished… Thunder rolled…

"I summon… Gilford the Lightning!"

Lightning erupted on the field, and the mighty Gilford stepped out, electricity dancing all over his armor. (2,800/1,400)

Erik took a step back, as Gilford drew his mighty sword…

With an intense blast of lightning, his three Wind-Ups and Toy Magician were blasted to particles.

"Remember our first duel, Erik?" asked Leroy. "You said some dumb quote… I think it was… Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the Earth.

"Well, let me tell you the hard, cold fact. That's a lie that only optimists believe. This world is a cruel, cruel place, where only the strong survive, and weaklings are stepped on. That's how it is, and that's how it's always gonna be.

"Anyway, I'm not done… I Equip Gilford with Fusion Sword Murasame Blade."

He played his last card, and a sword appeared, and was absorbed into Gilford's Sword. His Attack went up to 3,600.

"Try walking away from this!" he shouted. "Gilford, attack him directly!"

Erik hollered as Gilford's sword slammed into him with the force of a hammer. He flew ten feet, and landed on his back.

"If you could get up, it would be your move…" said Leroy, with a laugh.

**(E: 3,100) -------------------- (L: 4,300)**

Erik tried to get up, but he could barely open his eyes. His mind was in a fog. He couldn't remember a time he had taken a hit that strong. Perhaps he never had.

_I have to get up…_ he thought. _I can't… I can't lose the Talisman… So many people are counting on me…_

_Sam… Where are you?_

"Erik!" shouted a familiar voice. "Get up, baby!"

Erik's eyes flicked open.

"Sam?" he said.

He sat up, and looked up.

Sam and Yumi had just run up.

"You guys are okay!" exclaimed Chelsea.

"Yeah," said Yumi. "Rasputin's latest trick."

"So…" said Leroy, "the toy king's royal wench returns."

Erik slowly stood up.

"Erik, don't let this punk bully you!" shouted Sam. "Put him in his place like you did last time!"

Erik looked at her and nodded.

He drew a card.

He looked at it.

He placed a card on his Disk, and a defensive Monster appeared.

"Go ahead…" he said.

"That all?" asked Leroy. "Well, you aren't the only one who can draw a Monster…"

He made a draw.

He frowned.

"Didn't draw one, huh?" asked Erik, with a smile.

"No…" replied Leroy, "but I drew something that will make Gilford even stronger. I Equip him with Jeweled Sword."

He played the card, and another sword was absorbed into Gilford's blade. (3,900/1,400)

"Attack!" shouted Leroy.

Gilford swung his blade…

Giant Rat appeared on the card, and was eradicated.

"I activate Giant Rat's ability!" shouted Erik. "Toy Soldier, come on out!"

Toy Soldier appeared in a flash of light. (800/300)

"Humph, as if that worried me!" shouted Leroy. "I end my turn!"

Erik drew a card.

He gestured, and two more Toy Soldiers appeared. (800/300 x2)

Without saying a word, he placed a card in his Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

"Your move…" he said.

"HA!" laughed Erik, drawing a card. "I'm not going to fall for THAT, Erik!"

He looked at the card.

"So I'm just going to…"

"Well, why don't I activate it right now?" asked Erik. "Curse of Anubis!"

The Trap Card lifted, and the ghostly, spectral form of the jackal god Anubis appeared over the field.

"Now, all Effect Monsters move to Defense Mode, and their Defense Scores fall to zero for the rest of the round."

Anubis let out a ghostly howl, and all three Toy Soldiers and Gilford crouched in Defense Mode.

"And I'm afraid you can't move him back to Attack Mode until your next turn," continued Erik.

Leroy growled.

"Oh, just move…" he said.

Erik made a draw.

He grinned.

"Everyone, move back to Attack Mode," he said.

The Toy Soldiers stood up.

"Now, I'm sure you remember this card, Leroy," he said, playing a Spell Card. "Crowning of the Emperor. I sacrifice one Toy Soldier…"

The middle Soldier vanished in a burst of glowing, golden light…

A larger form rode out of the light. Toy Emperor had arrived. (2,300/800)

"Toy Emperor, attack Gilford!" shouted Erik. "Imperial charge!"

Toy Emperor galloped forward on his mount, and with one swipe of his sword, Gilford the Lightning exploded in a burst of luminous energy.

"Grrr…" growled Leroy. "You activated the effect of my Jeweled Sword. I get to draw one card now…"

He made a draw.

"And Toy Emperor's effect activates as well," said Erik, taking his deck. "I get to pull any Trap Card that I want."

He took the card he wanted, and reshuffled.

"And I'm not done with you… Toy Soldiers, attack him directly!"

The two Soldiers got down on one knee, and their muskets fired. Leroy cringed in pain.

**(E: 3,100) -------------------- (L: 2,700)**

He placed the card he had just searched for in his Disk, and it appeared facedown.

"My turn is over…" he said, stabbing his thumb down.

Leroy made another draw.

"Sorry, Erik," he said, "but Gilford is coming right back. I play Monster Reborn."

The glowing ankh appeared on the field, and Gilford rose again, holding his sword high. (2,800/1,400)

"Attack his Toy Emperor!" shouted Leroy.

Gilford charged, and smote the Toy Emperor in a fierce explosion. Erik cringed from the blow.

Leroy grinned, and placed a card in his Disk. A facedown card appeared.

He nodded to Erik.

**(E: 2,600) -------------------- (L: 2,700)**

_My facedown card is Meteorain,_ he thought. _He'll obviously shift his two weaklings to Defense Mode. And on my next turn, all I'll need to do is draw another Monster, and this duel is mine._

Erik drew a card.

He looked at the three cards in his hand, then at his two Toy Soldiers, and then at his facedown card.

He gestured, and his facedown card lifted, revealing Call of the Haunted. In a glowing light, Toy Emperor strode out again on his steed. (2,300/800)

"Humph," said Leroy. "I'll just smash him again."

"No you won't," said Erik. "Because I'm going to finish you now.

"I play… Double Spell. Now, I discard one other Spell Card…"

He discarded his Toy Memorial.

"And I can use one Spell Card in your Graveyard. And the one I have my eye on is your Fusion Sword Murasame Blade."

"You can't do that!" screamed Leroy.

"Yes I can," replied Erik. "No matter how much you deny it, my Emperor is no less a Warrior than your Monsters. Like it or lump it."

Toy Emperor's saber vanished, and was replaced by a larger, sharper sword. (3,100/800)

"I'll still live!" shouted Leroy.

"No you won't," said Erik. "Next, I play Fife and Drum Corp."

He played the last card in his hand, and the music of a marching band started. A parade of Toy Soldiers with flutes and drums marched into view. The two normal Toy Soldiers rose to an Attack of 1,600.

"Toy Emperor, attack Gilford again!"

Toy Emperor galloped forward, and with a slash of his new sword, Gilford the Lightning was vanquished.

"Toy Soldiers… End this!"

The two Toy Soldiers aimed their muskets. Leroy Brown screamed as the guns blasted, and he toppled to the ground.

**(E: 2,600) -------------------- (L: 0)**

"You were right, Leroy," muttered Erik. "In this world, the strong survive, and the weak are stepped on. And if you're a weak-minded bully like yourself who tries to pretend you're strong, you not only get stepped on, you get kicked, trampled, and thrown out like all the other trash…"

"Erik!" shouted Sam.

She ran up to him and hugged him. She planted a big kiss on his lips.

"I'm not letting go of you again for a long time…" she said.

Erik lifted her off the ground and kissed her back.

"Someone want to tell us what this was all about?" asked Ren.

"It was the same thing as it was with Felicia," said Yumi, with a sigh. "And unfortunately, we're gonna have to cure Leroy too, even if he doesn't deserve it."

She walked up to Leroy with Anastasia behind her.

"But we're good. Unless someone comes gunning for Chelsea, Rasputin won't bother us though minions again."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Sheena walked into the bridge, having come back from her lunch break.

"Ms. Arachne!" said a technician. "We received our eighth Gold Alert… The eight finalists have been decided."

Sheena rubbed her chin.

"Well, you know what to do," she replied. "Compile all information on them, and forward them to me and everyone who needs the info."

"It's being done as we speak," said the technician.

Sheena watched as the faces of Yumi, Sam, Chelsea, Ren, Erik, Olga, Nicholas, and finally, Rasputin appeared on the screens. A worried look appeared on her face.

_I have a feeling in my bones… _she thought, _that the tournament so far has just been a preamble…_

_The true war is about to begin… And it won't be pretty…_

_Rasputin's final unwitting assassin has been defeated. Our heroes have earned a short break, as nothing now stands between them and the finals. But when the finals do indeed come, it may be the toughest challenge thus far. The story is half over, and a new part is about to begin…_

**0**

**0**

**0**

**WINGED REPAYMENT (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** The image on this card was not shown.

**Card Description:** Pay 600 Life Points. Draw one card from your deck for every Winged Beast-Type Monster face-up on your side of the field. The card(s) drawn by this effect cannot be summoned, set, or activated during the turn you use this card.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**EXPLOSION WING (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image:** A bird-like creature flying out of an explosion, carrying a bomb in its talons.

**Card Description:** You can activate this card when one or more of your opponent's cards are destroyed by one or more card effects during a round. Inflict 500 points of direct damage to your opponent's Life Points for each card destroyed by such effects.

_Note: "Winged Repayment" and "Explosion Wing" were first used by Harpie's Brother in a third season episode of "Yu-Gi-Oh GX". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**DESPISED TREATY (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image:** A demon presenting a scroll to a king, who is being threatened by swords.

**Card Description:** This card can only be activated during your opponent's turn. Upon activation, your opponent has the option of Special Summoning one Monster that is Level Four or less from his deck. If your opponent uses this effect, draw two cards from your deck. If your opponent does not use this effect, inflict 1,000 points of direct damage to your Life Points at the End Phase of the turn.

_Note: "Despised Treaty" was first used by Mad Dog in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "No Pain, No Game". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**BRONZE KNIGHT (Spell Card)**

**Quickplay Spell**

**Image:** A knight in shining armor holding a sword and shield.

**Card Description:** Discard any number of cards from your hand. For each card discarded in this manner, Special Summon one "Bronze Knight Token" (Warrior/Earth/Level One/ATK 500/DEF 500) in Attack Position.

_Note: "Bronze Knight" was first used by Gurimo in the original anime episode "A New Evil (Part Two)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**Yumi: The finals are only a day away… My Spellcasters are ready to go!**

**Sam: The Consort of Ha Des is ready to meet them!**

**Ren: My Dark Warriors are itching to fight…**

**Chelsea: My army of the undead hungers for blood…**

**Erik: My toy regiment is ready to march into battle.**

**Anastasia: Beware, children. You do not know yet who your opponents are. The finals will be a conflict, where the holders of the Shadow Charms will battle to the finish…**

**Coming up next, "Let the Finals Begin! Opening Ceremonies."**

**The Preliminary Arc is officially over. The Conflict Arc will now begin.**


	40. Opening Ceremonies

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**CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE**

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**Let the Finals Begin!**

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**Opening Ceremonies**

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Cassandra gave a long look at eight cards arranged on the table in front of her.

The top row, consisting of three cards, was The Fool on the left, The High Priestess in the center, and The Strength on the right.

The center row, which consisted of two cards, was The Magician on the left, and The Lovers on the right.

The bottom row, again consisting of three cards, was The Hangman on the left, The Emperor (inverted) in the center, and The Moon on the right.

"All of the players stand revealed…" she muttered. "Or so it seems…"

She looked at the deck on the side of the table, the larger deck.

"Odd…" she said, looking at the eight cards again. "Looking at this arrangement, it seems… Incomplete… I can't help but feel that there's something missing…"

She drew a card off the deck.

She frowned.

It was the image of an armored warrior on a golden chariot, drawn by two horses – one pure white, and one pitch black.

"Not the answer I was looking for…" she muttered, "but it's a clue… The Chariot is a symbol of war, between opposing forces and ideals, which eventually ends in a decisive victory…"

She looked at the first eight cards.

"It may merely mean Good versus Evil, but I just know that it isn't that cut and dry… Until this mysterious final member of the conflict decides to reveal itself, I'm only getting vague and ominous messages…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Sheena sat at her desk at her office speaking into a recording device.

"Personal log," she said, "supplemental. The eight finalists have been chosen. Some of them are duelists I know, while a few are wild cards.

"Yugi Mouto's granddaughter has gained a spot, naturally, and I do believe that the final rounds will produce a meaningful confrontation with another finalist. I will attempt to be as nonbiased as I can when dealing with my own daughter, as I know well how far-reaching this conflict has gone.

"But I can't disregard the other finalists.

"Peter Ramset's daughter Chelsea has won a spot of her own. If you can't tell by the sword she carries on her hip, which I've decided to let her keep for reasons I've stated in the confidential log, she's tough… Very few would deny that. Basically, if you ever get into a fight, make sure she's on your side.

"Clive Marris's son Ren proved just as formidable, and he will be vying for the top spot as well. He's a good kid, and the type whom I'd likely trust my daughter with alone on a Saturday night, but he can still duel with the best of them.

"Of course, Sam only has eyes for another of the finalists. She's been seeing Erik for several months now, and he still puzzles me. He seems like a typical duelist, albeit one with an odd theme, but there seems to be an odd aura around him. There's something special about Erik which might make a difference down the line.

"Then we get into the other three. Nicholas Algernon is a peculiar case. I wouldn't have expected anyone except the late Chazz Princeton to get to the finals using an Ojama Deck, but he has done so. This duelist clearly has something else up his sleeve.

"And there's Olga Warren, who's even more mysterious. She seems to like using Fairies, but if Yugi Jr.'s opponent in the final round of the first Duelatopia was any indication, that doesn't indicate sweetness and innocence. There's something suspicious about her.

"Rasputin is the most suspicious of all. Someone rich and influential is behind the League of Ascension, and Rasputin is in that group. I've reviewed all the duels he has taken part in, and while I find no proof of cheating, I will watch him closer from now on. Of course, until I can make certain which of our A-list guests is our mastermind, I'll have to play by ear…

"Until then, the finals will do what they were meant to do… Entertain."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The word that the eighth finalist had been chosen spread quickly around Duelatopia. A lot of duelists who were high in the rankings were disappointed, of course. A few, like Felicia, were happy they could have normal dreams again, but most resigned to the fact that this year, it wouldn't be theirs.

Others, mostly the ones at Violet or higher, didn't put away their Disks just yet. Dueling would be allowed until noon of the day of the opening ceremonies – the next day – and most of them remembered that they still could get Gold status, and if they did, they'd be rewarded with a grab bag of rare cards, courtesy of KaibaCorp.

Enrique was one duelist who was determined to get to Gold regardless. As the duel between Erik and Leroy was ending, he and another Silver duelist – Norman, the one with the more traditional Fire Deck – were at the docks.

Enrique had Tri-Blaze Accelerator, Fire Wall, and one facedown card on his side of the field. His opponent had nothing. And both were tied at 1,000 Life Points apiece.

Norman drew a card.

"Heh, heh…" he chuckled. "Looks like you lose, pal…"

He placed a card on his Disk.

"I summon Tenkabito Shien!"

In a burst of flame, the fiery Samurai appeared astride his coal-black steed. (1,500/1,000)

"Let me explain his ability," said Norman. "He's immune to Traps. Get it? Immune. So… He won't fall into a Bottomless Trap Hole, won't drown in a Torrential Tribute, doesn't care about Mirror Force, Mirror Wall, or any other mirrors…"

"And my Fire Wall can't stop his attack," sighed Enrique, putting his head on his hand. "I get the idea… So attack me if you think you can."

"Think I can?" replied Norman. "I'm going to! Shien… Attack him directly!"

Tenkabito Shien galloped towards Enrique, swinging his nodachi…

"Try avoiding THIS Trap!" shouted Enrique. "I activate… Volcanic Force!"

His facedown card lifted, and his Tri-Blaze Accelerator shattered into bits. Then the whole pavement erupted in an explosion of lava, and Volcanic Doomfire burst out of the ground with a great bellow. (3,000/1,800)

"ARGH!" shouted Norman. "Shien! Stop!"

"He can't…" replied Enrique.

A blast of lava shot from Doomfire's maw, blowing Shien to gibbets and throwing Norman backwards as his Life Points his zero…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In Domino City, Julius Bjorn, attorney at law for Jarvis and Micawber Law Firm of Copenhagen (not the biggest firm in Scandinavia, even though most members were certain it would be eventually) was engaged in a practice he shouldn't have been doing – hacking into private files on his laptop at his hotel.

He wanted more concrete proof of the strange rumor about Sheena Arachne before attempting to get to the ones in KaibaCorp itself.

"Let's see…" he said. "Fact: Sheena was first hired by Siegfried nineteen years ago. Fact: That was the year Duelatopia first opened."

He skimmed through some files.

"Fact… Sheena Arachne studied etymology at a community college in New Mexico?

"Not exactly the most popular major…"

He typed in some words.

"Maybe if I cross reference 'Duelatopia' with 'Insects'…"

A link appeared on the screen. It said "classified".

Julius frowned. He had cracked tougher security codes. After two minutes of hacking, the file opened.

A picture appeared on the screen, and Julius shuddered.

It was a picture of a woman, but not a normal woman. She was dressed in a green bodysuit, with an hourglass-shaped hole cut out of the chest, showing a great deal of cleavage. She had waist-length black hair…

As well as four arms, and four glowing, red eyes.

The title on the screen said: "Shelob the Spider Savant, Eliminator of Duelatopia".

Julius rubbed his chin.

"Spooky…" he thought, looking at the date. "An Eliminator… For year one of Duelatopia… Could this creature be Sheena with a lot of makeup and cybernetic enhancements?"

He clicked on the file.

"**Input Password,"** said the message.

Julius rubbed his chin.

No problem… He'd just hack a little further…

As he started to type, he saw a light flash on his screen.

"Aw, criminy…" he thought.

His intrusion had been discovered… He was being back-hacked.

His finger slammed on the manual power button for the computer, and the screen shut down.

He held his forehead.

"That was close!" he muttered. "If they had found me out…"

He sighed.

"The Eliminators were merciless, relentless duelists who terrified their opponents with threats of horrible punishments," he said. "If Sheena was indeed one of them, I've truly found the smoking gun that Rasputin wants…

"He could blackmail her good with that information…

"Only one way to truly get proof without being back-hacked…

"I'll bribe my way into her personal files…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Evening fell upon the island, and in the Temple of Osiris restaurant, the richer guests came to dine…

…or the ones who could freely spend the rest of their trust funds.

Sam had assured them that, once they got to the new accommodations, everything would be paid for. All they needed to save now was ten dollars for breakfast in the morning.

In the main room, a pianist on the stage slowly played a timeless tune, as the five young duelists waited for the appetizers to come.

The music flowed from the piano:

_He says, "Son, won't you play me a melody?_

_I'm not very sure how it goes…_

_But it's sad and it's sweet, and I knew it complete,_

_When I wore a younger man's clothes…"_

Ren raised his glass of Coca Cola.

"I'd like to propose a toast…" he said. "May the finals be free of turmoil, and may the best man win."

Yumi, Chelsea, and Sam looked at him.

"Heh, sorry…" he said. "May the best… duelist win?"

Yumi sighed.

"Sam, are the Centurion's still rounding up those Ascenders?" she asked.

Sam nodded.

"Twenty of them are in custody so far…" she replied. "By the way, I took it upon myself to tell mom about Rasputin."

They all looked at her.

"And?" asked Ren.

"Get this…" said Sam. "Mom is already considering searching his hotel room. Seems he was already on the list of ringleader suspects.

"Unfortunately, she said there were four other suspects, and she's being careful…"

"Huh?" asked Chelsea. "Who are the others?"

"Well…" said Sam, "Rasputin is neither the richest nor most influential guest here. One duelist is actually a member of the Malkovian royal family."

"Malkovia…" muttered Yumi. "That's the country in Europe that made a fortune importing superconductive ceramics, right?"

"Yeah…" said Sam, with a chuckle. "They'd prefer it if their country's treasure was gold or diamonds, but in these times, technology is much more precious.

"Anyway, there are three other multi-billionaires here who were invited, and mom says she has no proof that singles Rasputin out over the other ones. In fact, one of the others was in trouble with the law a couple times, more of a criminal record than Rasputin."

Erik's fist hit the table.

"This is unbelievable…" he growled. "We're witnesses! We could testify!"

Sam shook her head.

"What would you tell a judge?" she asked. "Well, your honor, because of Mr. Lamont, I was forced to take part in a type of duel where the effects were created by magic and the Monsters were real…

"Erik, crazy prosecution witnesses tend to help the defense."

"We aren't crazy…" muttered Ren. "It really happened…"

"Won't Sheena believe us at least?" asked Chelsea. "She was here nineteen years ago… She saw the demons when they invaded…"

"She also knows that said demons were banished and Saurius was killed," replied Yumi.

She paused. She looked at her Puzzle.

"I have to do the ritual…" she muttered. "I have to end it forever…"

"End what?" asked Ren.

Yumi sighed, and saw the Pharaoh standing next to her.

"If I can do this…" she muttered, "he'll be at peace, and it will end… The portals will finally close, and seal forever…

"No more Shadow Games… He'll make sure of it…"

She paused.

"But… for now…" she said, "Rasputin won't be able to get to us. We'll deal with him later."

She raised her glass.

"Cheers…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Later that night…

Ren sat on his bed, looking at the cards in his deck.

He looked at his Dark Blades, Getsu Fuhmas, and all the others…

"Yumi and Chelsea have seen this whole deck…" he mused. "Sam and Erik have seen most of it…

"I have to make it fresh…"

He looked through his other cards, and went over them one by one, occasionally switching one with his deck.

In her own hotel room, Chelsea was doing the same thing.

"If I'm going to surprise Ren and Yumi," she said, "I have to make my deck more special than it ever has been.

"This guy is good… So is this… Here's a good card…"

At around eleven o'clock, both Ren and Chelsea were satisfied. They put their newly reworked decks in their cases, and fell into sound sleeps.

In another hotel, Nicholas and Olga were already sleeping soundly.

Nicholas had packed up his Ojama Deck… Olga had put away her Cyber Angel Deck…

When the finals came, their true decks would emerge once more…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Yumi was up with the sun, and was in front of her hotel with all her luggage fifteen minutes before noon. She was prepared to wait, but soon realized that doing so wasn't necessary.

"Ms. Mouto?" said a voice, as soon as she walked out the door.

She looked up, and saw a tall man in chauffeur's clothing.

"Let me take your luggage," he said. "From this point on, all of your needs are on KaibaCorp."

"Think I'm gonna like this," said Yumi with a giggle, as he took her suitcases.

"The trip won't be long," he said, as he opened the door to let her in. "The Coliseum is in the exact center of the island, so getting there is a quick drive no matter where you are. Until then, make yourself comfortable."

Yumi sat down in the back of the stretch limo, remembering how Sam had given her a ride to Domino Pier on the day they came her. This time, however, she had a private ride.

She took out her cards and looked through them.

This was it… Her chance to go all the way to the top.

She looked at Dark Magician Girl.

Then she looked over her shoulder, and saw the Pharaoh next to her.

"We're gonna do it…" she whispered. "Once the finals are done, I promise… We'll get the last three Charms away from them, and then we'll do whatever it takes…"

The limo passed through the Entertainment District, and then into the Center, the place where the most important buildings were. The Duelatopia KaibaCorp offices were there, perhaps dwarfed by the main offices in Domino, but still impressive.

The holographic projection tower loomed over the skyline, Centurions still guarding it at several vantage points…

Then Yumi saw the Coliseum. The grand arena. Sheena had gone with a different theme this year in renovating, designing it to resemble the Coliseum in Rome as it might have looked like when it was new. The old-fashioned look didn't fool Yumi – she knew that it hid high-tech equipment in every corner.

A door opened up, and the limo entered, driving into a tunnel…

Eventually, he pulled into a garage with an elevator, where a redcap was waiting.

"Ms. Mouto," he said, as he opened the door, "Charles here will take your luggage to your new suite. Until then, Ms. Arachne has prepared a buffet lunch for you and the other finalists for the briefing. If you'll just follow me… Uh… Any special instructions for those bags?"

"No, thanks…" said Yumi with another giggle.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The elevator rode a few floors down, and opened at a long hall. The chauffer led Yumi to a large lounge, where the first thing she saw was Ren and Chelsea.

"About time you got here!" said Ren.

"You guys are always early…" muttered Yumi, looking around.

"Naturally," said Ren. "I was born two weeks before schedule."

A buffet table laden with food was spread out, and a strange-looking screen was above it. Ren and Chelsea had found the food with no problem.

"So what now?" asked Yumi.

"Lunch, I guess…" said Chelsea. "I wonder where Sam and Erik are."

"We're right here," said Sam's voice.

She and Erik walked in, and for someone who was getting the VIP treatment, Sam didn't look all too happy.

"Something wrong, Sam?" asked Yumi.

"Plenty…" muttered her rival. "I was on the internet last night, and I found out who the last three finalists are…"

They looked at her.

"Who?" asked Ren.

A chill blew through the room.

Everyone turned to the door as Nicholas, Olga, and then Rasputin walked in.

"That answer your question?" asked Sam.

Yumi noticed someone else had come with Rasputin. It was Louis, although they had not yet met him.

"Something's rotten here…" muttered Chelsea, "and I don't think it's the smoked salmon…"

Yumi glared daggers at Rasputin, and he glared back. She crossed her arms.

"Figures…" said Yumi. "I guess you thought you'd try to finish what you started Rasputin. And this time you brought a thug with you."

Louis looked around, before he realized she was talking about him.

"Hey!" he shouted. "I'm no thug!"

"Uh, Louis," said Nicholas. "Yes you are. Deal with it."

"Listen Yumi…" said Rasputin, in a vile tone, "I really don't know how you survived, but…"

"I'll tell you exactly how I survived," replied Yumi. "I was rescued by someone who was given eternal life and youth by an advanced civilization, a race whose secrets they'll never share with you, and who you could never possibly get close enough to in order to study in the slightest."

Rasputin glared at her…

He clenched his fist…

"Calm down…" said Olga, putting his hand on his shoulder.

Rasputin walked up to the buffet table and took a cracker.

"Regardless," he said, spreading brie on it, "my protégés and I are in the finals, and that gives us opportunities, Yumi… More than you could ever imagine…"

"Exactly!" said a voice.

They all turned, and saw that Sheena's face had appeared on the screen.

"Yumi, Samantha, Ren, Chelsea, Erik, Olga, Nicholas, Rasputin…" she said. "Welcome one and all.

"The finals lie ahead, and there's no turning back. It all starts with tonight's opening ceremonies.

"In case you're wondering how this tournament is going to be held, well, it's the usual. Elimination style. Four duels in the quarter finals, the winners proceeding to the semi-finals, with the winners there competing in the true finals.

"If you want to know who will be dueling who, that will not be known until introductions are made at the opening ceremonies tonight at six. They'll be made at random. The quarter finals start tomorrow at noon.

"The duels last until one warrior remains. Only one will emerge triumphant…

"Keep in mind that we have a live, international television broadcast. The world will be watching as Duelatopia XX commences."

_What is this, the Super Bowl?_ thought Ren.

"Until then, your wish is our command. Your new hotel suites offer an array of luxurious accommodations. Room service is available twenty-four hours, and all of your needs will be taken care of.

"Simply be outside your rooms at five PM. Until then duelists… Enjoy…"

Sam looked at Yumi and she looked back.

_I guess I have two foes to beat in this battle…_ thought Yumi. _I just hope I can count on enough of an alliance with Sam to take out Rasputin…_

Rasputin glared at them.

"Plan whatever useless strategies you think will work," he said. "You brats can only be sure of one thing… I won't rest until I've beaten all of you."

"Yeah?" replied Ren. "Well I won't rest until _you_ shave off that ugly beard!

"I mean, you may think it makes you look more sinister, but it really just makes you look dumber. That look went out with Ming the Merciless."

He, Chelsea, Yumi, Sam, and Erik burst out laughing. Even Nicholas giggled a little.

Rasputin was clearly very angry.

"Listen you little brat!" he shouted, pointing to his face. "My father had a beard like this, his father had a beard like this, and four generations of Lamont men before him…"

"Easy, easy…" said Olga, holding him back. "You're gonna blow a blood vessel…"

Rasputin turned and stormed out of the room.

"Uh, I should have told you guys…" muttered Olga. "He's really sensitive about that…"

She followed him. Nicholas shrugged, and did the same.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Waiting in line was never fun. At three PM, the guest of Duelatopia who were waiting to be seated for the festivities realized that all too well.

Fortunately, there were water vendors about, and the water was free. Good thing too, because it was very hot.

Marlon spoke on his cell phone, as one of them handed him a bottle.

"Yes, Philip, I've decided to stay for a few more days…" he said. "Well, yes, I could have gone home, but this place kind of grew on me."

He held his head.

He was, of course, humiliated at having been brainwashed. He had thought his willpower was stronger. The least he could do now was show some support for Sam and Yumi.

Heck sipped water while waiting for the line to move. He had started dueling again after Chelsea's duel with Angel, but had never gotten back on track. Oh well… He figured he'd work on his deck, and maybe there'd be next year.

Felicia was chugging water as well. Her costume was incredibly hot, but she still preferred it to more common clothes. Her costume defined what she was. She intended to support Ren for the same reason.

She coughed, and noticed that someone was smoking behind her.

"Hey…" said Leroy. "Is it true what they say about cats in warm weather?"

Felicia looked at him and grinned, showing her fangs.

Leroy cowered backwards.

Enrique was pretty glum, despite having gotten late Gold status. His father would be due in court in three days, at which time his lawyer would attempt a plea bargain in return for a guilty plea. He was incredibly nervous about what the outcome would be. If Yumi's advice helped, he'd be grateful. If it made things worse, he'd hate her forever.

Until then, he'd simply watch.

Someone who didn't mind the heat was Aisha. She strummed her guitar while waiting, and folks listened as she sang.

One youngster listening to him was Kenta, someone who truly needed cheering up. He would have won the last finalist slot, but he had tried to do what Ren did, and challenge Guinevere for his last rank. Exodia Necross was no match for her Knights. She not only had Royal Straight Slasher, but Freed the Brave Wanderer, two Monsters that could destroy Necross. After he lost, the last thing he remembered was falling into a deep slumber, and waking up in the lobby of Camelot, knowing that he'd been taken out, so to speak.

The least he could do now was support Ren…

Gradually, the stadium began to fill up…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In her office under the Coliseum, Sheena was making a few last-minute preparations.

"Yeah…" she said on the phone. "Good. Remember, no-one gets in unless they're on the guest list. And that means MY guest list! No Ascenders are going to ruin this part of the tournament.

"Hold on, I got another call."

She pressed a button.

"Sheena Arachne here," she answered.

"Bianca?"

She paused.

"Bianca, you can't withdraw!" she shouted.

She paused.

"Really? Yeah… Uhm… I guess that's pretty bad…"

At that moment, Sam entered the office.

"Mom…" she said.

"Yeah, Bianca," said Sheena, "I guess you have to… Stay in bed and drink lots of liquids… Feel better…"

She hung up.

"Mom…" repeated Sam.

"Look, Sam," said Sheena. "I'm kinda busy right now. That swimsuit model that I hired to present the check to the winner… It seems she didn't have the sense to get chicken pox when she was a kid. Now I have to find a replacement… Fast!"

As she picked up the phone, a light went on in Sam's eyes.

"Mom, wait!" she shouted.

Sheena looked at her.

"I'll get you your model…" said Sam.

Sheena gave her a strange look.

"And how exactly are you going to find a professional swimsuit model on such short notice?" asked Sheena.

Sam grinned evilly.

"It's either gonna be me…" she replied, "or Yumi…"

Sheena gave her a strange look again.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The stadium crowd was getting restless as the clock inched towards six o'clock.

Finally, explosions of fireworks burst at every corner, and the announcer's booth lit up.

In the center of the grassy arena, the Lord of Dragons appeared holding a microphone.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he said, "young and young at heart. It's time to shuffle, cut, draw, and brace for impact! Get ready to see the action fly like never before… It's a battle for the ages! Let's get ready to DUUUEEEL!"

A screen above him flashed, and the words "DUELATOPIA XX" appeared on it.

Then the microphone transformed into a Flute of Summoning Dragon and he put it to his lips and played a haunting melody.

Tyrant Dragon and Des Volstgalph appeared to either side of him. The two Dragons spread their wings and flew upwards, circling around the arena. Then, both of them belched flames upwards, and then vanished in bursts of fire.

Three Gradius shot into the sky, trailing colored smoke in their wake. They circled the whole city, and then flew off over the horizon.

The two announcers from the announcer booth appeared on the screen. One was a man with straight, styled hair and sideburns. The other was a woman with a trendy haircut and a stylish dress.

"Thank you, Mr. Lord of Dragons," said the man. "And everyone here, and everyone watching, welcome to Duelatopia XX. I'm Ben Fulton."

"And I'm Natalie Malone," said the woman. "Well, like you said, these are the twentieth finals of Duelatopia."

"And I couldn't be happier," said Ben. "There's something about good, round numbers like twenty that just make me feel good.

"There have been times in Duelatopia's history that stood out," said Natalie. "Like the year Chuck Cole won with his Gamble Deck. That guy's luck was uncanny."

"Or the tenth running, featuring Zed Masters and his Zeta Reteculant strategy," said Ben.

"And there was the eighth running…" said Natalie.

"What was…" started Ben.

He paused.

"Oh yeah… Folks, that was the year _she_ won, something she's never gonna let me forget."

"You'd better believe it buster," said Natalie with a laugh, "but the past is the past. It's time to open the doors to a new flock of duelists, so it's time to meet them now!"

Music started to play, and a huge set of double doors opened beneath the announcer's booth. An explosion of sparks burst from either side.

"The latest in a long line of duelists," said Ben, "some say she has a legacy to continue. She says she's starting her own. Everyone please welcome… Yumi Mouto!"

The crowd cheered, as Yumi entered, and made her way to a podium in the center.

"Speaking of legacies," said Natalie, "our second contestant was sired from the one who we have to thank for opening this resort. Everyone please welcome a young lady who calls herself the Consort of Ha Des… Samantha Arachne!"

Sam stepped out, and more people cheered. She blew kisses to the crowd as she walked up to the podium.

Sam and Yumi eyed each other.

"Coming out next," said Ben, "from London, a young man who proves that the best offense is sometimes a strong defense, let's all welcome Nicholas Algernon."

Nicholas stepped out and waved. A surprising number of people (mostly folks from Europe) cheered, and a few girls cheered too.

He went up to the podium.

"Hey ladies," he said. "Not too late to defect to the winning side, you know…"

"In a pig's eye…" muttered Sam.

"I'd rather kiss the rear end of one Sam's Fiends," replied Yumi.

"Coming right out," continued Natalie, "a young lady with a deck of Monsters that are, like 1990's action star Steven Segal, hard to kill, Chelsea Ramset!"

Chelsea entered and raised her arms to cheers. She walked up to the podium.

"Next up," said Ben, "another visitor from across the pond… Anyone who thinks that Fairies are lightweights never met the girls in this gal's deck. A lethal lady from Liverpool… Olga Warren!"

Olga stepped out, flashing a big smile. She strode up to the podium next to Chelsea amid a lot of whistles and catcalls. Chelsea glared at her.

"Next, a newcomer to the tournament circuit," said Natalie, "someone who proves that no matter how old you are, you can always be young at heart… Erik Matell!"

Erik walked out, amid more cheers. He blushed as he walked up to the podium.

"Next up…" said Ben, "a Warrior duelist who proves that not all good Dark Monsters are Spellcasters and Fiends… Let's meet Ren Marris!"

Ren stepped out, and more people cheered. He smiled, and walked up to the podium.

"And finally…" said Natalie, "coming from the small city of Copenhagen, a man who can find order even in chaos… Everyone welcome Rasputin Lamont!"

Rasputin stepped forward, his stern look still on his face. A few people clapped, though not as much as the others.

He shrugged, and stepped forward.

"Now that we've met them, we'll turn it over to our gracious emcee…" said Ben. "Presenting, president of KaibaCorp, Sheena Arachne!"

"Thank you!" said Sheena.

The crowd erupted into applause as she stepped forward, holding a microphone.

"My…" she said. "My…"

She held her hand out.

"That was a wonderful welcome…" she said. "It's been a long road… After hundreds of duels, eight remain standing.

"Only one will win the prize of five million dollars, and that's only the material prize. We all know a much grander prize awaits.

"The quarter final matches, which will be held tomorrow starting at one o'clock, will be the first leg of our competition.

"The four duels will be simply named Duels One through Four. The winners of One and Two and the winners of Three and Four will duel each other in the semi-finals.

"Who will duel each other in the quarter finals? Well, we've got someone who can help us with that…"

A flash of light appeared behind her, and a huge Machine appeared. It looked like a cross between a battle mecha and a casino slot machine, with a laser cannon for a right hand, and a small left hand holding its lever.

"Heh, heh…" chuckled Sheena. "Slot Machine here is a pretty depressed Monster, because no-one uses his card any more. Level Seven Monsters with only 2,000 Attack Points just don't cut it these days…

"But… We've found an important job that only he can handle. He's going to use his abilities as a one-armed bandit to decide who duels who in the quarter finals.

"Here's how it will work. The photos of each duelist are programmed into his slots. He simply has to give them a spin, and two will be paired together at random. Once that is done, those two photos will discarded, and we'll find the next pairing.

"So… Without further ado…"

Everyone looked at the huge Machine nervously. It threw its lever down.

The slots in the center of its chest started to spin. The middle one stopped first, showing a "VS".

"The match for Duel One will be…" said Sheena.

The other two slots stopped. The photos were Sam and Olga.

"…Samantha Arachne versus Olga Warren!"

Sam crossed her arms.

_Well, Yumi will have to wait…_ she thought, looking at Olga. _But this shouldn't be too hard._

"Now, Duel Two…" said Sheena.

The Slot Machine threw its lever again, and the slots spun again.

The two faces were Chelsea's and Ren's.

"Chelsea Ramset, and Ren Marris!"

Ren looked at Chelsea.

_Oh… no…_ he thought.

Chelsea looked down, and shook her head.

"Duel Three…" said Sheena.

The Machine threw its lever again.

Yumi anxiously watched. She almost wanted it to match her with Rasputin…

It didn't. The two photos that appeared were her and Nicholas.

Nicholas turned to Yumi and smirked.

_Hmmm…_ thought Sam. _If this works out, Yumi and I will face each other in the final round…_

She smirked.

_I couldn't have asked for better…_

"Well," said Sheena. "Only two remain. That means the duelists for Duel Four will be Erik Matell and Rasputin Lamont."

Sam's eyes opened in horror… She hadn't realized that a second ago…

"No…" she whispered.

Rasputin frowned and crossed his arms.

_Lovely…_ he thought. _I'd say this would be as easy as taking candy from a baby… But it would actually be as easy as _giving_ candy to a baby._

_Ah, well… As long as I get what I want, it won't matter…_

The Slot Machine vanished.

"I'd like to thank you for coming everyone," said Sheena. "And now, to close out the opening ceremonies, we have some special guests…"

Behind the podium, a stage rose. A female singer with a base guitar was in front; behind her was a drummer, and to her sides were another guitarist and a keyboardist.

"Presenting America's newest sensation, White Rain. We're now going to be treated to the debut of a single from their new album, due out next month. Based on a legend behind Duel Monsters, it's called _Shadows_.

"Hit it!"

The musicians started to play. The melody they played was mystical and mysterious, and had a poetic rhythm to them.

The lead singer started to sing:

_There's a world that exists far beyond what we see,_

_What is there are the things we believe there can be,_

_What we think is a game is a portal from here,_

_If the faith is enough, we can bring the world here…_

_Draw your hand, use your cards, make your beasts come to life,_

_Just remember the ones who can make them come…_

_If the world is in need, if it's threatened by strife…_

_Duel…_

_Make the shadows fade…_

_Duel Monsters, make the magic last,_

_Duel Monsters, strong and hard and fast,_

_Duel Monsters we will make our stands,_

_Duel Monsters… Power in our hands…_

The audience listened, entranced, as the singer sang… Finally, the last stanza flowed over the stadium. The crowd erupted in applause.

Yumi was thinking very hard.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

As the crowd was leaving the stadium, Sam was in her suite, worried sick. Mostly over Erik.

"OH!" she muttered, as she threw a pillow against her bed. "Stupid random chance lottery pick! Erik will be thrashed within an inch of his life by that madman…"

She shook her head. She couldn't do anything if Erik decided to actually duel him. And she couldn't just ask him to forfeit.

She fell on the bed and buried her head in the pillow.

Then she heard her stomach rumble.

She got up and picked up the room service menu. She looked at it.

"Pizza…" she muttered. "Not a bad idea…"

She picked up the phone and dialed.

"Hello?" she said. "This is Samantha Arachne in VIP suite five. Yeah… I'd like a large pizza… Deep dish… With pepperoni…"

She paused.

"Garlic bread? Eh… Why not?"

She paused again.

"Half an hour? Great."

She hung up, and lay her head against the pillow.

Someone knocked at her door.

"That was a short half hour…" she said.

She slowly walked to the door and looked out the peephole.

She was surprised. It was that old woman with the eyepatch. The one whom she had delivered that letter to Yumi for.

She hit the speaker button.

"What do you want?" she asked, not opening the door. "And just how did you get past security?"

"Don't you remember, Sam?" came the reply. "I promised you that if you delivered that letter, I would later repay you with vital information when you needed it.

"As for how I got past the Centurions, it's a little secret I've known for years."

"Well, I want an excuse not to yell for them," said Sam, suspiciously. "What 'vital information' could you possibly give me?"

"I know what you can expect from Olga when you duel her tomorrow," replied Maria.

"I already know," said Sam. "I looked up her duels on the internet. She uses Cyber Angels."

"The Cyber Angels were an old deck, which she has now put away," said Maria. "Her real one is far deadlier."

Sam paused. She thought.

She didn't know whether she could trust this Maria… But she didn't want to walk into some mega-powerful surprise tomorrow…

She unlocked the door and opened it.

"Okay, you have five minutes to get my attention…" she said. "Talk…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Ren and Yumi sat in the lounge, with Ren strumming his guitar.

He sang slowly…

_Faded photographs, covered now with lines and creases…_

_Tickets torn in half, memories in bits and pieces…_

_Traces of love, long ago, that didn't work out right…_

_Traces of love…_

_Ribbons from her hair, souvenirs of days together…_

_The ring she used to wear, pages from an old love letter…_

_Traces of love, long ago, that didn't work out right…_

_Traces of love – with me, tonight._

"So, what are you gonna do?" asked Yumi.

"We're gonna duel…" muttered Ren. "We have to…"

He sighed.

Yumi smirked.

"My dad dueled my mom in their Duelatopia finals," she sighed. "It didn't make them hate each other, Ren.

"We all knew from the start that this was probably gonna happen. You're just gonna have to do it."

She paused.

"We have other problems…" she sighed.

They looked at each other.

"Rasputin," they both said at once.

"He and his two protégés all have Shadow Charms," replied Yumi. "He'll find a way to turn these finals into a war between them… I just know it…"

"Hey, I'm not scared of him," said Ren. "Ren Marris isn't scared of anything…"

He paused.

"Okay, that's a lie…" he muttered. "I am scared of one thing…"

Yumi looked at him as he put his guitar down.

"Can you keep a secret, Yumi?" he asked.

She nodded.

"Dad was teaching me to duel using the Disks," sighed Ren. "And he summoned a Monster that Siegfried had given to him at one point…

"Giant Spitting Cobra…"

"I know about that…" replied Yumi. "Powerful… When it's on the field, all opposing Monsters lose 400 Attack Points."

"Yeah…" said Ren. "But when he summoned it, I got nervous. I started to sweat.

"And I had two cards in my hand that could have destroyed it! Earthquake and Shield Crush. I could have wiped it out…

"But I was too scared to use them. I gave up and begged him to make it go away.

"Dad said he understood. Mom was afraid of snakes too. He said it must have been in my blood…

"But that night, I had a nightmare… A nightmare where I was fighting demonic snakes…

"It got worse the next night…

"And the third night…

"Oh, that was the worst. The third night, I dreamt of… her…"

"Her?" asked Yumi.

"A snake goddess," said Ren. "She was a true monster, and I was sure that she was going to eat me if I didn't wake up. Fortunately, I did…

"I was afraid to sleep the next night. But when I did sleep, strangely, no more snakes…"

He sighed.

"It's weird…" he muttered.

"Ren," said Yumi, "Anastasia was afraid of snakes too. It's a common fear.

"Some say it stems from the myth of Eden… It was a snake that tempted Eve to eat the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge, which brought evil into the world… Ever since then, snakes just aren't very likeable creatures.

"But trust me, snakes in Duels Monsters are rare. And there is no snake goddess!"

She put her hand on his shoulder.

"We have worse things to worry about than snakes. Now, why don't we turn in? It's gonna be a big day tomorrow."

Ren nodded.

As they left the room, neither of them saw the creature perched on the ceiling. It looked like a tiny eyeball with wings and claws.

It was a spybat, a creature created by alchemy. They didn't know it, but Rasputin had been using it to listen to everything they had said.

"Hmmm," he said, rubbing his chin.

He picked up a briefcase and looked in it. Several shampoo and other hygiene-related bottles were inside it.

In reality, they were full of chemicals used for alchemy. He looked at three of them.

"That Ren had some nerve making fun of my beard," he growled. "There was a time when a beard was a symbol of wisdom and intellect, and a man who had one was respected…

"Nowadays, you can't even find a professional who'll trim it for you… Barbers have all been replaced by… hairstylists. It seems the more the world advances, the more time-honored traditions we lose…

"No snake goddesses, huh Yumi?

"Well, Ren will soon learn otherwise. This will be a night he won't soon forget…"

_The finals are all set to begin, but the night before they start, Rasputin seems to be planning one more trick, aimed at attacking Ren where he hurts the most. Try to sleep soundly while you can, Ren… If you can…_

**0**

**0**

**0**

**VOLCANIC FORCE (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image:** A pool of boiling lava.

**Card Description:** Destroy one "Tri-Blaze Accelerator" on your side of the field. Special Summon one "Volcanic Doomfire" from your hand, deck, or Graveyard, disregarding its summoning requirements.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**Chelsea: This place is comfortable… I hope everyone can sleep soundly…**

**Ren: Tired… Have to sleep…**

**Rasputin: Going to sleep, Ren? That was a big mistake… It's time I truly used my skills…**

**Chelsea: Rasputin… What the devil are you up to?**

**Rasputin: There's nothing you can do, Chelsea… I'll attack Ren where you can't possibly protect him…**

**Chelsea: It may be a dream, but it will still be a duel…**

**Coming up next, "Dream Demon; Ren versus the High Priestess". **

**Wake up, Ren! I have faith in you!**


	41. Dream Demon

_I will give extra brownie points to anyone who can tell me where I got the name of the duelist in this chapter from. _

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**CHAPTER FORTY **

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**Dream Demon **

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**Ren versus the High Priestess **

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It was ten PM.

Olga lay on her bed, looking at the ceiling.

She sat up, and picked up a deck. She picked up the top three cards.

They were her three stars: Benten, Idaten, and Dakini.

She looked at them sadly…

She remembered a duel that had happened just four months ago…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 **

Olga was in a London pub, in the middle of a very serious duel. When this duel had started, everyone in the pub had placed bets against her, thinking it would be easy money…

Now, they were upset, because they were going to lose what they had wagered. The only happy people in this pub were the bartender (who had taken the wagers) and Olga.

Who would have bet against Olga's opponents? She was opposing three duelists at once!

But now, she clearly had the advantage. All three of the Cyber Angel sisters were on her side of the field, and her opponents, three thugs in cheap, off-the-rack suits, had nothing.

"So…" said Olga, crossing her arms. "You three goons were having so much fun a while ago when I said I'd duel you all at once… Taunting me, mocking me, laughing at me… Well, it's funny… I don't see any of you laughing NOW!"

"Lady, please!" begged one of the thugs.

"Eddington doesn't pay us enough for this!" pleaded another one.

"He's not gonna pay us at all once he finds out we screwed this up…" said the third. "Can we just say we're sorry?"

"No!" shouted Olga, drawing a card. "Now, here's a message to give that greedy magistrate from Rasputin. When he reads the will tomorrow, it had better be the actual, true will, and not the one he forged. Otherwise, Rasputin will be coming after him personally…

"And he is not as merciful as I am.

"Ladies… Attack them directly!"

The three Cyber Angels charged…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 **

Olga looked at the three cards. She could swear that their usual fierce expressions had been replaced by sad ones…

They knew…

"I'm… I'm sorry…" she whispered. "It's been great, really it has… All the duels… But I have to move on…

"Hey, it isn't the end… If anyone wants to duel me for fun, I'll bring you out again…

"But I can't use you for any serious duels any more… I have to grow stronger…

"It's hard for me too, I know…"

She shuffled them into the deck. Then she placed it in a deck case, and placed it in her duffle bag.

She lay on her bed, and a tear fell down her face…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 **

Rasputin had to hand it to Sheena. The VIP suites at the Coliseum were something else. They even had a small kitchen, with a refrigerator and a range.

As Louis snored loudly in the bedroom (Rasputin had no need for a bed, since he didn't sleep) Rasputin stirred something in a saucepan over the range.

He hadn't been telling the whole truth when he had told Yumi that alchemic formulas couldn't be cooked up over the kitchen stove. Sure, the most powerful ones couldn't, but if you were good at it, you could do so with some formulas… And he had centuries to become good at it.

He carefully added a few powders and liquids to it, as it came to a full boil.

Being CEO of a chemical company helped him a good deal, but a lot of these chemicals were rather easy to get. In an age and time where the supernatural wasn't usually believed, an alchemist could often find powerful – and dangerous – stuff as close as the corner grocery store.

He heard a sound and turned around. Nicholas wandered into the room.

"What are you doing here?" asked Rasputin.

"Eh, I came to get back my Tylenol," said Nicholas. "You really should start bringing your own… Why are you up?"

He paused.

"Oh, right, you're always up… I keep forgetting."

He looked at the stove.

"Ho boy…" he muttered, turning to the suitcase where the pills were. "The old double, double, toil and trouble stuff, huh?"

"Make yourself useful and bring me the deck of cards that's in the green case," replied Rasputin.

Nicholas shrugged, and did so.

Rasputin took the cards out and looked at the deck.

"I used this deck in _one_ duel…" he muttered. "Even though I won, I never will again… These cards even scared me…

"Pegasus's brat of a daughter may never have lost a duel until Yumi's father faced her in mortal combat… But she clearly never faced a duelist with this deck. If she had, she'd have done one of two things…

"Fallen on her knees and pleaded for mercy…

"Or had a heart attack and died on the spot."

"What are you up to?" asked Nicholas. "Now you're scaring _me_!"

Rasputin placed the deck by the concoction that was boiling. He took a vial of liquid, and added it.

A cloud of purple smoke rose out of the pan…

Two eyes appeared in the smoke. Then it formed claws. It glared at Rasputin.

"You know what to do," said Rasputin to the thing.

The smoke creature turned to the deck of cards, and it vanished. Then the smoke creature vanished.

"What was _that_?" shouted Nicholas.

"A feyr," replied Rasputin. "A type of urban demon. It feeds on negative emotions.

"While it can feed on emotions like hate, sadness, anger, and doubt, it can't create those emotions in humans…

"But it is very good at creating fear, given help.

"And with the help I gave it, dear Ren will not be sleeping too well in a few minutes."

Nicholas started to chuckle.

"What's so funny?" asked Rasputin, annoyed.

"Not gonna work, pal," replied Nicholas.

"Why not?" said Rasputin, more annoyed.

"Don't you ever watch movies?" asked Nicholas. "This happens all the time… The villain uses a plot to assault the hero, preying on his fears… But the plot always backfires and has the opposite result. The hero overcomes his fear, and escapes the situation stronger for the experience."

Rasputin frowned.

"This isn't a movie, Nicholas," he said. "And it won't be just a nightmare…

"This will be an actual duel, with lethal stakes. Ren will die if he loses this challenge…

"When he wakes up, he'll be a quivering, cowering shell of the duelist he once was… We won't have to win the Horn of Chance from him… He won't want it any more."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 **

At the moment, Ren was sleeping soundly.

The atmosphere in the room changed. He frowned.

The feyr silently crept behind him, and its spectral claws reached forward, clasping around his neck.

Ren squirmed a little…

His eyes shot open.

He looked around.

"What?" he said out loud. "Where the heck am I?"

He looked around.

He was in some dungeon corridor. Torches dimly lit the pathway ahead, into darkness.

He looked at himself. He was wearing his street clothes, and his Duel Disk was on his arm.

The Horn of Chance was around his shoulder too.

"What is this…" he muttered. "I'll bet this is some Rasputin trick…

"Real sporting of you, Rasputin… Kidnapping me in my sleep…"

He took his deck from his Disk and quickly looked through it.

All his cards were there, fortunately, including the new additions he had made to the deck.

"I'll be worried later…" he muttered. "Right now, I'm really mad…"

He trudged forward.

He didn't have far to go. The corridor ended at a stone door. He merely touched it, and it opened.

"My spider-sense tells me that I'm walking into something…" he muttered.

He looked at the doorway…

"Well, it would… If I _had_ a spider-sense, which I don't…"

He walked through, and the door slammed shut behind him, as he expected it to.

He looked around.

He was in a large chamber that looked like a temple of some sort. On the far end…

He gulped. On the far end was what looked like a throne carved in the shape of a cobra.

There was a large pit in the floor between him and the throne, and a narrow bridge leading across it.

Ren approached the pit and looked down. Something was moving down there…

He took a torch of the wall, and tossed it down into the pit.

He leapt back as he saw what the things were, and heard angry hissing noises.

"Snakes…" he muttered. "Why did it have to be snakes…"

He slowly looked into the pit again.

"Asps…" he said with a shudder. "Very dangerous…"

He paused. He looked at the bridge.

"Right…" he said. "Like I'm gonna fall for _that_."

He wasn't about to cross that bridge. He was certain that it was a booby trap that would unhinge it and dump him into that snake pit…

"Welcome," said a woman's voice.

Ren looked up.

Sitting on that throne (and clearly not there before) was a woman who looked evil and sexy at the same time. Her dress consisted of a bikini top made of metal, a long skirt, a headdress shaped like a cobra's hood, and a green cape.

She looked at Ren in the same way a boa constrictor looked at a bird.

"Who are you?" asked Ren. "Where am I? How did I get here?"

"So many questions…" said the strange woman. "I am Nagaina, high priestess of Vennominaga. This is the Shrine of Vennominaga. And I brought you here."

"Who's Vennominaga?" asked Ren.

"She's the goddess you will be sacrificed to," was the reply.

Ren gulped and took a step back.

"Look, I'll just…" he said.

"Quiet!" shouted Nagaina.

She stood up.

"Begin the ceremony…"

She raised her arm, and a Duel Disk appeared on her arm. It was a nasty-looking thing with spokes in its tray, and the deck holder was shaped like a serpent's mouth.

"You want to duel me?" asked Ren.

She nodded.

"Only in such a battle can Vennominaga be summoned to this place," she replied.

"What if I win?" asked Ren.

Nagaina grinned.

"Well…" she chuckled. "If that should happen, you're free to go… But trust me… It _won't_."

_How do I get into these messes?_ thought Ren.

"Suppose I just refuse?" he asked.

Nagaina frowned.

"You were absolutely right in assuming that the bridge could be unhinged if you walked on it," she replied, "and that isn't the only lethal trap in this room. For all you know, you could be standing on one right now…"

"All right, all right!" shouted Ren. "I'll duel you…"

_How hard could it be?_ he thought. _I made the finals, after all… _

The two Disks activated.

"Begin…" said Nagaina.

**(Ren: 8,000) -------------------- (Nagaina: 8,000) **

"I'm all about this!" shouted Ren. "Draw!"

He drew a card.

"Getsu Fuhma, go!"

He played a card, and in a burst of darkness, the redheaded ronin appeared, brandishing her sword. (1,700/1,200)

"End turn…" he said.

Nagaina drew a card.

"I play Venom Swamp," she said.

A Field Slot on her Disk flicked open, and she placed a card in it.

Haze started to rise from the floor of the temple, and it got darker. Ren stepped back nervously, as stagnant water formed up to his knees, and trees full of creepers and vines rose around him. Getsu Fuhma looked just as nervous.

Ren held his throat for a second… There was something in the air… Something bad…

"What does your Field Spell do?" he asked.

"It causes misery and pain," said Nagaina, with a chuckle. "This foreboding cypress swamp is so choked with poisons, that merely entering can be deadly for most forms of life.

"At every End Phase of every turn, yours and mine, all Monsters on the field gain something called a Venom Counter, which deducts 500 from their Attack Scores. Naturally, the native creatures of this swamp, which is any Monster with the word 'Venom' in its name, is immune to this effect.

"So… I'll summon Venom Snake in Attack Mode."

The swamp water in front of her bubbled, and a large snake, resembling a type of coral snake or copperhead, emerged from below. (1,200/600)

Ren took a step back, nearly falling over.

He took some deep breaths.

_Get a grip, Ren!_ he thought. _That's a weak Monster… It can't beat Getsu… _

"Now I activate Venom Snake's effect," said Nagaina. "If I don't attack with it this round, I can put a Venom Counter on one of your Monsters now."

Venom Snake spit at Getsu Fuhma, and she screamed as a small snake made of dark liquid coiled around her arm. Then she screamed again as it sank its fangs into her arm. She groaned, as her Attack Score fell to 1,200.

"I place three of my cards facedown on the field," said Nagaina, as three facedown cards appeared behind Venom Snake. "And I end my turn, which means my Field Spell's effect activates."

Getsu Fuhma gasped as another snake coiled around her leg. She hollered again as it bit her too. She clutched her stomach, and looked truly sick. Her Attack Score fell again, this time to 700.

_This is crazy…_ thought Ren. _So long as this Field is in play, my Monsters will just get weaker. _

He drew a card.

His eyes opened. It was a Trap Card, one of the new additions to his deck.

He placed it in his Disk.

"One card facedown," he said, as it appeared on the field. "Then, I sacrifice Getsu Fuhma…"

Getsu vanished in a blur of darkness…

"To summon Penumbral Soldier Lady!"

Penumbral Soldier Lady rose up onto the field, holding her longsword aloft. (2,100/1,400)

_Those facedown cards worry me,_ he thought, _but that… Snake worries me even more… _

_I'm gonna go for it… _

"Penumbral Soldier Lady… Attack the Venom Snake with sword of shadows!"

The Warrior lifted her blade.

"I activate… Rush Recklessly!" shouted Nagaina, as one of her facedown cards lifted.

"HA!" laughed Ren. "Sorry… That won't make your Snake strong enough to beat my Monster."

"Whoever said I was using it on my Monster?" asked Nagaina. "I'm using it on _yours_."

Penumbral Soldier Lady's Attack Score rose to 2,800. She continued her attack, and cleaved the Venom Snake in two. Nagaina cringed.

**(R: 8,000) -------------------- (N: 6,400) **

"What in the name of…" gasped Ren. "Why did you…"

Then he noticed that another of Nagaina's facedown cards had been activated.

"Huh?" he said. "Damage Reptile? What the heck is that?"

"I can use the effect of this Trap whenever I take damage from a battle involving a Reptile-Type Monster," said Nagaina. "When that happens, I get to summon a new one from my deck, so long as its Attack Score is equal to or less than the amount of damage I receive."

_So that's why she purposely increased my Monster's Attack Score…_ thought Ren. _So she could summon something more powerful… _

"Since I lost 1,600 Life Points, I can now summon Venom Boa," said Nagaina.

Another snake burst out of the swamp. This one was larger and thicker than Venom Snake, had grey scales, and three eyes. (1,600/1,200)

"And now I activate my other Trap," continued Nagaina, as her last facedown card lifted. "Snake Whistle. Since one of my Reptile Monsters was destroyed, I can summon another one from my deck, so long as it's Level Four or less.

"And I choose to summon Venom Serpent."

Yet another snake emerged from the murky water, this one with green scales and _two_ heads. (1,000/800)

Ren shivered at the sight of the two snakes…

"By the way, Ren…" said Nagaina, "Damage Reptile is a Continuous Trap. I can use its effect once per round, so long as I take battle damage."

Ren nervously looked at the cards remaining in his hand.

"I… have to end my turn…" he muttered.

"And that means my Swamp's effect activates," said Nagaina.

Penumbral Soldier Lady gasped as another snake appeared on her arm. It bit her, and her Attack Score fell to 1,600.

Nagaina grinned, and drew a card.

"I activate the effect of Venom Serpent," she said, "which like Venom Snake, lets me put a Venom Counter on your Monster…"

The two-headed Serpent spit at Penumbral Soldier Lady, and she shrieked. This time a snake appeared on her neck, and sank its fangs into her flesh. Her Attack Score fell further, to 1,100.

"Now I activate Venom Boa's effect," she continued. "It can put _two_ Venom Counters on your Monster."

Venom Boa spit a cloud of green gas, and Soldier Lady truly screamed. Two more snakes, one on each leg, appeared and savagely bit her. She fell to her knees, and her Attack Score fell to only 100.

"Now the ceremony truly starts…" said Nagaina. "I sacrifice both my Monsters…"

Venom Boa and Venom Serpent turned into globs of vile water, and then evaporated.

_A double sacrifice?_ thought Ren, in horror. _Something tells me I'm not gonna like this… _

"And I summon… Vennominon, the King of Poisonous Snakes!"

Ren stood back, as a huge, intimidating form rose out of the Venom Swamp. It combined the worst aspects of snake and man, with swarming snakes for arms, and a snaky trunk in place of legs. It wore a long, flowing cape, and its serpentine head was crowned by a golden hood shaped like a cobra. (0/0)

_I was right…_ thought Ren. _I don't like it at all… _

He looked at it nervously… Then he noticed that it had zero Attack Points.

"Uh…" he muttered.

"I know what you're thinking," said Nagaina. "Vennominon gains 500 Attack Points for every Reptile in my Graveyard. And I have three of them there right now…"

(1,500/0)

"Soon to be more. I play Venom Shot."

She played a Spell Card.

"To play this card, I have to discard from my deck one Reptile-Type Monster," she said, looking at the cards in her deck. "So I'll get rid of one Gagagigo."

She discarded the card.

"This, of course, makes Vennominon even stronger…"

Vennominon glowed… (2,000/0)

"And Venom Shot also lets me put two more Venom Counters on your Monster."

Vennominon spit a stream of poison at Penumbral Soldier Lady with the force of a hose, drenching her. Two more snakes appeared on her shoulders, and she couldn't resist any more as their fangs stabbed into her skin. She bowed her head limply, as her Attack Score slowly fell to nothing…

"And I forgot to mention…" continued Nagaina. "If a Monster's Attack Score falls to zero due to Venom Counters, it dies."

Penumbral Soldier Lady collapsed face-first, and then burst into pixels.

"No…" muttered Ren.

He looked at Nagaina with anger.

"You sadistic…" he snarled. "What sort of person are you to kill using poison?"

"You're about to see firsthand," replied Nagaina. "Vennominon… Attack him directly with fang venom!"

Ren gasped…

Then he remembered his Trap Card…

Blasts of black venom shot from the snakes forming Vennominon's arms, and Ren screamed…

He panted for breath…

**(R: 10,000) -------------------- (N: 6,400) **

"WHAT?" shouted Nagaina. "Your Life Points went UP?"

Then she noticed Ren's activated Trap Card.

"Nutrient Z?" she shouted.

"Good for what ails ya…" said Ren, still sweating. "Including snakebite, apparently. Since your attack was just enough to do 2,000 points of damage, I gained 4,000 right before it hit."

"Humph," said Nagaina. "Seems you're better than I thought… It's your move…"

Ren drew a card.

"I place a Monster in Defense Mode," he said, as a facedown Monster appeared. "And I'm guessing your Swamp can't do anything to facedown Monsters."

"You'd be right…" muttered Nagaina. "Is that all?"

"Mmm…" muttered Ren.

Nagaina drew.

"Well, I have no choice…" she said. "I play Card of Sanctity."

She played the card, and a bright light flashed over Venom Swamp, and coins fell into the murky water.

She drew five cards, and Ren drew three. She looked over her hand.

"Vennominon, attack!" she shouted. "Fang venom!"

The cloud of poison shot at Ren's facedown Monster. Familiar Knight appeared on the card, and he was eroded into dust.

"I activate Familiar Knight's ability!" shouted Ren. "We can each Special Summon a Level Four Monster."

"I don't have one!" growled Nagaina.

"Well I have one…" replied Ren. "Go, Zombyra the Dark!"

In a burst of darkness, Zombyra flew out onto the field. (2,100/500)

"I end my turn," said Nagaina. "And Zombyra becomes the next victim of my Swamp."

A snake coiled around Zombyra's arm and bit him on the wrist. He groaned, and fell to an Attack of 1,600.

Ren drew a card.

"But not for long," he replied.

"First, I play Graceful Charity…"

Trying to hide how nervous he was, he played the card. The angel appeared in front of him…

The angel looked at him with a look of concern. To his surprise, she gently embraced him.

He closed his eyes. His courage slowly started to return…

As she vanished, he drew three cards. He looked them over and then discarded two.

"Time to dry up your Swamp," he said. "I play Mystic Plasma Zone!"

He placed a card in his Field Slot, and the swamp waters receded, the trees crumbling to dust. The uncanny darkness of the Zone hung over the arena, and Zombyra rose back to his base stats of (2,100/500), then changed to (2,600/400)

"HA, HA, HA!" laughed Nagaina. "You took away one of my advantages just to give me another! Vennominon is also a Dark Monster!"

Vennominon rose to (2,500/0)

"We'll soon see…" said Ren. "Next… I play Premature Burial, to bring back Penumbral Soldier Lady…"

Penumbral Soldier Lady appeared on the field, now looking as healthy as she ever was, maybe even more so, now that the nourishing darkness was overhead. (2,100/1,400) –) (2,600/900)

"And next…" continued Ren. "I sacrifice Zombyra, to summon The Fiend Megacyber."

Zombyra vanished, and the armored, cybernetic Warrior arose, sparking with energy. (2,200/1,200) –) (2,700/800)

"Time to stomp your snake!" he shouted. "Penumbral Soldier Lady, attack Vennominon with sword of shadows!"

Penumbral Soldier Lady needed no encouragement. She angrily charged at the snake monarch, slamming her sword into it, and blasting it into pixels.

**(R: 9,200) -------------------- (N: 6,300) **

"Very clever…" said Nagaina. "Unfortunately, that was pointless…

"First, I'll activate the effect of Damage Reptile."

"What?" said Ren. "But… You only lost 100 Life Points…"

"Well then…" replied Nagaina. "I'll just have to summon a Reptile with only 100 Attack Points. Venom Cobra, in Defense Mode."

In a burst of energy, a large, stony cobra appeared, curling up in its coils. (100/2,000)

"Next…" she said, "I activate Vennominon's second effect. You see, for a small sacrifice, he can survive any battle.

"I merely need to remove from play one of his loyal subjects in my Graveyard, and his majesty makes a full recovery."

She held up the Gagagigo card, and it melted like glowing acid. In a burst of dark energy, Vennominon reappeared, crouching in Defense Mode. (1,500/0) –) (2,000/0)

"I still have one more attack!" shouted Ren. "And in case you didn't notice, your King has zero Defense Points. Fiend Megacyber… Attack Vennominon again!"

The Fiend Megacyber leapt at the royal serpent, and with one slash, tore it in half.

The Venom Snake slipped out of Nagaina's discard slot, and Vennominon reappeared again. (1,000/0) –) (1,500/0)

"It's pointless, Ren…" she said. "So long as my Graveyard has Reptiles in it, Vennominon will never be defeated."

"Yeah, but it gets weaker each time, you notice," said Ren. "Right now, it isn't strong enough to defeat either of my Warriors."

He placed a card in his Disk.

"I'll set a card facedown and end my turn."

A facedown card appeared.

Nagaina drew a card.

"I move Vennominon back to Attack Mode…" she said.

The King of Poisonous Snakes stood up.

"Now…" she said, "I cast Snake Rain!"

"Snake Rain?" gasped Ren. "I don't like the sound of that…"

"It's powerful Spell…" said Nagaina, playing the card. "I toss one card from my hand…"

She discarded Sebek's Blessing.

"And then I get to discard four Reptiles from my deck."

She took four cards from her deck, and held them up: one Venom Boa, two Venom Snakes, and one Gagagigo. A black fire surrounded them and consumed them.

Vennominon glowed with dark energy, and rose to an Attack of 3,500.

"Vennominon… Kill the Penumbral Soldier Lady again!"

Vennominon shot its fang venom at the Warrior, and she screamed again. She was blown into pixilated remains. Ren shielded himself.

**(R: 8,300) -------------------- (N: 6,300) **

Ren took some deep, gasping breaths…

He drew a card…

"I play… Monster Reborn!" he shouted.

In a fiery flash, the golden ankh appeared on the field.

"Crescent Moon Queen, arise!"

The sliver of a crescent moon cast its glow in the darkness of the Mystic Plasma Zone, and the mighty Queen stepped out, brandishing her powerful scimitars. (2,600/1,700) –) (3,100/1,300)

"She was never in your Graveyard…" muttered Nagaina.

"I played Graceful Charity, remember?" said Ren.

"So you did…" replied Nagaina. "But she still falls short of being strong enough to defeat Vennominon…"

Ren gestured, and his facedown card lifted.

"I activate my own Rush Recklessly!" he shouted.

Crescent Moon Queen glowed, and her attack rose to 3,800.

"Queen, attack Vennominon! Crescent sword slash!"

The dark queen lunged at the King of Poisonous Snakes, splitting it down the middle. The two pieces burst into shards.

"I use the effect of Damage Reptile!" shouted Nagaina. "I'll summon a second Venom Cobra in Defense Mode!"

Another Venom Cobra appeared, right next to the first. (100/2,000)

"Then I'll remove one Venom Boa from play, to raise Vennominon from the grave…"

Vennominon appeared again, crouching in Defense Mode. (3,000/0)

"But my Queen has another attack," said Ren. "Queen, destroy it again!"

Crescent Moon Queen slashed with her other sword, smashing Vennominon to pieces again.

"I remove a second Venom Snake from play," said Nagaina, "and once again…"

Vennominon returned, in Defense Mode again. (2,500/0)

_Man, I never thought I'd envy Sam's Deck…_ thought Ren, _but Ha Des is someone who'd be very useful right about now… _

Crescent Moon Queen crouched in Defense Mode.

"Fiend Megacyber, your turn," said Ren. "Mega slash!"

The Megacyber made a slash at the creature, and it was blasted to bits for a third time.

Nagaina smirked, and the second Gagagigo slipped out of her discard slot. Vennominon rose up again. (2,000/0)

"You don't know when to quit, do you?" asked Ren. "Fine… I end my turn…"

_The sooner this is over with the better…_ he thought. _Man… I hate snakes! _

**(R: 8,300) -------------------- (N: 6,000) **

Nagaina drew a card.

"I play my… Pot of Greed," she said, playing the card.

The image of the Pot of Greed was never pleasant to look at… But somehow, it looked even more sinister this time…

Nagaina drew two cards.

Vennominon stepped up, moving to Attack Mode…

"I play The Cheerful Coffin," said Nagaina, playing a card.

An ominous form rose behind her. It was an undertaker in a formal suit and a stovepipe hat, hefting a large coffin.

"Now I can discard up to three Monsters from my hand," she said. "But I only have two…"

She held up a Cobra Jar, and a Cobraman Sazuky and they vanished in a burst of black flames.

Vennominon glowed again… (3,000/0)

_Man…_ thought Ren. _If she keeps pitching her Monsters into her Graveyard, she's not going to have any left in her deck! _

"Vennominon…" she ordered. "Attack his Fiend Megacyber."

Ren gave a look of shock…

Vennominon blasted its venom, and The Fiend Megacyber groaned before it shattered into bits.

**(R: 8,000) -------------------- (N: 6,000) **

_Why the heck did she do THAT?_ thought Ren. _She could clearly see that my Queen was in Defense Mode, and her Defense Points were much lower than her Attack Points! So why didn't she attack her? She was more dangerous than my Megacyber… _

Nagaina fit a card into her Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

"I end my turn…" she said.

Ren drew. He nervously looked at the facedown card.

_It's probably some Monster-destroying Trap…_ he thought.

He looked at the card he had just drawn.

He grinned. It was his own Monster-destroying Trap, Sakuretsu Armor.

_Even if her Trap Card does destroy my Queen, I can take out Vennominon for good with this…_ he thought. _She said it can only come back if destroyed in battle… _

"I move my Queen to Attack Mode…" he said.

Crescent Moon Queen stood up…

"Attack!" he shouted.

The Queen lunged at the evil King, and with one slash of her sword, it was cut down.

_She survived?_ thought Ren.

"Well, Nagaina…" said Ren, "by all means, bring him back… I'd love to kill him again…"

"No…" said Nagaina with an evil smile.

Ren stopped short.

"No?" he asked. "You… can't?"

"I could," replied Nagaina. "But this time I choose not to. It is time to truly start the ceremony of sacrifice. It is time for Vennominaga to arrive."

"WAIT!" shouted Ren. "But… You haven't beaten me yet! This duel isn't over!"

"The duel doesn't have to end, Ren," said Nagaina. "She comes during the duel, not after it. And she is the one who will defeat you, personally."

Her facedown card lifted.

"I activate the Trap Card, Rise of the Snake Deity. I can only activate this if Vennominon is destroyed.

"Now… Arise great Lady of Poison…"

The air turned thick and hot, and the dark Field got even darker. A shadowy form started to rise on Nagaina's side of the field…

Ren could feel it… An aura of great evil was approaching…

Two eyes flashed in the darkness, and finally, the whole creature slithered out…

Ren could see her, all twelve feet tall and thirty feet long of her. It resembled a woman only in basic outline, with a woman's torso and head – with a mass of swarming snakes for hair… But her arms were two huge, think venomous serpents, and in place of legs, she had a long, snaky tail that was curled up in coils.

She grinned at Ren, showing fangs, and her reptilian eyes glowed… (0/0)

Ren shivered. He couldn't believe it…

It was the snake goddess from his nightmare…

"Like Vennominon before her," said Nagaina, "Vennominaga's Attack Score becomes 500 for each Reptile in my Graveyard. And with the recent addition of Vennominon, I have seven right now…"

(3,500/0)

Ren's hand trembled as he placed the Sakuretsu Armor card in his Disk, and it appeared on the field.

"I… I end my turn…" he stuttered.

"I draw one card…" said Nagaina, drawing.

She looked at it.

"Vennominaga…" she ordered, "show his Warrior who the true Queen is!"

The snake goddess lunged at the Warrior, with a serpent-arm thrust forward…

"GO! Sakuretsu Armor!" shouted Ren, as his Trap Card flipped up.

Unfortunately, Vennominaga wasn't impressed in the least. The fangs from her arm clasped around Crescent Moon Queen's waist, and the Queen let out a scream of agony as the jaws squeezed.

Vennominaga grinned as her foe burst into triangles.

**(R: 7,600) -------------------- (N: 6,000) **

"No…" said Ren, almost crying.

"Your Trap Card was worthless," interrupted Nagaina. "Did you really think such a primitive device could kill the goddess of snakes?"

_Actually,_ thought Ren, _I wasn't counting on it… But it was worth a shot…_

"Vennominon is immune to all Spells, Traps, and Monster effects except her own," said Nagaina. "Didn't you get the idea when your Field Spell didn't affect her, even though she was just as Dark as your Queen?"

Ren didn't answer. Truthfully, he simply hadn't noticed it.

"And there's more," continued Nagaina. "She shares both of Vennominon's effects. If she's destroyed in battle, I just have to remove one Reptile in my grave from play to resurrect her. In short, she's truly immortal.

"And now… You will taste her most powerful effect…"

Vennominaga's eyes glowed with an evil light, and she stared into Ren's eyes without blinking. Ren shuddered, and felt his muscles stiffen.

_This is it…_ he thought. _She's gonna turn me to stone… Sorry, Chelsea, I… _

He stopped. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a shadowy, snake-like form slithering around him…

Then he screamed as it seemed like something impaled him through the chest.

He clutched his chest, as his heart started to pound out of control. Sweat poured down his face. It was like _he_ had been poisoned now…

"What's going on?" he gasped, not truly wanting to know. "What have you done?"

"Vennominaga has the deadliest poison in existence," replied Nagaina. "But she delivers it in three doses. You just got the first.

"Each time you lose Life Points from her attack, you get one dose. When you get all three…

"…you die. It's all over."

Ren started to sweat even more. He looked at the huge demon.

_It's some sort of automatic win condition…_ he thought. _What do I do? How do I beat this thing? I don't have Soul Release in this deck… I don't have anything that could clear seven Monsters out of her Graveyard… _

"I end my turn…" said Nagaina. "Either move, or surrender yourself to Vennominaga."

Ren looked at Vennominaga again and trembled.

He slowly drew a card.

It was Rising Energy.

He looked at the other three cards in his hand. They were The Warrior Returning Alive, Dark Blade, and Double Spell.

Rising Energy would increase Dark Blade's Attack Score to 3,300… That wouldn't be enough…

He fit it into his Disk, and it appeared facedown. Then he slowly placed Dark Blade on his Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared.

He sighed, and nodded.

"I see you have decided to fight on," said Nagaina, drawing a card. "So be it… Vennominaga likes her meat tenderized…

"I summon another Venom Serpent in Attack Mode," she said.

She played the card, and another of the two-headed snakes appeared.

"And since it's a Dark Monster, it benefits from your Field Spell."

(1,000/800) –) (1,500/400)

"Next," she said, "I play Monster Reborn, to bring back my Venom Boa."

In a flash of light, the three-eyed snake slithered onto the field. (1,600/1,200)

Vennominaga fell to an Attack of 3,000.

"Venom Serpent, attack his facedown Monster."

Venom Serpent spit twin streams of poison. Dark Blade appeared on the card, and was melted into goo.

"Venom Boa, attack him directly!"

Ren tried hard to shield himself as the snake breathed a cloud of toxic smoke at him. He coughed and choked as the poison seeped into his pores.

"Vennominaga…" said Nagaina.

"NO!" shouted Ren. "PLEASE!"

Vennominaga ignored him. The next second, she had him. Vennominaga's serpent-arm clasped around his waist. Ren screamed louder than he ever had, as the demon gave a sadistic laugh.

It finally released him, and he fell to his knees, shivering in pain.

**(R: 3,000) -------------------- (N: 6,000) **

"That's two…" said Nagaina, with a grin.

"It seems your own Field Spell is your undoing… All your Monsters are Dark… Whatever you put in Defense Mode from this point on will have a weak Defense. My two lesser Monsters will have no problem destroying them to clear the way for Vennominaga to get to you.

"I end my turn… Final chance to give yourself up peacefully. Vennominaga can grant a merciful death… At times…"

Ren sweat even harder, and this time it was a cold sweat. He looked at Vennominaga again.

She stared at him, and a forked tongue darted out of her mouth, as if licking her lips in anticipation.

He closed his eyes. Slowly, he raised his right hand.

His hand hovered over his deck for a few seconds…

He hesitated.

"Come on, come on…" said Nagaina. "I want to finish you and get the second sacrifice done with before the night is over."

Ren opened his eyes.

"Second sacrifice?" he asked.

"Yes…" replied Nagaina. "Normally, Vennominaga only chooses one, but tonight she wanted both you and Chelsea. I don't know why… It isn't my place to ask. But if she wants two, she gets two, and…"

"LIKE BLOODY HELL SHE WILL!" screamed Ren.

He stood up. All the fear he had a second ago had been replaced by incredible anger at the thought of Chelsea being put through something like this. It was _not_ going to happen.

He pointed to the huge demon.

"Listen, snake," he said, "if you want Chelsea, you're gonna have to get her over my broken, bleeding body!"

He reached for his deck.

"It's my move, and I'm putting everything I've got into this draw!"

He snatched a card off his deck.

"Heh, heh, heh…" he said, looking at it. "You know, ladies… It's funny… I almost didn't add this to my deck when I was reworking it… You see, it has a nasty side effect… But that side effect hardly matters now…

"I play Card of Demise."

He played the card, and five candles lit in front of him.

"Now I get to draw until I have five cards," he said. "See, the nasty side effect is, I'd have to discard my whole hand after five rounds. But that's okay, because this is gonna be the last round of the duel one way or another…"

He drew three cards, and added them to his hand.

"Oh, and look at that!" he said, lifting up one of them. "One of them is Pot of Greed."

He played the card.

"Looks like I get two more…"

He drew two cards.

He looked over his six cards. He smirked.

"All right!" he shouted. "I play… The Warrior Returning Alive. Now, Crescent Moon Queen comes back to my hand."

The card slipped out of his discard slot, and he took it.

"Pointless…" replied Nagaina. "How will you summon her? You have no Monsters to sacrifice."

"I'll show you…" replied Ren. "I summon New Moon Princess."

In a dark aura, the Queen's kid sister appeared, holding aloft her practice sword. She shuddered at the site of Vennominaga. (1,300/1,200) –) (1,800/800)

"Now I can sacrifice her right away…" continued Ren, "to Special Summon her big sis."

The Princess vanished in a burst of darkness, and Crescent Moon Queen leapt out of the gloom. (2,600/1,700) –) (3,100/1,300)

"Next…" said Ren, "I Equip her with Fusion Sword Murasame Blade."

He threw the card into his Disk, and the Queen sheathed her scimitars. The long, sharp katana appeared in her hand. (3,900/1,300)

"Wait a minute…" said Nagaina.

"I'm not done…" continued Ren. "Now I activate my facedown card, Rising Energy."

His facedown card lifted, and he discarded Kiryu from his hand. Crescent Moon Queen rose to (5,400/1,300)

"WAIT a minute!" shouted Nagaina.

"I'm STILL not done!" snarled Ren, playing another card. "Now I play Double Spell. I'll discard this…"

He discarded his last card, Frontline Base.

"…and I can use any Spell Card in your Graveyard. And I seem to recall that you had a Rush Recklessly."

Crescent Moon Queen rose to (6,100/1,300). Nagaina slunk back on her throne, and fear appeared in the snake goddess's eyes for the first time…

"Crescent Moon Queen…" shouted Ren, "attack the Venom Serpent!"

The Queen grit her teeth in rage. She leapt forward, and Nagaina screamed as Venom Serpent was smashed to bits and pain ripped through her.

**(R: 3,000) -------------------- (N: 1,600) **

Vennominaga rose to an Attack of 3,500, but she still backed away from Crescent Moon Queen in fright.

"It isn't over!" cursed Nagaina. "I still have Life Points left!"

"Not for long," said Ren. "My Queen has two attacks, remember? And the second one has the boss-lady's name on it.

"Crescent Moon Queen… Attack the Deity of Poisonous Snakes!"

The Queen leapt at the much larger creature…

Vennominaga screamed as the sword was driven through her heart. Nagaina screamed too, and the whole evil temple started to warp and crumble…

As the evil goddess of snakes fell to the ground with a thunderous crash, Ren felt himself falling asleep again…

**(R: 3,000) -------------------- (N: 0) **

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 **

In Rasputin's room, Nicholas has insisted on staying up a few minutes to see the results. Although the duel had seemed to take a long time from Ren's point of view, a typical dream might seem to last hours, but in reality, a period of REM sleep (where a dream occurs) only lasts about five to ten minutes.

Rasputin and Nicholas were playing chess while they were waiting. Rasputin studied the board for a minute before reaching for his knight…

Then they were interrupted by a loud howl.

The feyr flew into the room, clearly looking like it was in a state of panic. It flew about like a mindless creature for a few seconds, and then finally, flew through the ceiling.

Rasputin slumped in his chair and held his head.

"Well, Freddy Krueger," said Nicholas. "Guess now I get to say I told you so. So, where did it go?"

"Ren defeated it," grumbled Rasputin. "It lost all its energy, and if it doesn't gain it back, it will die. So it went to find the nearest large source of negative emotions. Most likely, it went to find a large funeral full of mourners."

"Well, I wish I could stay up," said Nicholas with a sigh. "But I have to duel in the morning, and some of us have to sleep… Good night…"

He left the room.

Rasputin sighed.

He picked up a large, very old book on the coffee table.

He nervously opened to a page. He started to read.

"Formula for the preparation and use of thrall powder…" he read. "Before using this formula, prepare the following safety procedures…

"Procedure one…"

Then he slammed the book closed.

"NO!" he shouted. "I won't do it! I won't subject those children to that horrible formula!"

He took some deep, gasping breaths…

"At least…" he muttered. "I won't until I've exhausted all my other options… And I still have a few left…

"Tomorrow… We'll get their Charms the old-fashioned way…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 **

Ren was sleeping more soundly than he ever had before, with a smile on his face.

He dreamt he was in that Garden of Eden again, the one he saw while on the Siege Perilous…

But in this Garden, he would not touch the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge, because no Serpent would ever invade to tempt him and his partner…

In his dream, he dreamt he held Chelsea in his arms, and they were embracing, and kissing deeply…

They would have to duel each other tomorrow, but once it was over, no matter who won, he would tell her, and then they could truly be together…

_Triumphing over the demon that invaded his dreams, Ren gets to sleep soundly, as well he should, for he'll have a big day tomorrow. Everyone will, and Rasputin is not out of tricks yet. The tournament finals will soon be underway… Who will claim the crown? _

**0 **

**0 **

**0 **

**Ren: The finals are finally here! **

** Chelsea: And that means we're dueling, buster! **

**Sam: Hold your horses, you two. The Consort of Ha Des has the limelight first. The first duel of the day is mine. **

**Yumi: Be careful, Sam. Olga has been trained by Rasputin, and she's ready to truly bear her claws. **

**Sam: I'm ready, Yumi… At least, I think I am… **

**Olga: Are you truly ready, Sam? If you want to duel Yumi for the crown, you'll have to fight for it… I want the crown too… **

**Yumi: Coming up next: "Fiery Perdition of Gehenna; Sam versus Olga." **

**Olga: I'll make you remember this duel, Sam…**


	42. Fiery Perdition of Gehenna

_This thing on? Good. A couple of announcements._

_First, for those who didn't get the reference, Nagaina was the female cobra (and the more dangerous of the two) in Rudyard Kipling's short story "Riki-Tiki-Tavi"._

_Second…_

_The anime-only cards in this chapter are hard to use in fanfictions with any amount of accuracy. They are arguably the most widely misinterpreted cards in the anime. Go to three websites, and they'll interpret their effects three ways, most likely. Even Janime got some of them wrong._

_I decided not to rely on websites to interpret their effects. I went to the most reliable source, which is what all writers should do before using anime-only cards…_

_I watched the actual episodes, and interpreted their effects from what I saw. You can't get simpler than that._

_Thus, I assure you, that the effects of the cards that are detailed here are indeed the true intended effects, as the writers planned. I will not respond to anyone who points out that I was mistaken in my interpretation of any of the cards, no matter what website you refer me to, because quite simply, this is how they worked on the actual show._

_Now that that's taken care of…_

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**CHAPTER FORTY-ONE**

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**Fiery Perdition of Gehenna**

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**Sam versus Olga**

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It was eleven o'clock the next day, and the Coliseum was almost filled up.

In the VIP seats, there were two distinct factions. Yumi's group (which included Sam and Erik, at least for now) were keeping close watch on Rasputin and his two lackeys. (They weren't going to make an assumption that Nicholas and Olga were anything more than hired help.)

"So what now?" asked Chelsea.

"We wait for Rasputin to make the first move, if he wants to make one," replied Yumi. "He'd be nuts to do anything truly out of line – there are Centurions at every corner in this place."

As they watched the three closely, Louis walked up to his employers carrying a tray of food.

"Uh, let's see," he said. "Double cheeseburger, spicy fries, and milkshake…"

He gave them to Nicholas.

"Chili dog and Diet Pepsi…"

He gave them to Olga.

"And beef gyro and Sprite."

He handed it to Rasputin.

"Louis, I asked for hot sauce," said Rasputin.

"Oh… yeah…" replied Louis.

He took a packet of hot sauce out of his pocket and ripped it open. He spread the condiment on the gyro.

He sighed, and took a seat between the two groups.

"Hey, Louis," said Ren. "What's it like being a professional bootlicker?"

"Huh?" asked Louis. "Hey, I ain't no bootlicker!"

"Oh?" asked Ren. "You seem more than willing to do everything those guys tell you to do without so much as a thank you from them. I seem to remember that Nicholas called you a thug yesterday. Don't you have any pride?"

"Well, I…" muttered Louis. "Hey, it's my job. Rasputin pays me to do what he says."

"So you work like a dog, they treat you like dirt, and the money makes up for it?" asked Ren.

"It ain't just money!" shouted Louis. "I get free medical and dental, I get Sundays off, and…"

"Louis!" shouted Rasputin. "Just ignore him, will you, or you'll need to make use of that free dental!"

Meanwhile, Sam was looking hard at Olga.

She took two decks out of cases on her belt.

_Hmm…_ she thought. _The Dark World Deck might not work against her… I'll save it for round two…_

_I'll use my old deck this time…_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The clock inched towards noon…

At the stroke of noon, a great flame erupted in the center of the arena…

The Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys soared out of the bonfire, let out an earsplitting screech, and flew into the sky, disappearing into the sun.

Bursts of sparks exploded all around the arena, as Ben Fulton and Natalie Malone appeared on the announcers screen.

"Greetings again everyone, and welcome again to Duelatopia XX!" exclaimed Ben. "Hello to all of our guests, and to everyone watching at home. To all duelists around the world, welcome!"

"Enough with the artsy opening ceremonies," said Natalie. "I'm ready to see the fur fly!"

"Wish granted," said Ben. "And while this may only be the first round, it might well be the biggest, because it has four titanic matches.

"I give you… The quarter finals!"

The screen turned blue, and a tournament tree appeared. Sam's face appeared next to Olga's, Ren's next to Chelsea's, Yumi's next to Nicholas's and Erik's next to Rasputin's.

"And here she is," said Natalie, "our gracious host, Sheena Arachne!"

The crowd cheered, as Sheena appeared in the center of the arena, wearing a Duel Disk.

_Strange,_ thought Yumi. _Why would she need that?_

"Welcome everybody," said Sheena, speaking into the microphone. "I know we'd best get something started before this turns into a mob, so without further ado, let's meet the first duelists of the quarter finals."

"Coming out first… A duelist who needs no introduction, but I'm going to introduce her anyway… Samantha Arachne!"

The gate at the south end of the arena opened, and Sam ran out. The crowd cheered, and she blew kisses to them as she ran up to her mother's side.

Sheena put her hand on her daughter's shoulder.

"Remember," she whispered, "if by some chance you lose before you can make the wager with Yumi, you automatically _lose_ the wager."

"Don't worry, mom," she replied. "This duel is in the bag."

Sheena put the microphone to her mouth again.

"Her opponent," she said, "joining us from Liverpool, England… Olga Warren!"

Olga appeared at the other end of the arena. A few folks cheered, and she waved. She had changed her wardrobe a bit, now wearing a green halter and a short skirt. Her hair was tied in pigtails, one of which held the Cat's Cradle Comb. With it, she practically oozed charisma. Several boys in the audience made catcalls as she walked up to her opponent.

"Now…" said Sheena. "It is my pleasure to introduce this year's guest referee… Coming to us from Las Vegas, he's taken time off from his busy schedule to be with us… Please welcome Lawrence Delmato!"

The crowd was silenced. Then they erupted in cheers as a man walked up behind Sheena. His appearance suggested a Marine, with a shaved head, wearing sunglasses and a pinstriped referee's uniform. The uniform didn't hide the fact that he was well-built and muscular underneath it.

"Delmato?" said Erik, getting up. "The boxing referee who did last year's Marcus versus Jose title bout? Sheena has more pull than I thought!"

"Who'd have thought he knew anything about Duel Monsters?" said Ren.

"You learn something new every day," said Chelsea.

Sheena activated her Disk.

"All right people," she said, opening the Field slot. "I promised an explosive match, and I'm going to give you all one. So I'm making an adjustment to this arena…"

She placed a card in the slot, and the holographic towers around the arena glowed.

"Using the latest in KaibaCorp holographic technology," she said, "we can transport through the planar boundaries. Welcome to…"

There was a great explosion…

"The Fiery Perdition of Gehenna!"

As Sam and Olga looked around, they saw that they were in a volcanic, rocky wasteland. Lava flowed around them, down mountains to their sides, and the sky above – all around the arena, actually – was full of black smoke. It was as if the card had transformed all of Duelatopia into a hellscape.

"All right, you two," said Delmato. "Let's get this started. Some ground rules. In this duel, I'm the boss, and what I say goes, you got that?"

The two duelists saluted.

"That isn't necessary," he said. "Now, both of you cut and shuffle each other's decks, and no funny business."

The two of them handed each other their decks, and both started to shuffle.

"Say, Sam," said Olga, "what would you say to a wager?"

"Depends," growled Sam. "Does it involve you being humiliated when I beat you?"

Olga smirked.

"I'll wager my Cat's Cradle Comb against your Ring of Spirits," she replied.

Sam stared at her. In her seat, Yumi stood up.

_So that's how Rasputin intends to get the Charms away from us,_ she thought.

_He's gonna do it the legitimate way…_

_I guess the only thing you can rely on about a bad guy is you can't rely on him!_

"My pleasure!" shouted Sam, snatching her deck back. "When this is over, I'll have TWO Shadow Charms! I'm more than prepared for your Fairies!"

_I'm not sure about that,_ thought Olga. _Especially now that I'm using my actual deck… A breed of Fairies much deadlier than the Cyber Angels…_

_Are you truly prepared for it? Can anyone be?_

"Not to be biased," said Ben, "But I think we all can expect big things from young Samantha. After all, she has the Kaiba blood running through her."

"And in this intense match," said Natalie, "our old-time fans' memory will be refreshed on what happens when Kaiba blood boils!"

Delmato produced a large gold coin.

"Okay ladies," he said, showing it to them. "This is heads… This is tails…"

"Olga can call it…" said Sam.

He tossed it.

"Heads!" shouted Olga.

The coin fell.

"Heads it is," he said. "Now get to your positions, and game on!"

"I'm as game as you are, Olga," said Sam, backing up.

The two Disks activated… A geyser of lava erupted behind Sam…

**(Sam: 8,000) -------------------- (Olga: 8,000)**

"And it begins!" shouted Ben, as Olga made her first draw. "The first match of the first round of the finals of Duelatopia XX!"

Olga made her first draw, and looked over her hand.

"If we can ignore our loudmouthed announcer for a minute," said Olga, "I'll start by setting a Monster in Defense Mode."

She placed the card on her Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared.

"Next," she said. "I play a Spell Card…"

She played a card, showing the image of an enormous, beautiful tree with three small figures under it.

"It's called Guardians of Yggdrasil, and it works like this… I have to pay 2,000 Life Points first. But then I get to search my deck for three specific Spell Cards.

"However, if I don't activate all three of them successfully by the end of my turn, all three of them go to the Graveyard.

"Of course, since you haven't been able to play a single card yet, and have no way to counter them, I'm not too worried about that."

She got the three cards, and then started to shuffle her deck.

"Who are the Guardians of Yggdrasil?" asked Ren.

"The Norns," replied Yumi. "I've got a bad feeling about this…"

"All right, ladies and gentlemen…" said Olga. "Let's all have a Duelatopia welcome… For the three Norns themselves…

"I play… Goddess Skuld's Oracle!"

She played the card, and in a burst of light, a tall form appeared next to her. It was a young girl, with long, blue pigtails, dressed in a fancy dress, holding a staff topped with a red orb inside a circle.

"Next, Goddess Verdande's Guidance!"

She played another card, and another woman appeared next to Skuld. She was older, wore the same fancy dress, had long, pink hair, and her staff had a green orb.

"And finally, Goddess Urd's Verdict."

She played the third card, and the third Norn appeared. She was the eldest, had short, blonde hair, and her staff had a blue orb.

"Okay…" said Sam. "That's… Impressive."

Olga and the three goddesses smiled at Sam in a way that made her blood run cold…

"I know this combo," muttered Yumi. "If Sam doesn't draw something that can destroy Spells on her turn, she's in _very_ big trouble…"

"End… turn…" said Olga.

**(S: 8,000) -------------------- (O: 6,000)**

"Olga has ended her turn 2,000 Life Points poorer, but three odd Continuous Spell Cards richer. Let's see what Sam has."

Sam drew a card.

_Only one Monster,_ she thought, _but he'll do…_

"I summon… Opticlops!" she shouted.

In a burst of darkness, Opticlops materialized. (1,800/1,700)

"Olga may have gone defensive," said Ben, "but Sam has gone on the offensive!"

"Opticlops… Attack!" ordered Sam.

Steam blew from the Fiend's nostrils, and he charged towards the facedown card…

Spirit of the Harp appeared on the card. She whacked Opticlops with her instrument, and he fell backwards. (800/2,000)

"All right," said Sam, taking three of her cards. "I'll end with these…"

She fit them into her Disk, and three facedown cards appeared in three bursts of light.

**(S: 7,800) -------------------- (O: 6,000)**

_Likely anti-attack Trap Cards,_ thought Olga, drawing a card. _Well, I have time to deal with them… I'm not going to attack until I'm truly ready…_

"All right Samantha…" said Olga, "it's time to show my true power…"

The three goddesses glowed with multicolored light, and lava spouted behind Olga.

"With the power to control the Past, Present, and the Future, the three Norns control Time itself, making them a force that cannot be opposed!

"Allow me to show you…

"Skuld possesses the power to see the Future. What will be. So by activating her ability, I can see the next three cards that you'll draw, and rearrange them any way I please. So Skuld, if you would…"

Skuld let out a girlish giggle, and aimed her staff, striking Sam's deck with a blast of magic. The images of three cards appeared over Sam's head.

Malice Doll of Demise, then Pot of Avarice, and then Giant Orc.

Olga grinned. She waved her hand, and the cards changed position, Giant Orc going first, Pot of Avarice second, and Malice Doll of Demise third.

"Next," said Olga, as the cards vanished, "Verdande represents the Present, the here and now."

Verdande held her staff and started to glow.

"So, by using her power, I get to take a guess at whether the top card on your deck is a Spell, Trap, or Monster, and if I'm right, you set it on the field.

"And I guess it's a Monster."

Sam drew the card, and looked at Giant Orc.

"What a surprise," she said, sarcastically. "You were right."

She placed it on her Disk, and it appeared facedown.

"And finally," continued Olga, "Urd has power over the Past. History and what was. So now I get to try to guess what one of your facedown cards is, and if I'm right, it's history. Meaning it's removed from play.

"So… Could that facedown Monster be Giant Orc?"

Urd waved her staff, and the facedown Monster vanished.

"It's the perfect combo," muttered Erik. "One Spell Card leads to another."

"I know…" said Yumi. "Ziegfried Von Schroder used this combo. My grandfather Joey went up against a deck like this when he dueled Ziegfried…"

"Mind telling us how he beat him?" asked Erik.

"Actually…" said Yumi, "my grandfather lost that duel. He almost won, but one of his gamble cards… Well, his luck finally ran out.

"Ziegfried came close to beating Seto Kaiba too. And he might have, if Kaiba hadn't gotten what might have been the luckiest draw in his career."

"Heh, heh…" said Olga. "That's all for now, Samantha, so draw your card. Not that I don't already know what it is…"

Sam drew a card, and it was Pot of Avarice.

"Bitch," she muttered, adding it to her hand.

The other two cards in her hand were Premature Burial and Metamorphosis. Three utterly useless cards…

But what she had out already was still useful.

"Opticlops…" she said, "attack her Spirit of the Harp!"

Opticlops roared again.

"What are you doing, _trying_ to lose?" asked Olga.

"Not at all," said Sam, as one of her facedown cards lifted.

"Bark of Dark Ruler?" said Olga in surprise.

"That's right," said Sam. "I just have to pay 300 Life Points, and your harpist's Defense falls to a much more manageable level."

Spirit of the Harp cringed as she was surrounded by a dark aura, and her Defense fell to 1,700.

She screamed as Opticlops plowed into her, and she shattered. Her harp fell to the ground, broken into two pieces.

The three goddesses gave Sam dirty looks.

"Well, I can't say I admire Sam's finesse," said Natalie, "but she got the job done."

"For now," said Ben. "Let's see what else Olga has up her sleeve."

**(S: 7,500) -------------------- (O: 6,000)**

"My draw," said Olga, drawing a card.

"And I play Pot of Greed."

She played the card, and the fiendish jar appeared. She drew two cards.

"Time for my goddesses to go to work again," she said, adding them to her hand. "First, Skuld… Let's do it!"

Skuld cast her spell again, and the three cards appeared again. They were Malice Doll of Demise, Monster Reincarnation, and Graceful Charity.

_Heh,_ thought Olga. _I don't need to change them at all!_

The cards vanished.

"Next, Verdande," she said. "I guess that your top card is a Monster again."

Sam drew.

"Right again…" she muttered, placing it on her Disk.

The facedown Monster appeared.

"And finally, Urd," said Olga. "I guess that your facedown Monster is Malice Doll of Demise."

Urd cast her spell, and the facedown card was vaporized.

"I place two cards facedown, and end my turn."

She fit two cards into her Disk, and they appeared facedown on the field.

Sam drew.

_Monster Reincarnation,_ she thought, looking at it. _This is getting ridiculous…_

_She has no Monsters on her side of the field now. The three goddesses don't count as Monsters. On one hand, there are those facedown cards to worry about. On the other hand, she likely wasn't expecting me to get past her wall Monster._

_I'm gonna go for it!_

"Opticlops… Attack her directly!"

Opticlops snorted, and charged at Olga.

"Stop right there!" shouted Olga. "I activate… Wotan's Judgment!"

A facedown card lifted, and thunder flashed in the dark sky. An intimidating man in a green cloak and hood with a great beard appeared, looming over Olga. He pointed a cudgel at Opticlops, and the Fiend cowered in fright.

"I can use this Trap when I have at least one Spell Card in my hand, and fortunately, I do," said Olga. "And now it channels the power of Wotan himself, causing any of your Monsters who try to attack me to run for cover!

"And that's not all… Now I get to draw one card…"

She made a draw.

"But then I have to put a Spell Card in my hand on the top of my deck…"

She took a card from her hand, and placed it on the top of her deck.

"But I'm going to get it back right away. Know why?"

Her other Trap activated. It was Jar of Greed.

She drew the card she had just placed on top of her deck, and added it to her hand.

"Well, that was certainly a combo," said Ren. "But who exactly is Wotan?"

"Basically, another name for Odin," replied Yumi. "When one group of gods is worshipped in several regions, each region tends to have different names for them."

"Ooh, I end my turn!" shouted Sam.

Olga drew a card.

"Well, I'll start mine…" she said.

She sighed.

"Boy, this is fun…" she said, sarcastically. "This is about as exciting as washing my hair…"

"You mean… girls actually do that?" asked Ren. "I assumed it was just an excuse to turn down a date."

"Hit it, girls!" shouted Olga.

Skuld glowed, and for the third time, the top three cards of Sam's deck were revealed.

They were: Graceful Charity, Ectoplasmer, and Dark Ruler Ha Des.

_Well, well…_ thought Olga.

She waved her hand, putting Dark Ruler Ha Des first, Ectoplasmer second, and Graceful Charity third.

Erik got up.

_NO!_ he thought.

"Once again, time for Verdande," said Olga. "I guess that your top card is a Monster."

Sam drew the card.

She gave a slight smirk when she saw what it was.

"You're right…" she said with a smile. "So it goes facedown…"

The facedown Monster appeared. And as it appeared, one of Sam's facedown cards lifted.

"Go, Dust Tornado!"

A tornado tore across the field…

"Say bye-bye to Urd!" laughed Sam.

Olga gasped. Urd screamed as the Dust Tornado plowed into her, and she was blasted to bits.

"Wha… buh… guh…" gasped Olga. "You mean… You… You could have broken up my combo any time you wanted to?"

"Yep!" said Sam with a grin. "I was waiting for you to let me set something powerful, sucker. Now I was able to get Ha Des onto the field… With no sacrifice."

The crowd cheered.

"Looks like Sam turned out to be a trickster worthy of Loki," said Ben. "So what's Olga gonna do now?"

"I'll tell you what I'm gonna do!" shouted Olga. "I'm gonna place two more cards facedown, and end my turn."

Two more facedown cards appeared.

"Fine," said Sam. "Draw!"

She drew a card.

She added Ectoplasmer to her hand.

"I've never Flip-Summoned Ha Des before," she said, "but hey, there's a first time for everything…"

The card flipped up, and with a roar, Dark Ruler Ha Des arose. He seemed right at home in the lava-strewn wasteland. (2,450/1,600)

"Let's go!" shouted Sam. "Opticlops… Get her!"

Opticlops charged, and Olga screamed as he rammed his horn into her stomach.

"That was just the appetizer," said Sam. "Hope you're ready to choke down seconds… Ha Des, attack!"

Ha Des prepared to cast his evil spell.

"Me eat seconds?" asked Olga. "You wish… This figure doesn't stay so trim on its own…"

One of her facedown cards lifted.

"I activate… Fricka's Meditation."

With a glowing light, another goddess with long, green hair, a pink dress, and a green cape appeared behind Olga. She glared at Ha Des, and he cowered away.

A card slipped out of Olga's discard slot.

"I just have to remove Wotan's Judgment from play," she said, pocketing the card, "and your Dark Ruler's attack is called off.

"Next, I'll chain-activate Emergency Provisions."

Her second facedown card lifted.

"I'll sacrifice Fricka's Meditation, Goddess Skuld's Oracle, and Goddess Verdande's Guidance, and gain 3,000 Life Points."

Fricka, Skuld, and Verdande vanished into grains of light.

"Not bad," said Sam. "But you have nothing left. I end my turn."

**(S: 7,500) -------------------- (O: 7,200)**

"Sam has finally managed to clear Olga's side of the field," said Natalie, "but it's Olga's turn."

Olga drew a card.

She grinned.

She played a Spell Card, and it appeared on her side of the field. It had the image of a group of ancient palaces amid the clouds.

"Is that what I think it is?" asked Sam, nervously.

"It is…" said Olga.

Then the Coliseum's sound system flared to life, playing an all-too-familiar classical music score. Everyone looked around.

"Natalie?" asked Ben. "Did you bring your Boston Pops collection here?"

"Calm down everyone," said Olga. "When I play the Spell Card, Ride of the Valkyries, the Disk plays the song of the same name, from the Wagner opera, _Die Walküre_. Beginning of Act III, for those of you who aren't into that sort of thing.

"As for what this Spell Card does, it lets me Special Summon all the Monsters in my hand that have the word 'Valkyrie' in their names…

"And guess what, Sam? I have four of them."

She quickly threw four cards on her Disk.

"So let's all welcome… Valkyrie Dritte, Valkyrie Erste, and two twin sisters named Valkyrie Zweite."

In four flashes of light, four powerful forms appeared on Olga's side of the field. It was four women, dressed in golden armor with winged helmets, mounted on winged horses. Each one carried a long sword and a shield. The only real way to tell the difference between them was the color of their hair. Dritte's hair was bright red (1,000/1,600), Erste's was green (1,600/1,800), and the two Zweittes' were long and pink (1,600/1,600).

"Okay…" said Sam. "That's… trouble…"

"More than you think," replied Olga. "Each of my Valkyries has a powerful ability. First there's my two Zweittes. Just by summoning them, each one can destroy one of your Monsters, and remove them from play."

The two Zweittes glowed with golden fire. Dark Ruler Ha Des and Opticlops glowed with the same golden fire, and then vanished.

"Next," said Olga, "for each Monster that's been removed from play so far, Dritte gains 100 Attack Points."

Dritte glowed with a similar golden aura. (1,400/1,600)

"And as for Erste," said Olga, "we take the base Attack Scores of every Monster that's been removed from play so far, then add them together, and then add them to her Attack Score."

"Now wait a second…" said Ren. "She had 1,600 on her own, Giant Orc had 2,200, Malice Doll of Demise had 1,600…"

"Don't strain your brain," said Yumi. "The Disk already figured it out, and it's bad news."

Erste glowed like a bonfire… (9,650/1,800)

"ARGH!" shouted Ren. "She can take out Sam with one blow!"

"Take her out?" shouted Erik. "She'll be lucky if she doesn't end up in the hospital!"

"Tell you what…" said Olga. "I'll be merciful, and grant you a quick death…"

She grinned a sinister grin.

"You're all heart, Olga," said Sam, sarcastically.

"Well, it's been fun, Samantha," said Olga, "but now you've got an appointment with a real Valkyrie.

"Erste, attack directly with charge of Asgard!"

"Tell me when it's over…" said Erik, covering his eyes.

Erste charged at Sam on her mount, sword-first.

"Sorry to be a spoilsport, Olga," said Sam, "but this is far from over…"

Her last facedown card, which Olga had completely forgotten about, lifted up…

"Draining Shield?!" shouted Olga. "NO! Erste! STOP!"

It was too late. A dome of energy formed around Sam, and as Erste's sword slammed into it, the sky of Gehenna flashed with lightning, and every volcano around the two duelists erupted at once. Sam laughed with joy as energy flowed into her…

Rasputin slammed his fist down on the railing in front of him.

"DAMN!" he shouted.

Then he realized that the railing he had slammed his fist into was made of steel. He held his hand in pain.

"Trying to end this so soon, Olga?" asked Sam. "Heck, this was just getting interesting!"

She held her head.

"Whoa… Feel like I just chugged a gallon of Gatorade..."

"With a well-placed Trap Card, Sam comes back from the brink of defeat!" exclaimed Ben. "Folks, I hope you're strapped in, because this may be just getting started!"

"I suppose you think you're so smart!" shouted Olga. "Forget merciful… My other three Valkyries want a piece of you now…

"Zweittes, attack her directly!"

The two pink-haired Valkyries galloped forward, and two swords slashed across Sam's chest, crossing her heart. She screamed.

She held her chest in pain.

"Dritte, your turn," said Olga.

Dritte charged at Sam and stabbed her right in the belly. She screamed again.

**(S: 12,550) -------------------- (O: 7,200)**

"Oh, yeah?" muttered Sam, gasping for breath. "Well, I happen to know that Ride of the Valkyries has an unfortunate side effect. As soon as you end your turn, those four gals will all go back to your deck. And you just ran out of Monsters to attack me with. Tough break, huh?"

"Look who knows so much," said Olga, sarcastically. "I have to end my turn now… Ladies… It's been real."

The four Valkyries vanished into grains of light. Olga took her deck, and added the cards to it.

"You may be in the lead," she said, as she reshuffled, "but I've beaten worse. This isn't the first time my Ride of the Valkyries failed. But you know something? I've _never_ lost with this deck!"

"Like I said before," said Sam.

She drew a card.

"There's a first time for everything. And with your Norns gone, I just drew the first good draw in four turns.

"In case you don't remember what it is, I'll show you. I play Graceful Charity."

Her deck glowed, and she drew three cards.

"Now, let's see," she said, looking at them. "Shouldn't be too hard deciding what to discard…"

She smirked. She discarded Ectoplasmer and the Gil Garth she just drew.

"Next, I play Premature Burial," she said. "Spending my Life Points means nothing when I have over twelve-thousand, and I think I'll bring back the guy I just tossed. Meet Gil Garth."

In a burst of light, the robotic, armored Fiend appeared. (1,800/1,200)

"But he's not staying for long. You may have gotten rid of Ha Des, but I have two copies of his card in my deck. And guess what? I also drew the other one.

"So I sacrifice Gil Garth, and Ha Des makes his triumphant return."

Gil Garth vanished, and Ha Des loomed over the field once more. (2,450/1,600)

Olga gulped…

"Ha Des…" ordered Sam. "Let her have it! Stygian blast!"

Ha Des cast his burst of black fire, and Olga screamed as it roasted her. She fell over on her behind.

**(S: 11,750) -------------------- (O: 4,750)**

"Well, that's enough for one turn," said Sam. "Let's see what else you have."

"I'll show you what else I have…" said Olga, drawing a card.

She looked at it, and the other card in her hand.

"Okay, Sam," she said. "I play… Final Light. I have to pay 1,000 Life Points, but I get to Special Summon a Light-Attribute Monster from my Graveyard."

In a burst of light, Spirit of the Harp reappeared, kneeling in Defense Mode. (800/2,000)

"You get to summon a Monster from your Graveyard too," she continued, "but it has to have 2,000 Attack Points or less."

"I only have one Monster in my Graveyard," replied Sam. "And what do you know? He fits the bill."

Gil Garth reappeared on her side of the field in another burst of light. (1,800/1,200)

"I'll toss this facedown, and end my turn," said Olga, playing her last card.

A facedown card appeared.

**(S: 11,750) -------------------- (O: 3,750)**

Sam drew again.

She looked the card. It was a very powerful Monster that she had added to her deck especially for the finals. But she couldn't summon it right now, not with its effect… Nor could she Normal Summon it unless she sacrificed Ha Des.

_Well, it might help later…_ she thought, adding it to her hand.

"I summon The Bistro Butcher," she said.

In a burst of darkness, the fiendish chef appeared, raising his cleaver. (1,800/1,000)

"Time to prepare today's special," said Sam. "Fairy duelist au gratin. But first thing's first…

"Ha Des… Take out Spirit of the Harp!"

Ha Des cast his spell, and the Fairy was consumed by the black flames.

"Go, Trap Card!" shouted Olga, as her facedown card lifted. "Loge's Flame!"

"Huh?" said Sam.

The whole arena glowed, as if a blue bonfire had been lit, and they were in the middle of it.

"Sorry, Samantha," said Olga. "But as long as Loge's Flame burns, only Monsters who have more than 2,000 Attack Points are allowed to attack. I'm afraid Gil Garth and The Bistro Butcher aren't in that club."

"Well…" said Ben. "That's an… Odd Trap Card. Seems like the opposite of Messenger of Peace, almost."

"Olga is up to something," said Natalie. "We'll just have to wait and see what."

_I know exactly what,_ said Yumi. _Loge's Flame has another effect… If used right, it will let Olga summon someone who's likely the most powerful Monster in her deck…_

Sam frowned.

"I end my turn!" she shouted.

"I draw one card…" muttered Olga, drawing.

She looked at the card.

"I play… Card of Variation," she said, playing it. "Now I get to draw two cards."

She made two draws.

"It has a cost, of course, but we won't get into that until the end of my turn. Now…"

She looked at the two cards she had just drawn. She smiled.

"First I place one card facedown," she said.

She played the card, and a facedown card appeared.

"Then I play… Giant Trunade!"

She played the other card, and a furious wind blew across the field. Her facedown card and Loge's Flame were blown off the field, and reappeared in her hand.

"Now, you're likely wondering why the heck I set a facedown card and _then_ played Giant Trunade. Well, it's because the facedown card I set was this one. It's called Treasure Map.

"Now I get to draw two cards, so long as I then discard one from my hand."

She made two draws.

"And since Treasure Map itself is now worthless, as all treasure maps are after you find the treasure, that's what I'll discard."

She discarded the card.

"And I'm far from done. Since Loge's Flame was blown off the field, its second effect was activated…

"Now I get to summon this lady… Meet one of the greatest warriors of Asgard, and the most powerful of the Choosers of the Slain… Valkyrie Brunhilde!"

In another burst of light, a new Valkyrie appeared. Like the previous Valkyries, the only way to discern her from her sisters was her hair, which in this case was long, blue, and billowy. (1,800/2,000)

"She doesn't look so tough," said Sam.

"She's about to get tougher," replied Olga, taking another card. "Time to open the gates of Asgard and show her true power."

_Open the gates of Asgard?_ thought Yumi. _Oh no… That could only mean…_

"I play a Spell Card that's a mouthful," said Olga, "and to you, it's a handful… Rainbow Bridge Bifrost!"

Thunder rumbled again, and a gleaming rainbow descended from the dark sky. Brunhilde closed her eyes as it covered her, and she glowed with energy.

"Now…" said Olga. "Brunhilde gains 500 more Attack Points for every Monster that been removed from play so far. At last count, there were four of them."

(3,800/2,000)

"No Trap Cards to protect you now!" shouted Olga. "Brunhilde, attack the Dark Ruler Ha Des with pride of Odin!"

Brunhilde swooped down on the Fiend ruler on her mount, and with one slash of her sword, Ha Des was no more.

**(S: 10,400) -------------------- (O: 3,750)**

"That's all I can do for this turn," said Olga. "Now, since I played Card of Variation when I started this turn, I have to discard a card now, or I lose 3,000 Life Points. And since Loge's Flame has served its purpose, I'll get rid of that."

She discarded the card.

"Olga may have the upper hand again," said Natalie, "but Sam still has a commanding lead. So much depends on what she draws now."

Sam looked at the Monster Card in her hand.

She had enough Monsters to summon it now… But it wasn't strong enough beat Brunhilde.

She drew a card.

_Hmm,_ she thought, looking at the Trap Card. _Might come in handy._

She set the card in her Disk, and a facedown card appeared. Then she turned her two cards, and Gil Garth and The Bistro Butcher crouched in Defense Mode.

"Go ahead," she said.

Olga drew a card.

"Okay, Sam," she said, playing a card. "I play, Akashic Record."

The Spell Card appeared on the field, showing the image of a group of dinosaur bones and a skull.

"And what does that do?" asked Sam.

"It's a rare card that lets me draw two cards," said Olga. "Of course, there is a little catch. If either of the two cards are ones that I've used before, then all copies of them are removed from play."

She drew two cards. She looked at them.

She turned them forward, revealing Kuriboh and Soul Resurrection.

"Looks like I was lucky," she said.

"Olga sure has a lot of draw power in that deck," said Chelsea.

"Can you blame her?" asked Yumi. "If Ride of the Valkyries doesn't work, and it didn't, it could cost her every card in her hand. I wouldn't be surprised if she has a Morphing Jar in that deck too."

"So what the heck is an Akashic Record?" asked Sam.

Olga chuckled.

"Some philosophers in some old religions believe that on some mystical plane of existence," she replied, "all knowledge, every iota of information that humanity has ever known and recorded, starting from the time they first became sentient up to the present, is gathered together in one great celestial library. These are the Akashic Records. You might call it God's database.

"Some dreamers say that if they could access this great library, they could discover the answers to literally anything… Maybe even the meaning and purpose of life…

"But don't get your hopes up… I doubt that the place will ever be open to the public.

"Anyway…

"Brunhilde, attack Gil Garth!"

Brunhilde swung her sword, and Gil Garth shattered into triangles.

Olga fit a card into her Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

"Your move," she said.

Sam drew a card.

_It's clearly Soul Resurrection,_ she thought. _I'm going to have to bust through that Spirit of the Harp again sooner or later…_

She looked at her own facedown card.

_Unless…_

"I play… Pot of Greed," she said, playing the card she just drew.

She ignored the jar, and drew two cards.

She looked at them.

She gave a sly look at Olga, and then set a card on her Disk. A facedown Monster appeared.

"Your move," she said with a satisfied smile.

Olga made another draw.

Her eyes narrowed.

"That wouldn't happen to be a Night Assailant, would it, Sam?" she asked. "Well sorry, nice try, but I'm getting rid of it."

She played a Spell Card.

"I play Valkyrie's Embrace. Now I just have to switch Brunhilde to Defense Mode, and she can destroy one Monster."

Brunhilde dismounted her horse, and walked towards the facedown card with her arms extended, as if wanting to deliver a hug. The Monster appeared – which was, indeed, Night Assailant – and as Brunhilde delivered the embrace, it shattered.

Brunhilde went back next to her mount, and then knelt and shielded herself in Defense Mode.

"End turn," said Olga.

"And it's the end for Brunhilde," said Sam, drawing a card. "You did exactly what I wanted you to do. By moving her to Defense Mode, you fell right into my trap."

"What?" said Olga. "You have a Monster that can beat her Defense? Well let me tell you…"

"I know, I know…" said Sam. "Her effect. You can prevent her from being destroyed in battle if you just reduce her Defense Score by 1,000. That means she has to be attacked three times before she dies.

"Well… I'm gonna do just that…"

She held up a card.

"You ever hear of this Spell Card, Olga?" she exclaimed with a laugh.

"It can't be!" shouted Olga.

"Oh, but it is!" yelled Sam.

She threw the card into her Disk.

"I play Dimension Fusion! I pay 2,000 Life Points, and every Monster that's been removed from play comes back!"

The sky above Gehenna flashed with lightning again, and another geyser of lava erupted. A portal to a dark void tore open above them…

Four creatures flew out of the portal. Dark Ruler Ha Des led the way. (2,450/1,600) Opticlops was right behind him. (1,800/1,700) Next came Giant Orc, looking more confused than it usually was. (2,200/0) Finally, Malice Doll of Demise took up the rear. (1,600/1,700)

"Go, Soul Resurrection!" shouted Olga in panic.

Sam looked at her facedown card.

_No, better not…_ she thought.

Olga's Trap Card lifted. Spirit of the Harp appeared crouching in Defense Mode. (800/2,000)

"Well then…" said Sam, as The Bistro Butcher stood up in Attack Mode, "I'll just take her out first… Ha Des… Destroy Spirit of the Harp! Stygian blast!"

Spirit of the Harp simply closed her eyes and leaned her head on her hand, as if she just wanted the duel to end already. She barely moved as the Dark Ruler's blast hit her.

Brunhilde, however, was a great deal more nervous…

"Giant Orc," ordered Sam, "attack Valkyrie Brunhilde with bone basher!"

Giant Orc lumbered towards Brunhilde and clobbered her over the head with her club. Brunhilde screamed, and then held her head in a daze. Her Defense fell to 1,000.

"Butcher, your turn," said Sam. "Siamese cut!"

The Bistro Butcher leapt at Brunhilde and sliced her from stem to stern. She screamed again, and her Defense fell to zero.

"Malice Doll of Demise, finish the job," said Sam. "Cleaver heaver!"

The evil puppet hurled his axe, and this time, Brunhilde had no defense. She was blasted into pixels.

Sam glared at Olga.

"Opticlops, attack her directly!"

Opticlops charged towards Olga.

"Kuriboh, go!" shouted Olga, tossing a card.

A wall of the small, furry Fiends sprang up, and Opticlops was thrown backwards as they exploded on impact.

Giant Orc dropped its club, and fell over in a daze.

"I end my turn…" said Sam.

**(S: 8,400) -------------------- (O: 3,750)**

Olga drew a card.

She fit the card into her Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

"Your move…" she said.

_I haven't lost yet…_ she thought. _The Trap Card I just set is my deadliest, one that not even Ziegfried knew about…_

_The Horn of Heimdall. It will cost me half my Life Points, but I'll be able to summon four Valkyries from my deck._

_They'll be destroyed on my next End Phase, but if I bring out all three Zweittes and one Erste, one round will be all I'll need._

Sam drew a card.

"Ha Des, attack…" she said.

"I activate… The Horn of Heimdall!" shouted Olga.

Her facedown card lifted.

"Now…"

"Sorry, Olga, but Ragnarok will have to wait," said Sam.

Her own Trap Card lifted.

"I activate Seven Tools of the Bandit. So your almighty Horn is silenced."

Olga's Trap Card was blasted to bits.

"Good thing I saved that Counter Trap," said Sam with a chuckle. "And a good thing that you had to show me that Kuriboh when you drew it using that Akashic Record card. I'd have never known you had it if you didn't, and would have wasted Seven Tools on Soul Resurrection, thinking I could have won…

"See, having a deck full of the rarest, most powerful cards may seem like a benefit… But in Duel Monsters, you have to realize that the more powerful a card is, the more debilitating its cost."

Olga closed her eyes and hung her head.

"Now where were we?" said Sam. "Oh yes… Ha Des was about to attack…"

Olga screamed as the final Stygian blast burned her skin. She tumbled over, and fell flat on her face.

**(S: 7,400) -------------------- (O: 0)**

Delmato walked up to Sam and lifted her arm up into the air.

"Samantha Arachne is the winner!" he shouted.

The crowd cheered, as explosions of fireworks lit up the hellscape.

"Thank you!" shouted Sam. "Thank you all! You're too kind…"

She noticed that something was in her hair. She took it out and looked at it.

It was the Cat's Cradle Comb. She smirked.

"Well, Sam got out of that mess," said Ren.

"Yeah," said Yumi. "And I'll bet Rasputin isn't too happy about it!"

Then she noticed that Rasputin, Nicholas, and Louis had left their seats.

"Hey, where did they go?" asked Chelsea.

Yumi rubbed her chin.

"Somehow, I don't think they left to get a hot dog…" she said.

"Thank you everybody!" exclaimed Sheena, who appeared on the field. "There'll be a half-hour intermission before the next match. Until then, get up, stretch your legs, get popcorn, and then get back here, because this next duel is one you aren't gonna want to miss!"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Actually, Rasputin, Nicholas, and Louis were indeed next to a refreshment stand, but they weren't interested in food. Rasputin was about ready to explode.

"Aren't you going to wait until Olga gets here so you can yell at her?" asked Nicholas.

"That might release some aggression," growled Rasputin, "but it would not get me any closer to the one who is truly responsible for me losing the Cat's Cradle Comb."

"What do mean?" asked Nicholas. "Olga was the one who screwed up…"

"Think about it, Nicholas!" shouted Rasputin. "Do you know of any reason for Samantha to have Dimension Fusion in her deck? Do you know of any way that card would fit her strategy?

"No, it wouldn't. The only reason she would put it in her deck is if someone told her what Olga's strategy was…

"The traitor has struck again… And now, not only have we failed to win the Ring of Spirits because of this treachery, we have lost the Cat's Cradle Comb! This act of treason has now become far too serious to disregard."

There was a long pause.

"So what are you gonna do?" asked Nicholas.

Rasputin thought.

Truthfully, he didn't know…

He also didn't know that someone was watching from around the corner.

_Problems, Rasputin?_ thought the watcher. _You thought you could manipulate everyone… Politicians, businessmen, power players, the underworld, but now someone has finally had the nerve to turn against you, and you don't know who it is…_

_And you can't tell any of your men to look for the traitor, because one of the men you tell to look for him might BE the traitor._

_Look at yourself, Rasputin, and ask yourself a question… Right now, who can you trust?_

_As of right now, the answer is: No-one._

_A decisive victory has been won by the forces of Good, as Sam has defeated Olga and taken her Charm. But Rasputin likely will not give up his current plan. The finals will continue, and more duels lie ahead, as the contenders vie for the top spot. The main event is just starting!_

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**FINAL LIGHT (Spell Card)  
**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** A glowing, flowing curtain.

**Card Description:** Pay 1,000 Life Points. Special Summon one LIGHT Monster from your Graveyard. Your opponent may then Special Summon one Monster with 2,000 ATK or less from his/her Graveyard.

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**0**

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**FRICKA'S MEDITATION (Trap Card)  
**

**Normal Trap**

**Image:** A goddess with long, green hair in a white dress casting a powerful spell.

**Card Description:** You can activate this card when your opponent declares an attack. Remove one "Wotan's Judgment" in your Graveyard from play to negate the attack.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**GODDESS SKULD'S ORACLE (Spell Card)  
**

**Continuous Spell  
**

**Image:** A young goddess with blue hair in pigtails in a fancy white dress, holding a staff topped with a red orb.

**Card Description:** During your Standby Phase, both you and your opponent may look at the top three cards of your opponent's deck. Then, you can rearrange them in any order, and return them to the top of the deck (your opponent cannot see the order of the cards).

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**0**

**0**

**GODDESS URD'S VERDICT (Spell Card)  
**

**Continuous Spell**

**Image:** A goddess with short, blonde hair in a white dress, holding a staff topped with a blue orb.

**Card Description:** During your Standby Phase, you can guess the name of one face-down card on your opponent's side of the field. If you guess correctly, remove the card from play.

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**GODDESS VERDANDE'S GUIDANCE (Spell Card)  
**

**Continuous Spell**

**Image:** A goddess with long, pink hair in a white and blue dress holding a staff topped with a green orb.

**Card Description:** During your Standby Phase, guess what type of card (Monster, Spell, or Trap) is on top of your opponent's deck. If you guess correctly, your opponent must set the card on his/her side of the field (if the card is a Monster Card, disregard any summoning requirements or restrictions).

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**LOGE'S FLAME (Trap Card)**

**Continuous Trap**

**Image:** A tornado of blue fire.

**Card Description:** When this card is active, Monsters with 2,000 Attack Points or fewer cannot attack. When this card is removed from the field, you may Special Summon one "Valkyrie Brunhilde" from your hand, deck, or Graveyard.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**RAINBOW BRIDGE BIFROST (Spell Card)  
**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** A rainbow descending from a dark, cloudy sky.

**Card Description:** Select one "Valkyrie" Monster on your side of the field. Increase the ATK of the selected Monster by an amount equal to the number of your opponent's Monsters that have been removed from play x500. This increase lasts until the selected Monster is no longer face-up on the field.

**0**

**0**

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**RIDE OF THE VALKYRIES (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** A collection of ancient palaces amid the clouds.

**Card Description:** Special Summon any number of "Valkyrie" Monsters from your hand. During the End Phase of the turn, return all Monsters Special Summoned with this card's effect back to your deck. Then, shuffle your deck.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**VALKYRIE BRUNHILDE (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fairy/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level:** 7  
**ATK:** 1,800  
**DEF:** 2,000

**Card Description:** Increase the ATK of this card by 300 for each Warrior- and Dragon-Type Monster on the field. If this card is attacked, you can decrease the DEF of this card by 1000. If you do, this card is not destroyed as a result of battle. (Damage calculation still applies.)

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**0**

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**VALKYRIE DRITTE (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fairy/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,000  
**DEF:** 1,600

**Card Description:** Once per turn, during your Main Phase, you may increase the ATK of this card by an amount equal to the number of your opponent's Monsters that have been removed from play x100. The ATK increase lasts until the End Phase.

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**0**

**0**

**VALKYRIE ERSTE (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fairy/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level:** 6  
**ATK:** 1,600  
**DEF:** 1,800

**Card Description:** Once per turn, during your Main Phase, you may increase the ATK of this card by an amount equal to the sum of the base ATKs of all your opponent's Monsters that have been removed from play. The ATK increase lasts until the End Phase.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**VALKYRIE ZWEITE (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fairy/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level:** 5  
**ATK:** 1,600  
**DEF:** 1,600

**Card Description:** When this card is Normal Summoned, Flip-Summoned, or Special Summoned, destroy one Monster on your opponent's side of the field and remove it from play.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**VALKYRIE'S EMBRACE (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** A Valkyrie reaching out to embrace a young man.

**Card Description:** Switch one "Valkyrie" Monster on your side of the field to face-up Defense Position. Destroy one opposing Monster.

**0**

**0**

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**WOTAN'S JUDGMENT (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap  
**

**Image:** A deity in a green robe and hood with a full beard, holding a wooden cudgel.

**Card Description:** You can activate this card when you have at least one Spell Card in your hand, and your opponent declares an attack. Negate the attack and end your opponent's Battle Phase. Draw one card from your deck, then select one Spell Card from your hand and place it on top of your deck.

_Note: The proceeding cards were all used by Ziegfried at various times during the original anime series Grand Prix arc. Creative credit goes to the writers of those episodes._

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**0**

**CARD OF VARIATION (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** A Duel Monsters card floating in clear water.

**Card Description:** Draw two cards from your deck. At the End Phase of the turn, discard one card in your hand to the Graveyard. If you do not, inflict 3,000 points of direct damage to your Life Points.

_Note: "Card of Variation" was first used by Tyranno in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Primal Instinct". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**0**

**AKASHIC RECORD (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** A group of dinosaur bones and a large dinosaur skull.

**Card Description:** Draw two cards from your deck. If you have used any copies of either of the two drawn cards previously in the duel, remove from play all copies of the previously used card(s) from your hand, deck, field, and Graveyard.

_Note: "Akashic Record" was first used by Jesse (while possessed by Yubel) in a third season episode of "Yu-Gi-Oh GX". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**GUARDIANS OF ****YGGDRASIL (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** A huge tree, with three small, feminine forms standing under it.

**Card Description:** Pay 2,000 Life Points to activate this card. Search your deck for one "Goddess Skuld's Oracle", one "Goddess Verdande's Guidance", and one "Goddess Urd's Verdict" and add them to your hand. If you do not successfully activate all three cards in the same round you activate "Guardians of Yggdrasil", send all three cards to the Graveyard.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**THE HORN OF HEIMDALL (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image:** A Norse deity with a flowing beard holding a huge, brass horn.

**Card Description:** You can only activate this card during your opponent's turn when you have no Monsters on your side of the field. Pay half your Life Points. Special Summon from your hand and/or deck four "Valkyrie" Monsters. Monsters Special Summoned by this card are destroyed at the End Phase of your next turn.

**0**

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**0**

**Ren: I didn't want it to have to come to this…**

**Chelsea: We knew it probably would, Ren. It's you versus me…**

**Ren: Then by all means, let's make it good. Show me what you've got!**

**Chelsea: Don't hold back! Come and get me!**

**Yumi: I'll be here to support you both, guys. I'll be front-row-center.**

**Coming up next, "Savage Wilderness of the Beastlands; Ren versus Chelsea."**

**Let's get this over with…**


	43. Savage Wilderness of the Beastlands

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**CHAPTER FORTY-TWO**

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**Savage Wilderness of the Beastlands**

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**Ren versus Chelsea**

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It was fifteen minutes after Sam's duel had ended. Rasputin, Nicholas, and Louis had not yet come back.

Olga, however, was back in her seat, and if she even cared about losing, she didn't show it. In fact, she was casually munching on toasted granola.

"She doesn't seem the least bit worried about what Rasputin is going to do to her," muttered Sam.

"If he plans to do anything," replied Erik. "You don't suppose she has more dirt on him than anyone else?"

Olga apparently had heard that. She turned to them and smirked.

There was something about that smirk that chilled them to the bone…

Meanwhile, Ren was nervously watching the clock. He had to report to the north gate in five minutes.

"Chelsea!" he quickly said.

Chelsea looked at him, with a slight smile.

"Look…" he said. "Before this starts, I have something to say… I've wanted to say this for a long time…"

Chelsea put two fingers up and placed them over his lips.

"I know…" she whispered. "I know. And if you want to prove it, let's make a little wager on this duel…"

"Uh, a wager?" asked Ren. "What?"

Chelsea moved beside him.

"If I win this duel," she said, "then tonight, I want you to…"

She whispered something into his ear, so no-one else could hear her. Ren's eyes opened wide…

"Gee…" he muttered, looking at her. "If I have to do that if I lose, why would I want to win?"

"Because…" she whispered, "if you win, then I'll…"

She whispered into his ear again.

Ren gulped. He looked her in the eyes.

"Okay…" he said. "It's a deal…"

"Then don't hold back," she said, getting up.

Ren took some deep breaths, and then he got up too.

_Well…_ he thought, _that was… unexpected…_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In the center of the arena, Dream Clown, Crass Clown, Peten the Dark Clown, and Saggi the Dark Clown were performing a juggling act while the sound system played _Merry-Go-Round Broke Down_. Dream Clown was balanced on a ball, juggling spheres, Crass Clown was on a turntable juggling pins, Peten was riding a unicycle and juggling rings, while Saggi was spinning a group of plates while standing on one leg.

Finally, all four clowns caught the items and bowed, before vanishing into swirls of dark energy.

More fireworks erupted, as the two announcers appeared on the screen again.

"Welcome back," said Natalie, "as we continue our coverage of Duelatopia XX!"

"And you're just in time for a match that long-time Duelatopia fans have waited for a long time," said Ben. "The finals match between Ren Marris, and Chelsea Ramset."

"In case you aren't a longtime fan, we'll explain," continued Natalie. "In the very first Duelatopia, Chelsea's dad Peter, and Ren's dad Clive were contestants, and they were champion material. Both of them got to the finals."

"One of them even made it to round two," said Ben. "But these close friends never dueled each other in this competition… That might have been for the best.

"Now…" said Natalie, "Clive Marris is on KaibaCorp's board of directors… Peter Ramset is I2's head card designer. Both are working to make Duel Monsters a better game.

"And now, their children want to be champions too… But this time, they will have to duel each other."

More fireworks burst, and Sheena and Delmato appeared in the center of the arena.

"Introducing…" said Ben's voice, "our next quarter finalist… Ren Marris!"

Ren walked out to the center of the arena to cheers. He tried hard to hide how nervous he was. He wasn't sure whether he wanted to win this duel or not.

He wanted to win the tournament, but he certainly didn't want to hurt Chelsea _now_…

He made up his mind. If he won the tournament, the first thing he'd do with the prize money would be to buy Chelsea dinner at the best restaurant in Domino.

"And his opponent," said Natalie, "Chelsea Ramset!"

Chelsea walked out to more cheers, and waved to the audience.

"She sure looks serious," said Ben. "Not every duelist these days carries a sword at her hip…"

Yumi noticed Rasputin, Nicholas, and Louis sit back in their seats. They seemed indifferent to Olga, so it was hard to say whether they were mad at her or not.

_Hope I didn't miss anything,_ thought Rasputin. _Seeing two of those brats forced to duel each other should be worthy entertainment._

_And by watching, I'll learn how much they've improved their decks, which, if they're smart, they've obviously done since I saw them last. It will certainly be knowledge that I can use._

_Of course, once this duel is over, one of them won't be dueling in the tournament any more…_

_So I'll simply wait until the finals are over, and lay an ambush. He or she will duel for the Charm, like it or not…_

"Okay, you two…" said Sheena, opening the Field slot on her Disk. "Time to take another journey past the physical realm…"

She placed another card in the slot, and the holographic towers glowed again.

"Time to go to a place on the wild side… I give you… The Savage Wilderness of the Beastlands!"

Again, it seemed the whole city changed. Now, the arena and the surroundings were changed into a giant, primal forest, with trees looming hundreds of feet high. Around the two duelists, forest creatures more beautiful than any they had ever seen – deer, foxes, and wolves – stood by watching.

There were watchers in the sky as well. The clouds had faces on them now, looking down upon the arena with eyes that reflected great wisdom.

"The stage is set," said Delmato. "So let's get started!"

The two cut and shuffled each other's decks, and the coin toss was done…

"Here we go!" shouted Ben. "It's been nineteen years… Which offspring can duel better? We're about to see!"

"Game on!" shouted Delmato, clenching his fist.

**(Ren: 8,000) -------------------- (Chelsea: 8,000)**

"All right, let's see here…" said Chelsea, making her first draw. "I'll start by summoning Blood Sucker…"

She played the card, and in a burst of dark energy, the horned, winged Zombie emerged. (1,300/1,500)

_Okay, nothing new there…_ thought Ren.

"Then I'll place these facedown, and end my turn," she said.

Two facedown cards appeared behind Blood Sucker.

"All right!" shouted Ren. "Draw!"

He drew a card.

"Trap activate…" said Chelsea.

"Huh?" said Ren, as one of her facedown cards lifted.

"It's called Cloak and Dagger," said Chelsea. "What this Trap Card does is summon a shadow assassin, who's now hidden invisibly somewhere around the arena. I simply have to tell him the name of his target, and if that target appears on the field, it's removed from play.

"Of course, once that happens, the contract ends, and he leaves.

"The target is Getsu Fuhma."

_Crud,_ thought Ren. _More prepared than I thought… She all but did away with the Monster that could do the most damage to her Monsters._

_But I can still take out her Blood Sucker…_

"I play… Reinforcement of the Army," he said, playing a card. "Now I get to take a Warrior from my deck.

"And if Getsu Fuhma is out, I'll go with Dark Blade.

"Now I'll summon him!"

Dark Blade appeared in another aura of darkness. (1,800/1,500)

"Attack her Blood Sucker!" he shouted.

Dark Blade flew towards the fiendish zombie, and with two slashes of his swords, it was cut down.

"You triggered my other Trap!" shouted Chelsea, as her other facedown card lifted.

The card bore the image of a hand reaching out of a coffin.

"Thirst of Blood," she said. "I can activate this when one of my Monsters is destroyed. Now I can summon a vampire from my deck that's Level Four or less.

"Now let's see… How about Vampire Lady?"

In a burst of energy, a Vampire Lady appeared. (1,550/1,550)

"Well, that was pointless," said Natalie.

Ren sighed.

"I'll place a card of my own facedown, and end my turn," he said.

A facedown card appeared on his side of the field.

**(R: 8,000) -------------------- (C: 7,500)**

"Well, this duel doesn't seem as one-sided at the beginning as the last one was," said Natalie. "We still have a long way to go…"

Chelsea made a draw.

"I play… Pot of Greed," she said.

She played the card, and drew twice. She looked at the two cards and then chose another one.

"Now I play… Coercive Magic Eyes."

She played a Spell Card, and two sinister eyes appeared behind her. Vampire Lady's eyes glowed fiery red.

"What the?" asked Ren.

"This card gives Vampire Lady the ability to go right past your Dark Blade, and get to you," said Chelsea. "Vampire Lady, give Ren a kiss for me."

Vampire Lady pounced. Then she vanished…

Ren started to tremble as he felt her arms caressing him from behind…

He moaned as her fangs stabbed into his neck and she drank her fill. She let go, and he fell on one knee.

Yumi shook her head.

_Chelsea clearly has made her deck more powerful…_ she thought. _Has Ren done the same? He won't stand a chance if he hasn't._

"I'm sure you know Vampire Lady's effect," said Chelsea. "I declare Spell Card."

Ren frowned and looked through his deck. He took Mystic Plasma Zone and discarded it.

_Don't really need that,_ he thought. _It would help her as much as it would me._

**(R: 6,450) -------------------- (C: 7,500)**

Rasputin chuckled.

_Chelsea one, Ren zero,_ he thought.

"Still my turn…" said Chelsea. "I'll place one card facedown…"

A facedown card appeared.

"Then I'll sacrifice Vampire Lady…"

Vampire Lady vanished into dark mist.

"To summon this…"

A Monster appeared in Defense Mode.

_Huh?_ thought Ren.

"Your move…" said Chelsea.

Ren drew a card.

_The only Zombie I can think of that's Level Five or higher that you set in Defense Mode is Giant Axe Mummy,_ he thought. _But since when did Chelsea use mummies? It isn't her style…_

"I summon Double Pinaska," he said.

The bandito somersaulted onto the field, and twirled his rapiers. (1,500/1,500)

_If it is Giant Axe Mummy, attacking would be a bad idea,_ he thought. _I'll just wait for now…_

"I end my turn," he said.

Chelsea drew a card.

"I summon Sangan," she said.

With a cry, the four-armed, three-eyed Fiend leapt up. (1,000/600)

"Next…" she said. "I Flip-Summon my other Monster…"

The facedown card flipped, and a huge, hulking form rose up behind Chelsea…

It wasn't Giant Axe Mummy. It was a gigantic jack-o-lantern, with vine-like tentacles, one eye, a huge, toothy mouth, and a small crown on the top. (1,800/2,000)

"A peculiar move by Chelsea," said Natalie. "Pumpking the King of Ghosts hasn't seen use in tournaments for decades. That card is rather weak by today's standards."

"Oh, come on!" shouted Ren. "Why on Earth would you put that old thing in your deck?"

"True, it is an antiquated Monster," replied Chelsea, "but I found a new way to use it. But first… I'm well aware of Double Pinaska's ability, so I'm gonna force you to use it up. After all, 1,800 Attack Points beats 1,500.

"Pumpking, attack Double Pinaska. Ectoplasmic tendrils."

Pumpking shot its vines towards the bandito…

"Pinaska, deflect!" shouted Ren.

Double Pinaska swung his blades, cleaving through the tentacles. Four small pieces fell to the ground, and the King of Ghosts withdrew its arms.

"Sangan, you attack Double Pinaska," said Chelsea.

The Fiend leapt at Pinaska. He made a swipe with his blade, cleaving it in two.

"Now why did she do _that_?" asked Ben.

"So she could use its effect, silly," replied Natalie.

Chelsea looked through her deck, and found the card she wanted. She added it to her hand.

She gestured, and her facedown card lifted, revealing Call of the Haunted.

In a burst of darkness, Sangan appeared again.

"Attack Double Pinaska again!" she shouted.

"Aw, gee…" moaned Ren.

The Fiend lunged, and Double Pinaska cut it in half again.

Chelsea looked through her deck, and found another card.

"The stage is set, Ren," she said. "Now I'm gonna bring out my newest power player."

She flipped a Spell Card in her hand forward.

"A Polymerization card?" gasped Ren. "What two Monsters are you gonna fuse?"

"Not two…" replied Chelsea, placing it in her Disk. "_Three_. I'm using this to fuse together Pumpking, Soul-Absorbing Bone Tower, and Castle of Dark Illusions."

Soul-Absorbing Bone Tower appeared on the field, and the ominous form of Castle of Dark Illusions floated overhead…

The two Zombies and one Fiend swirled into a dark, spinning vortex… The sky above the Beastlands darkened, and the faces in the clouds frowned. Dark mist rose from the ground…

"I summon…" shouted Chelsea, "Nosferatu the Lich Lord!"

Stepping out of the vortex was a tall creature that radiated an aura of pure darkness. It was a skeletal figure, wearing rich robes and jewelry, holding an ornate staff. Its empty eye-sockets glowed with pinpoints of light. A stench of death wafted over the eves of the forest, like a fresh grave… (1,900/2,000)

"I dunno…" muttered Ren. "I kinda expected someone stronger…"

"Attack Points aren't everything, Ren," replied Chelsea. "To end my turn, I'll place a card facedown, and activate Mirage of Nightmare."

The Mirage card and the facedown card appeared.

"And it's your move."

_I know this combo…_ thought Ren. _But she's up to something with that Lich Lord, and I'll bet it doesn't bode well…_

**(R: 6,450) -------------------- (C: 6,500)**

He drew a card.

"My Mirage card activates…" said Chelsea.

She quickly drew four cards.

"…as does my facedown card…"

Her Mystical Space Typhoon card flipped up, and the Mirage card shattered into bits.

Ren looked at the five cards in his hand.

_Shouldn't be too hard to beat it,_ he thought. _I just have to summon a Monster with at least 1,900 Attack Points…_

_One problem… I don't have one right now…_

_And there's no telling what dangerous powers that thing has…_

"All right, Chelsea…" he said, "I move my two guys to Defense Mode…"

Dark Blade and Double Pinaska sheathed their swords and crouched in defense.

"And I'll put this in Defense Mode too…"

A facedown Monster appeared.

"That'll do it…"

Chelsea drew a card.

"Nosferatu…" she shouted, "attack his Dark Blade! Dark blight!"

The Lich Lord's eyes burned with unholy fire. It thrust its staff forward, and cast an evil spell, blasting Dark Blade to dust.

"Now I get to Special Summon a Monster," continued Chelsea. "And he may be familiar too you…"

The ground cracked open, and a hand burst out of the ground…

Ren watched, as a new Zombie crawled out of the ground on Chelsea's side…

He couldn't believe it. It was Dark Blade. His armor was broken, dirty, and dented, and his eyes were glowing red, but there was no mistaking it was him. (1,800/1,500)

"Chelsea…" said Ren. "What happened?"

"To make up for having pathetic scores for a Level Eight Monster," said Chelsea, "Nosferatu has some powerful abilities. Case in point, when it destroys a Monster in battle, that Monster is Special Summoned to my side of the field. Although, its Type becomes Zombie, and its effect is negated.

"But don't worry, Ren, I don't intend on keeping Dark Blade much longer…"

_She's going to sacrifice Dark Blade!_ thought Ren.

Chelsea played another card.

"I sacrifice him…"

Dark Blade burst into an explosion of dust…

"To summon Curse of Vampire!"

_Curse of Vampire?_ thought Ren. _Another new card?_

The vampire that appeared on Chelsea's side of the field this time was quite different than the more familiar Vampire Lord. He wore armor, had different-styled hair, and had two batlike wings growing from his back. He looked at Ren with a grim expression. (2,000/800)

"Your move…" said Chelsea.

_Weird…_ thought Yumi. _I'm glad Chelsea is on our side, because she would have made a terrible enemy… She's truly become Queen of the Undead!_

Ren drew a card.

_That's the one,_ he thought, looking at it.

"I sacrifice Double Pinaska…" he said.

Double Pinaska burst into pixels.

"In order to summon Penumbral Soldier Lady!"

In another burst of darkness, Penumbral Soldier Lady appeared. Her eyes narrowed as she looked at Chelsea's two Zombies. (2,100/1,400)

"One card," said Ben, "and Ren may have turned this around!"

"Show's over, worm-feast!" shouted Ren. "Attack Nosferatu the Lich Lord! Sword of Shadows!"

Penumbral Soldier Lady leapt at Nosferatu, and slammed her sword into the undead sorcerer… It exploded into a burst of bones, which clattered to the ground, along with its staff… Chelsea cringed…

**(R: 6,450) -------------------- (C: 6,300)**

"Hmm…" said Ren.

Penumbral Soldier Lady was backing up nervously…

The staff rose off the ground, and the bones floated up too…

"HUH?" shouted Ren.

The bones pieced themselves back together, forming into Nosferatu again. Its jawbone formed into a smile, and its eyes glowed.

"Nice try, Ren," said Chelsea, "but you can't kill it that way."

"Able to steal opposing Monsters and invincible in battle!" exclaimed Natalie. "Chelsea may have found the perfect Monster!"

"Anything else, Ren?" asked Chelsea.

"No…" replied Ren. "I have to end my turn…"

_At least neither of her Monsters can beat Penumbral Soldier Lady,_ he thought.

Chelsea drew a card. She looked at it for a second. She shrugged and added it to her hand.

"Nosferatu, attack his facedown Monster!" she shouted.

Nosferatu cast its evil spell again. Familiar Knight appeared on the card, and was blasted into dust.

"Nuts…" muttered Ren. "Well, Chelsea… I don't have a Level Four Monster right now, but if you have one…"

"Nope," said Chelsea, "so you lucked out. Anyway… Curse of Vampire… Attack Penumbral Soldier Lady."

"HUH?" shouted Ren.

Curse of Vampire pounced at Soldier Lady. She scowled, as if she thought he had some nerve, and with one slash of her sword, he was blasted to pieces.

"Okay, I want to know why you did that, Chelsea!" shouted Ren.

"And ruin the big surprise?" asked Chelsea with a chuckle. "Not telling… By the way, now that my Battle Phase is over…"

The ground cracked, and a Zombie Familiar Knight crawled out of the ground on Chelsea's side of the field. (1,200/1,400)

_This is getting out of hand…_ thought Ren.

He drew a card.

"Sorry, Familiar Knight," he said. "But I'll put you out of your misery…"

He placed a card on his Disk, and a Defensive Monster appeared.

"Soldier Lady, attack Familiar Knight!"

Penumbral Soldier Lady leapt up, and slashed at Familiar Knight, blowing him to dust. She coughed as the cloud of what had once been her ally covered her…

**(R: 6,450) -------------------- (C: 5,400)**

"Ren has just taken the lead," said Ben, "but with Chelsea's Lich Lord on the field, how long can he hold it?"

"Your move, Chelsea," said Ren.

"Indeed…" said Chelsea, drawing a card.

As she added it to her hand, a dark fog appeared behind her…

Chelsea closed her eyes, and bent her head to one side.

"Now what?" said Ren.

Curse of Vampire appeared out of the fog, and held Chelsea by the shoulders. He gently bit into her neck, drinking her blood…

"What's happening?" shouted Ren.

Curse of Vampire walked forward, back to Chelsea's side of the field. (2,500/800)

"Ugh…" said Chelsea, holding her head. "I'll explain in small words, Ren. Curse of Vampire is sort of the polar opposite of Vampire Lord. While the more familiar vampire can be resurrected after being destroyed by card effects, Curse of Vampire can be resurrected if he's destroyed in battle… So long as I let him take 500 of my Life Points.

"But as you can see, there's a bonus… He comes back stronger than he was before."

"Next, I play Premature Burial…"

She played the card, and Vampire Lady crawled out of the ground. (1,550/1,550)

"Now, I'll sacrifice her… Come on out, Vampire Lord!"

In a burst of energy, Vampire Lady vanished, and Vampire Lord appeared on the field. (2,000/1,500)

"All right!" shouted Chelsea. "Time to clean up! I play Rush Recklessly."

She played the card, and Nosferatu's Attack Score rose to 2,600.

"Now, take out Penumbral Soldier Lady!"

Nosferatu blasted his unholy curse, and Soldier Lady screamed. She was blown to shards.

"Vampire Lord, take out his last defense!"

The vampire's eyes glowed. The swarm of bats shot towards the card. Pitch-Dark Dragon appeared on the card, and was blown to bits.

"Curse of Vampire, attack him directly!"

Curse of Vampire hissed, and leapt at Ren. His Trap Card – the one he had set on his first turn – lifted up before the claw slashed into him…

**(R: 7,450) -------------------- (C: 4,100)**

"HUH?" shouted Chelsea. "Your Life Points went UP?"

"Yeah…" said Ren. "Thanks to my Nutrient Z Trap Card. You aren't the only one who's reworked your deck, Chelsea!"

Chelsea chuckled.

"Very clever," she said. "My Battle Phase is over, and you know what that means…"

With a groan, Penumbral Soldier Lady crawled out of the ground on Chelsea's side of the field, her skin as pale as death, her hair tangled, and her eyes glowing red. (2,100/1,400)

"All right, Chelsea, my move…" said Ren.

He drew a card.

"I play… Graceful Charity," he said.

The beautiful angel flew out of the clouds, and her feathers fell on his deck. He drew three cards.

He gave them a long look before discarding two.

He placed two of them in his Disk, and a facedown Monster and a facedown card appeared.

"Your move…" he said.

Chelsea drew a card.

She smirked at Ren.

"Nosferatu, attack his facedown Monster!" she shouted.

Once again, the Lich Lord cast its evil curse…

Getsu Fuhma appeared on the card…

"NO!" screamed Chelsea, as the hex shot towards Getsu Fuhma.

The Cloak and Dagger card glowed, and a gunshot fired. Getsu Fuhma shattered into pixels, but it was too late – the damage had already been done. Nosferatu the Lich Lord dropped its staff and screamed as smoke poured from its palms.

Then it shattered into shards of bone.

Ren grinned, as the Zombie Penumbral Soldier Lady shattered as well. Finally, the Cloak and Dagger card vanished into grains of light.

"See, I figured out your Trap Card's weakness," said Ren. "I could still set Getsu Fuhma safely. And even though it removed her from play when she flipped face-up, the battle still occurred, so your Lich Lord is history."

"Very clever…" said Chelsea. "Vampire Lord, attack him directly!"

Vampire Lord hissed, and lifted his cloak…

As the swarm of bats flew towards Ren, a strange figure appeared out of a dark portal in behind him. It was a fiendish Warrior in bladed armor, with a mane of shock-white hair. He put his arms around Ren, and the swarm of bats was deflected.

"Who was THAT?" shouted Chelsea, as the strange Warrior vanished.

"Necro Gardna, that's who," said Ren, holding up a card. "I put him in my Graveyard when I played Graceful Charity. And by removing him from play, I can negate your vampire's attack."

He pocketed the card.

In her seat, Yumi gave a sly smirk.

_He took my suggestion!_ she thought.

"Swell…" said Chelsea. "Do you have two of them? Curse of Vampire, you attack!"

Ren obviously didn't, because Curse of Vampire met no resistance as he lunged and clawed at Ren, knocking him over.

**(R: 4,950) -------------------- (C: 4,100)**

"It's your move."

_I got rid of her Lich Lord,_ thought Ren. _And now, I'm ready to take this duel by storm…_

He drew a card.

"First I activate my facedown card… Spirit Barrier."

His facedown card flipped up.

_Ren is trying a new trick…_ thought Yumi. _The question is… what?_

"Next, I play Monster Reborn. And I think I'll bring back a Monster from _your_ Graveyard."

Chelsea gasped as her discard slot started to glow…

In a burst of light, Nosferatu the Lich Lord appeared on Ren's side of the field. (1,900/2,000)

"What?" shouted Chelsea. "What good is it to you?"

"Plenty," said Ren. "I'm going to use it for this…"

He showed her a card.

"That's a Ritual Card!" she shouted.

She looked at it as it appeared on the field. Lightning flashed…

"Litmus Doom Ritual?" she asked. "What does that do?"

Rasputin chuckled.

_Well… I certainly know what it does,_ he thought, _but for the sake of everyone else here, I'll let Ren explain it._

An evil-looking temple appeared behind him in the middle of the great forest, one containing spires, arches, and a blazing cauldron. Nosferatu disintegrated into a shadowy mist.

"This ceremony lets me summon my mightiest Shadow Warrior," said Ren. "I'll offer your Lich Lord as a sacrifice, to summon forth the Litmus Doom Swordsman."

In a burst of energy, a new Warrior appeared on the field. He looked like a dark matador, wearing a fancy, ruffled shirt and pantaloons, with the traditional hat and a domino mask, all in purple and orange hues. He held two sharp rapiers in his hands. He glared at Chelsea, and his eyes glowed with feral light. (0/0)

"Zero Attack Points and zero Defense Points?" said Chelsea. "Something tells me there's more to this guy…"

"There is," said Ren. "Litmus Doom can't be destroyed in battle any more than your Lich Lord can, and he's also immune to Traps. However, when a Trap Card is in play, and Spirit Barrier is now, his Attack Score becomes 3,000.

(3,000/0)

_Even if Chelsea summons something stronger,_ thought Yumi, _as unlikely as that may be, Ren is safe… Spirit Barrier will keep him from losing any Life Points…_

"Litmus Doom… Attack the Curse of Vampire!"

The Swordsman leapt at Curse of Vampire, and made two slashes with his blades. The creature screamed, and exploded into shards.

"Forget?" asked Chelsea. "Next turn, I can bring him back even stronger."

"No you can't," said Ren, playing a card. "Because before you start your turn, I'm Equipping my Swordsman with Necro Shot."

Litmus Doom raised his saber, and a dark, glowing bat appeared on his gauntlet.

"I can use this Spell Card three times before it's destroyed," said Ren, "and each time, I can remove from play a Monster in your Graveyard.

"So here's the first time!"

The bat flew from Litmus Doom's wrist, and struck Chelsea's Disk. The Curse of Vampire card slipped out of her discard slot.

"And while I'm at it," said Ren, "I'll use my second shot, to get rid of your Lich Lord too."

The bat flew at Chelsea's Disk again, and the Fusion Monster fell out as well.

"Chelsea has just lost two of her strongest Monsters, and Ren has one of his strongest on the field," said Ben. "Ren may very well have turned this duel around!"

"It's your move, Chelsea," said Ren with a smirk.

**(R: 4,950) -------------------- (C: 3,600)**

Chelsea frowned, and drew a card.

_I can destroy his Swordsman with this guy…_ she thought, looking at it, _but if I did, I'd be completely defenseless…_

"I place this facedown, and Vampire Lord goes into Defense Mode," she said.

A facedown card appeared, and Vampire Lord knelt and covered himself with his cape.

"That's all I can do…"

"Then let's see here…" said Ren, making a draw.

He placed a card on his Disk, and a second Dark Blade appeared. (1,800/1,500)

"Dark Blade, attack her Vampire Lord!" he shouted.

Dark Blade leapt at the Vampire, and made two slashes with his swords. Vampire Lord exploded into pixels.

"Litmus Doom, make me just as proud. Attack her directly!"

Chelsea gave a cry that was half in fear and half in pain as the matador slashed at her with his two scimitars. She fell over on her back.

She groaned, and slowly got up…

**(R: 4,950) -------------------- (C: 600)**

"Continuing my turn…" said Ren, "I'm going to use the third use of Necro Shot…"

Litmus Doom pointed again, and the bat flew at Chelsea again, and struck her Duel Disk. Vampire Lord slipped out of her discard slot.

"Of course," said Ren, as the Equip Spell shattered, "now Necro Shot is destroyed. But that works to my advantage too…"

He took his deck from the holder.

"…because now I get to send any Monster I want from my deck to the Graveyard."

He took Crescent Moon Queen from his deck and looked at her for a second. Then he placed her in the discard slot of his Disk.

_Darn…_ thought Chelsea. _If he draws Premature Burial, Call of the Haunted, or The Warrior Returning Alive, that will be trouble…_

Rasputin chuckled.

_Well…_ he thought, _looks like we have a winner…_

"One more round, Chelsea…" said Ren. "It's your move…"

"Chelsea is hurt bad," said Natalie. "Ren is powering up to finish her off, with an invincible Monster on the field. Is there anything she can do?"

Chelsea nervously made a draw.

She smiled at Ren.

"I place a second card facedown, and end my turn," she said.

A facedown card appeared, right next to the other one.

Ren paused. He drew a card.

_What is she up to?_ he thought. _Didn't she hear me when I said Litmus Doom was immune to Traps?_

_Time to end this…_

"Litmus Doom…" he said. "Attack her directly!"

Litmus Doom lifted his sabers. He glared at Chelsea.

Then he rushed at her…

"It might be over folks…" said Ben.

"Not yet it isn't!" shouted Chelsea. "Litmus Doom might be invincible against Traps, but the attack itself triggered my Trap Card…"

One of her facedown cards lifted, showing the image of several demonic creatures swept up in a raging whirlwind.

"Malevolent Catastrophe," she said, as a windstorm erupted all over the field. "Now, all Spell and Trap Cards on the field are destroyed."

The fierce wind tore through the forest, and the faces in the clouds frowned again. The Spirit Barrier card blew to pieces, and Chelsea's own facedown card lifted up and shattered.

"Since there aren't any Traps on the field any more," said Chelsea, "your Swordsman's Attack Score is now zero…

"I, on the other hand, am in better shape, because my card that was destroyed was my Zombie Bed. Now I can bring a Zombie back from my Graveyard."

The glowing, green coffin appeared on the field, and it creaked open. Vampire Lady crawled out of it. She crouched in Defense Mode. (1,550/1,550)

Ren sighed. Litmus Doom stopped in mid-charge.

"Dark Blade…" said Ren.

Dark Blade slashed with his scimitar, cutting Vampire Lady down.

"It's your move," he said.

Chelsea drew a card.

"I play Monster Reborn," she said.

She played the card, and Vampire Lady appeared again. (1,550/1,550)

"Now…" she said, "I'll sacrifice Vampire Lady… for Ryu Kokki!"

Vampire Lady vanished, and in a burst of darkness, the Bone Dragon Ogre appeared. (2,400/1,000)

"Attack his Litmus Doom Swordsman!" she shouted.

Ryu Kokki lunged forward, and clobbered the matador in the chest. He fell backwards, and Ren fell backwards from the impact.

**(R: 2,550) -------------------- (C: 600)**

"Litmus Doom may be invincible, but you aren't," said Chelsea with a smirk. "And by the way, Litmus Doom isn't as invincible as you may think…"

The Matador dropped his two swords and fell to his knees…

Then he exploded into shards.

"Huh?" said Ren. "But… He can't be destroyed in battle…"

"He wasn't," said Chelsea. "Didn't I ever tell you about Ryu Kokki's effect? He's the polar opposite of Getsu Fuhma. Any Warrior or Spellcaster he battles is automatically destroyed."

She chuckled.

"If the two ever met, neither would survive the battle.

"But it's your move."

Ren paused.

He drew a card.

_Nuts,_ he thought, adding it to his hand.

He turned the card on his Disk, and Dark Blade shifted into Defense Mode.

"That's all I can do…" he muttered.

Chelsea drew a card.

It was Zombie Werewolf.

"I summon…" she started.

She stopped short.

_No!_ she thought, returning it to her hand. _He only has 1,200 Attack Points… He can't finish Ren, but I have only 600 Life Points left… If Ren summoned something with 1,800 Attack Points or more, he'd finish me!_

"Uh, forget what you just heard…" she said. "Ryu Kokki, attack his Dark Blade. Bone basher."

Ryu Kokki slammed its fist into Dark Blade, and the Warrior shattered.

She took Zombie Werewolf, and set it on the Disk.

"I set a Monster in Defense Mode, and end my turn."

A facedown Monster appeared.

Ren drew a card.

He thought for a minute.

"I play Magical Mallet," he said, playing a card. "I'll reshuffle all three of my cards back to my deck, and draw three new ones."

Everyone tensed as he reshuffled. He made three draws.

_Speak of the devil…_ he thought, looking at one of them.

It was his second copy of Getsu Fuhma.

He slowly placed the card on his Disk, and it appeared in facedown Defense Mode.

"That's it for my turn…" he said.

He looked at the two remaining cards in his hand…

They were The Warrior Returning Alive, and Mataza the Zapper.

_It all depends on her next move…_ he thought. _If she can't summon someone who can beat Getsu's Defense on her turn, I can destroy Ryu Kokki, and then have a clear shot at her with Mataza…_

_It all depends on her next move…_

Chelsea paused. She looked at her hand.

_That facedown Monster must be his other Getsu Fuhma…_ she thought. _And the only other Monster I have is my Zombie Werewolf on the field… He can't beat her Defense, and if he'll be destroyed if he tries… And he isn't strong enough to finish Ren off if I attack her with Kokki…_

_It all depends on this draw…_

She drew a card.

A tear fell from her eye.

"I Flip-Summon Zombie Werewolf…" she said.

The facedown card flipped, and a burst of dark energy, the undead wolfman appeared. (1,200/1,200)

Ren was a little surprised, but he regained his composure.

_He's not strong enough…_ he thought. _I can still win…_

"Now…" said Chelsea, playing the card she just drew. "I summon my second Vampire Lady."

In another burst of darkness, the vampiress appeared again. (1,550/1,550)

"It's over Ren…" said Chelsea, sadly. "Vampire Lady, you first…"

Vampire Lady flew towards the facedown Monster. Getsu Fuhma appeared on the card, and in an explosion of energy, both Monsters were blown to pieces.

"Zombie Werewolf…" said Chelsea.

The Werewolf lunged at Ren, and slashed across his chest with his claw.

"And… Ryu Kokki."

Ren closed his eyes…

Ryu Kokki's mighty fist slammed into him, and he toppled over.

**(R: 0) -------------------- (C: 600)**

The crowd cheered.

Delmato lifted Chelsea's hand.

"Chelsea Ramset is the winner!" he shouted.

Rasputin smirked.

_So, Chelsea has proven her worth so far,_ he thought. _Well, she'll make a worthy opponent when I finally get to her… We'll see what develops next…_

Ren was on his knees.

He felt a hand lifting his chin up.

He looked up, and Chelsea was looking him in the eye.

Before he could say anything, she gently kissed him on the lips.

The crowd erupted in cheers again.

"You okay?" she asked, offering her hand.

Ren slowly took the hand, and she lifted him up. He nodded.

"I'll be waiting in my suite after the last duel of the day," she said in a whisper. "Don't be late…"

Sheena appeared on the floor of the arena with a microphone.

"Well, that was… interesting…" she said. "With the first two duels concluded, the combatants for the first of tomorrow's semi-finals have been decided. The first duel tomorrow will be Samantha Arachne versus Chelsea Ramset."

Chelsea looked up in surprise. She looked up at Sam, who looked back at her.

"Until then," said Sheena, "it's halftime. We'll have a one-hour intermission, for you all to stretch your legs and stuff your faces at the concession stands. I do hope some of you had the sense to save some of your trust funds, despite the fact that, unlike most stadiums, our prices are very reasonable."

The crowd laughed.

_So…_ thought Chelsea, looking at Sam. _I'm dueling her next… Heh, no problem… I'll deal with her, and then I can get to Yumi!_

Sam looked back at Chelsea, and then took a deck out of its case.

_Think you can take me, Chelsea?_ she thought. _Well, tomorrow, you'll see horrors that haven't been unleashed in years. I thought I'd save this for Yumi, but a test run wouldn't hurt… I'll try it out on you first…_

_Prepare to enter Dark World…_

Yumi looked at Sam, not liking the look on her rival's face one bit.

_Something's up,_ she thought. _Both Ren and Chelsea gave their decks major overhauls… Sam likely did the same…_

_Chelsea might be in trouble…_

_But I can't worry about that now…_

_I have to duel Nicholas next, and he'll likely want to make the same wager that Olga made with Sam…_

She took off the Crown of Souls and looked at it.

_If he does, it's a wager I'll gladly accept…_

_The duel between Ren and Chelsea has finally reached it conclusion. But from this point on, such friendly duels might not occur any more. Whether it's age-old rivalries or the new battle between the owners of the Charms, the duels yet to come will likely be war…_

**0**

**0**

**0**

**THIRST OF BLOOD (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image:** A hand reaching out of a coffin.

**Card Description:** You may activate this card when a Monster on your side of the field is destroyed. Special Summon from your deck a Zombie-Type Monster that is Level Four or less that has the word "Vampire" in its name.

_Note: "Thirst of Blood" was used by Tira Mukuu in the "Yu-Gi-Oh R" manga. Creative credit goes to the writers._

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**0**

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**COERCIVE MAGIC EYES (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** A gentlemanly vampire with two large, evil eyes behind him.

**Card Description:** Choose one face-up Zombie-Type Monster on your side of the field with an ATK of 2,000 or less. During the round you activate this card, that Monster may attack directly.

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**0**

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**CURSE OF VAMPIRE (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Zombie/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level:** 6  
**ATK:** 2,000  
**DEF:** 800

**Card Description:** When this card is destroyed as a result of battle, you may pay 500 Life Points to Special Summon it from your Graveyard during your next Standby Phase. When it is successfully summoned in this manner, increase it's ATK by 500.

_Note: "Coercive Magic Eyes" and "Curse of Vampire" are Japanese cards that have not yet been released in the United States._

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**0**

**0**

**NOSFERATU, THE LICH LORD (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Zombie/Fusion/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level:** 8  
**ATK:** 1,900  
**DEF:** 2,000

**Card Description:** _Pumpking the King of Ghosts + Castle of Dark Illusions + Soul-Absorbing Bone Tower_

A Fusion Summon of this card can only be done using the above-named Fusion Material Monsters. This card cannot be destroyed as a result of battle (damage calculation still applies). When this card destroys a Monster as a result of battle and sends it to the Graveyard, Special Summon the destroyed Monster to your side of the field in Attack Position at the end of the Battle Phase. The Special Summoned Monster's Type becomes Zombie, and its effect is negated. If this card is destroyed, destroy all Monsters Special Summoned by this effect.

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**0**

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**LITMUS DOOM RITUAL (Spell Card)**

**Ritual Spell**

**Image:** An ominous temple with spires, arches, and a blazing cauldron, surrounded by cultists holding torches. A bolt of lightning strikes the cauldron.

**Card Description:** This card is used to Ritual Summon "Litmus Doom Swordsman". You must also offer as Tribute from the field or your hand Monsters whose total Levels equal eight or more.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**LITMUS DOOM SWORDSMAN (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Warrior/Ritual/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level:** 8  
**ATK:** 0  
**DEF:** 0

**Card Description:** This card is Ritual Summoned via the effect of "Litmus Doom Ritual". You must also offer as Tribute from the field or your hand Monsters whose total Levels equal eight or more. This card cannot be destroyed as a result of battle (damage calculation still applies). This card is unaffected by Trap Cards. If at least one Trap Card is active on the field, the base ATK of this card becomes 3,000.

_Note: "Litmus Doom Ritual" and "Litmus Doom Swordsman" were first used by Bastion in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "The Duel Off (Part Two)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**NECRO SHOT (Spell Card)**

**Equip Spell**

**Image:** A dark, glowing, skeletal, flying creature.

**Card Description:** This card may be Equipped to a DARK Warrior-Type Monster. You may select one Monster in your opponent's Graveyard and remove it from play. This effect may be used multiple times, but after it is used three times, destroy this card. When this card is sent to the Graveyard, select one Monster from your deck and discard it to the Graveyard.

_Note: "Necro Shot" was first used by Jaden in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "A Snake in the Grass (Part Three)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**MALEVOLENT CATASTROPHE**** (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image:** A group of fiendish creatures swept up in a hurricane.

**Card Description:** You may activate this card when your opponent declares an attack. Destroy all Spell and Trap Cards on the field.

_Note: "Malevolent Catastrophe" has been available in Japan for some time. It will be released in English in the upcoming "Rise of the Dragon Lords" structure deck._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**Chelsea: Yumi, Nicholas is gunning for you next, and he means business! I'm getting some bad vibes.**

**Yumi: I feel it too… A strange, mystical energy coming from his deck… Clearly, I'm not facing any Ojamas…**

**What can I expect? I have no idea…**

**Nicholas: I assure you, Yumi, my true deck will take you completely by surprise, just as it does everyone who falls to it. **

**Coming up next, "Olympian Glades of Arborea; Yumi versus Nicholas". **

**The power of my ultimate Monster is one that will bring down the house…**


	44. Olympian Glades of Arborea

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**CHAPTER FORTY-THREE**

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**Olympian Glades of Arborea**

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**Yumi versus Nicholas**

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Yumi sighed…

She sipped water from a bottle.

She frowned as she looked at it. Who were the evil geniuses behind bottled water, anyway? There was a time when, when a person wanted water, he filled a glass at the tap, and he was satisfied. But one day, someone decided to put water in bottles, and make it more expensive than beer. People fell for this ridiculous concept, and started to believe that tap water was unclean and unfit for human consumption.

She sighed again.

She was trying to block out the more serious issue at hand. In twenty minutes, she'd be dueling Nicholas.

Every time she had glanced at him since the duel between Ren and Chelsea had ended, he had been looking at her with a slight smile. It seemed his crush on her had yet to go away…

He was working for the enemy, and yet he had a crush on her. The worst part was, he was kind of handsome… Such perfect hair, and those dimples…

It was the "Bat and the Cat Syndrome", with the genders reversed.

Yumi took out her deck, and looked through it. It had gone through a great deal of changes since her last duel, as likely did most of the decks being used here. And she really didn't know what to expect from Nicholas. Olga's new deck had no Cyber Angels. She could safely assume that Nicholas did not plan to use Ojamas.

She shuffled and cut, and tossed the water bottle in the trash.

She figured she'd best be prepared for anything.

Rasputin nudged Nicholas.

"Listen closely, Nicholas," he said. "With Olga's attempt a failure, and the traitor still a viable threat, a lot depends on you. This next duel is going to take the perfect combination of skill, strategy, and timing. Are you absolutely sure you can handle it?"

"Nope," replied Nicholas.

Rasputin slapped his forehead with his hand.

"Nicholas…" he muttered. "You realize that with your strategy against hers, there is a risk… She uses a certain Monster…"

"Don't worry!" interrupted Nicholas. "I'm well-prepared for… that guy."

"Just get out there and win me that Crown!" cursed Rasputin.

Nicholas sighed.

He looked closely at the small bottle of domination pheromone that he had convinced Rasputin to give him…

This was the first time he had actually asked him for it. He felt a little dirty having to use it, but he wanted Yumi more than anything now…

He would have liked it better if Yumi submitted to him willingly, but he didn't put too much faith in that happening…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The ground burst open, and Elemental Heroes Avian, Burstinatrix, Clayman, and Sparkman flew out of the ground and soared into the sky, leaving trails of colored smoke in their wake. They flew in a pattern, before hovering over the arena, and then exploding into a multicolored fireworks display.

"Welcome back, dudes and dudettes," said Ben. "The halfway point of the first round of the finals of Duelatopia XX is past, and we're about set to send off what might be the most explosive match so far."

"That's right," said Natalie. "One of our next duelists has a lot of history behind her…

"Yugi Mouto the first was the original King of Games. His achievements include winning the original Duelist Kingdom and the original Battle City."

"His son was no slouch either," continued Ben, "winning Anastasia Pegasus's Duelist Labyrinth, and well, the first Duelatopia."

"Today we see if his granddaughter can continue the tradition," said Natalie. "It's been a long and winding road since the first Mouto first put together a deck, so we'll see how far the apple has fallen from the tree."

"Introducing…" said Ben, "from Domino City… Yumi Mouto!"

In a burst of fireworks, Yumi appeared at one gate.

As she walked to the center of the arena amid cheers, her Puzzle glowed, and the change slowly overtook her.

"Ready?" she said softly.

"Ready," replied the voice in her head.

"And her opponent," said Natalie, "from London, England, Nicholas Algernon!"

In another burst of pyrotechnics, Nicholas walked out, a smile on his face, a few girls cheered, and he waved.

"Ah, look at that guy," said Chelsea, "soaking it up… Well, Yumi will pound him black and blue."

"She'd better," mumbled Sam. "No-one's gonna beat Yumi in this tournament but me…"

Sheena and Delmato appeared between the two duelists.

Sheena opened the Field Slot on her Disk again.

"Time to switch locales again, ladies and gentlemen," she said, placing a card into it. "Let's all go…"

A bright flash enveloped the arena.

"…to the Olympian Glades of Arborea!"

When the light died down, the city had been replaced by a cloudy mountain valley, and the arena had been transformed into a grassy meadow. Ancient castles were perched on peaks in the distance. Watching the two duelists were beautiful nymphs and sly satyrs.

"Okay, you two," said Delmato. "Heracles had to perform twelve labors before they let him up here, so you lucked out. But now you have to prove you have the warrior's skill. Now cut and shuffle each other's decks."

"Yumi…" said Nicholas, taking Yumi's deck, "I'm willing to make you a wager…"

"Pick your poison…" grumbled Yumi, taking his.

"Simple…" he replied. "Your Crown of Souls against my Gale Shield."

"I'm game if you are," said Yumi, shuffling. "And do you know why? Because you're gonna lose! You aren't gonna beat me like your boss did!"

_I beg to differ, Yumi,_ thought Nicholas. _Rasputin did beat you, and you were smashed to pieces in that duel like glass. And while someone was able to put you together again, it's a known fact that something that is broken and then fixed can never function as well as it did as when it was new…_

_But take heart… Once I beat you, I'll comfort you… I'll keep you warm tonight…_

They took back their decks.

"Okay everybody," said Delmato, "get to your places, and game on!"

The two Disks activated…

**(Yumi: 8,000) -------------------- (Nicholas: 8,000)**

Yumi whipped her first draw off her deck.

"Here we go!" she shouted.

She looked over her hand.

"I'll place this in Defense Mode, and that's all for now…" she said.

A facedown Monster appeared.

"What's Yumi doing?" asked Ren. "She's never defended on her first turn before."

"Maybe she has a bad hand, and it's her Morphing Jar," suggested Chelsea.

Nicholas drew a card.

"I have a question for you, Yumi," he said. "Do you believe that the universe is a place of order, or a place of chaos?"

"What?" said Yumi, looking at him.

She glared at him.

"Order, I would hope…" she said.

"So do I," said Nicholas. "And here's an interesting fact… There are three laws that define an orderly universe.

"Anyone who has a pen and paper handy, you might want to write this down.

"The first law is, in an orderly universe, things come in threes. Three is the most perfect number. See two things, always look for the third.

"The second law is, in an orderly universe, things move in circular motion. A circle is the most ideal shape, and a ring is the most ideal path.

"The third rule is, because the universe is infinite in size, no matter where you are, you are always standing at its center. Anywhere and everywhere is the center of all."

"Is this a duel or a metaphysics lesson?" shouted Yumi.

"Yumi…" said Nicholas, "when you face my deck, the two are one and the same.

"But I digress… First, I'll also place a Monster in Defense Mode."

He placed a card on his Disk, and a hidden Monster appeared.

"Next, I'll play a powerful Spell Card. It's called Card Trader."

He fit the card into his Disk, and a Continuous Spell Card appeared next to him. It bore the picture of a sinister-looking man in a top hat, cloak, and a mask, holding a deck of cards.

"I can't activate this card's effect until my next Standby Phase," he said. "But after that, I can use it on each of my Standby Phases if I desire.

"That's all for my turn, so I'll turn the reigns over to you."

"Well, it's going slow so far," said Ben. "Monsters in Defense Mode, little action… Let's hope this round they stop talking and start fighting."

Yumi drew a card.

"Your wish is my command," she said. "I Flip-Summon Blast Magician!"

Her facedown Monster flipped up, and in a burst of fire, Blast Magician appeared. (1,400/1,700)

"And since he looks lonely, I'll also summon Magician's Valkyria!"

In a burst of light, Valkyria appeared, and glared at Nicholas. (1,600/1,800)

"Valkyria, attack his Monster! Light beam blast!"

Magician's Valkyria cast her spell of burning light at the facedown card…

A weird creature appeared on the card. It was a short, stout Fiend with blue skin and one bulbous eye. It was blown to pieces.

"That was Hiro's Shadow Scout," said Nicholas with a grin. "Before you ask, no, I do not know who Hiro is. But his scout has a useful ability. Now you have to draw three cards, and show them to me."

"Big deal…" said Yumi, drawing three cards.

Magician of Faith, Magical Dimension, and Mystical Space Typhoon appeared above her head.

"I almost forgot…" continued Nicholas. "You discard any of them that are Spell Cards."

Yumi frowned.

"Terrific," muttered Ren. "Yumi just lost two of her best Spells!"

"Well, at least she got her Magician of Faith…" said Chelsea with a shrug.

Yumi discarded the two cards.

"My turn is hardly over, Nicholas…" she said. "Blast Magician… Blast him!"

Blast Magician pointed his staff, and fired a flaming burst at Nicholas. He groaned, and held his chest.

The crowd cheered…

**(Y: 8,000) -------------------- (N: 6,600)**

"Well, seems we know who the clear favorite is here!" laughed Natalie.

"I end my turn," said Yumi, with a scowl.

Nicholas drew a card.

"Now I can activate the effect of Card Trader," he said. "First, I shuffle one card in my hand into my deck."

He took Total Defense Shogun from his hand, placed it in his deck, and shuffled.

"Then I get to make one draw."

He drew a new card. Then he quickly took the one he had drawn already.

"Next, I play Pot of Greed…"

The sinister jar appeared in a flash, and he made two draws.

He looked at them, and then the Field Slot on his Disk opened.

"All right, Yumi," he said. "I play this…"

He placed a card in the slot, and then they were surrounded by a large circle of bright, shimmering light. Then an odd, prismatic design formed inside the circle.

"It's called Array of Revealing Light. When I activate it, I name one Type of Monster. That Type is not allowed to attack on the round it is summoned."

Yumi looked at him with fury. His deck was likely anti-Spellcaster.

"I name Warriors," continued Nicholas.

The crowd was silenced.

"People…" said Ben, "I have been an announcer for Duel Monsters tournaments for eight years, and at the risk of making an opinion, I have _never_ seen a move that stupid."

"What in the world?" said Sam. "If he had named Spellcasters, he could have dominated Yumi until she tore that field down! Why the heck did he choose Warriors?"

"I'm getting a funny feeling about this…" said Ren, scratching his head. "And I don't mean funny-ha-ha, I mean funny-weird."

"Nicholas, are you nuts?" asked Yumi. "My deck has one Warrior in it!"

_Maybe so…_ said Nicholas, _but that one Warrior… I don't want to deal with him…_

"I'll place a new Monster in Defense Mode, and end my turn."

A facedown Monster appeared.

Yumi made her draw.

_Hope that isn't another Scout,_ she thought, looking over her hand, _but if it is, I'll hurt him badly._

"I summon Gemini Elf," she said.

She played the card, and the two elf twins appeared. (1,900/900)

"Attack!" she shouted. "Dual magic!"

Gemini Elf fired a burst of lighting…

Then they shrieked as their spell backfired. Yumi looked at the target, and saw an ugly figure made of mud and soil, buried in the ground up to its waist. (500/2,000)

"That was my Earthbound Spirit, Yumi," said Nicholas. "And its Defense is a little too high."

"But its Attack Score is very low," said Yumi. "And since my Blast Magician has one Spell Counter on him, I can get rid of it, to destroy a Monster with 700 Attack Points or less."

Blast Magician aimed his staff, and fired a bolt of flames at Earthbound Spirit. It exploded into dust and dirt.

"I'll place one card facedown, and take a break," she said.

A facedown card appeared.

**(Y: 7,900) -------------------- (N: 6,600)**

"Folks, this has to be the most one-sided duel I've seen in years," said Ben. "I think it's safe to say we know who's gonna come out on top." 

Nicholas drew a card.

"I… don't think I'll use the effect of Card Trader this round," he said. "But I will play Card of Sanctity."

A golden glow flashed over the sky of Arborea, and coins fell from the clouds. They both started drawing.

Nicholas looked at his new hand.

He played a card, and Premature Burial appeared on his side of the field. Hiro's Shadow Scout appeared again. (650/500)

"Now…" continued Nicholas, "I'll sacrifice it, to summon The Earl of Demise."

The Scout disappeared into particles, and a tall, ghoulish figure appeared on the field. It was dressed in a tattered nobleman's outfit, and held a long rapier. (2,000/700)

"How did this guy even get to the finals?" asked Sam. "Nobody uses that third-rate Fiend any more."

"Nicholas is certainly playing a strange strategy," said Natalie. "His antiquated Monsters aren't going to cut it in the modern game."

"Old fashioned yes," said Nicholas, "but still stronger than any of your Monsters, Yumi! Earl of Demise, attack Magician's Valkyria!"

The Fiend moaned, and lunged at Valkyria with its sword…

"I activate… Rush Recklessly!" shouted Yumi.

Her facedown card lifted, and Valkyria shot up to an Attack of 2,300. She fired a blast, blowing The Earl of Demise into shards of rotting flesh and bone.

Nicholas grinned.

**(Y: 7,900) -------------------- (N: 5,500)**

"I was hoping you'd do that, Yumi…" he said. "See, in order for my true strategy to take effect, three of my Monsters had to die first…

"I move to my second Main Phase, and I remove Hiro's Shadow Scout, Earthbound Spirit, and The Earl of Demise from play…"

The sky above Arborea darkened, and ghostly spirits started to fly above the arena. The nymphs and satyrs watching huddled together in fright…

A demonic creature slowly took shape in front of Nicholas. It was vaguely feminine, with blue skin, a bald head, and pointed ears. It was dressed in a skirt, halter top and boots made of metal, and part of its torso was devoid of flesh, revealing bones underneath. It held a fiendish-looking infant in its hands. It was surrounded by an aura of black fire. (2,200/2,800)

"Dark Necrofear…" muttered Erik. "Is that a good enough Fiend, Sam?"

"Well, it certainly explains why he played the weak Fiends first," she replied. "Yumi may well be in trouble."

"How come you never use that card?" he asked.

"I'm the Consort of Ha Des, Erik!" snapped Sam. "The last thing I need in my deck is competition…"

"So, Yumi," said Nicholas. "Surprised?"

"Actually, no," replied Yumi. "I was kinda expecting this all along…"

Nicholas looked at her funny.

"I mean, come on, Nicholas… The three worthless Fiends that you practically let me destroy… You set the whole thing all out in front of me!"

"Indeed…" said Nicholas, with a sigh. "I'll place two cards facedown, and that will be my turn…"

Two facedown cards appeared behind Dark Necrofear.

"Yumi is in a tight spot," said Ben, "facing one of the most infamous Monsters in the game… How will she get out of this one?"

Yumi drew a card.

"I sacrifice Gemini Elf and Blast Magician…" she said.

The two Spellcasters disappeared into grains of light…

"To summon Dark Magician of Chaos!"

Lightning flashed, and in a burst of shadowy darkness, the powerful chaos mage emerged on Yumi's side of the field. He glared at Dark Necrofear with a grim look. (2,800/2,600)

The crowd went silent…

"Well…" said Nicholas, with a smile. "A powerful Monster… That's exactly what I was hoping for!"

"You're planning to use Dark Necrofear's effect to take control of him, right?" asked Yumi, putting her hand on her hip. "Well it won't work. Dark Necrofear has to go to the Graveyard to use its effect, and Dark Magician of Chaos removes from play any Monster that he destroys.

"Oh, by the way, in case your plan is to use the Dark Sanctuary/Destiny Board strategy, that's ruined too."

Nicholas's smile quickly turned into a scowl.

"But first," said Yumi, "due to another one of his effects, I get to take a Spell Card from my Graveyard…"

A card slipped out of her discard slot and she took it.

"Now…" commanded Yumi, "Dark Magician of Chaos…"

The sorcerer held aloft his scepter, and lightning flashed…

"…crush Dark Necrofear! Scepter strike!"

Dark Magician of Chaos twirled his staff, and struck the ground, sending a blast of magical energy ripping towards the demon. Dark Necrofear screamed as the flesh literally melted off its bones…

Finally, what was left was blasted into pixels.

"I'm not done with you!" shouted Yumi. "Valkyria, attack him directly!"

Magician's Valkyria leapt up, and cast her spell, striking Nicholas and knocking him over.

**(Y: 7,900) -------------------- (N: 3,300)**

The crowd erupted into cheers.

"Nicholas is in trouble!" exclaimed Ben. "His strategy has just been dashed apart, and he's down to less than half his Life Points, with his opponent hardly even touched. He's gonna need a miracle just to keep from humiliating himself."

"So why does he look so happy?" asked Natalie.

Nicholas slowly got up.

"Heh, heh…" he chuckled. "Thank you, Yumi… You've made my job a great deal easier…"

Yumi glared at him.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Any other move you'd like to make?" he asked.

Yumi slowly fit a card into her Disk, and it appeared facedown.

"Uh, that's all…" she said.

Nicholas made a draw.

"I don't think I'll use Card Trader this round either…" he said.

"You see, Yumi… Dark Necrofear may have been powerful, and it might even be the key card in some decks… But in mine, it's just sacrifice bait to awaken an even greater power. In order to bring out my true star, I had to meet very specific Special Summoning requirements…"

Thunder rolled…

"At least three of my Monsters had to be removed from play… All three had to be either Fiends or Fairies…

"One had to be Level Four or less, one had to be Level Five or Six, and one had to be Level Seven or higher…

"I fulfilled two of those conditions on my own by summoning Dark Necrofear, and you so graciously fulfilled the third for me.

"Do you remember what I told you when we started this duel? The three laws of an orderly universe?"

One of his two facedown cards lifted, showing a Trap Card with the image of a beautiful woman with angelic wings holding two golden orbs in her outstretched arms while a third one hovered over her head.

"I activate, Rule of Three!" he shouted.

His second facedown card lifted, and a second Trap Card appeared. This one bore the image of a male and a female figure holding hands inside a design made up of three interlocking golden rings.

"Next, I activate Unity of Rings!"

Then, he threw a card into his Disk, and a Spell Card appeared. The picture was that of DaVinci's Vitruvian Man in the midst of a cosmic scene.

"And now I play… Center of All!"

Lightning crashed over Arborea…

"Guys?" said Ren. "I'm getting that funny-not-funny-ha-ha-but-funny-weird feeling again…"

"Now," said Nicholas, "I can sacrifice my three metaphysical pillars to call forth a being who controls the very temporal flow…"

The two Trap Cards and the Spell Card turned to stone, and then shattered into bits. Three beams of light shot upwards, and thick clouds covered the arena… Lightning flashed again…

"What's happening?" shouted Sam.

"I have no idea…" said Chelsea. "But I don't think it's good news…"

"Descend great Dragon lord of all time!" shouted Nicholas. "I summon you… Chronopsis the Chronomancer!"

With a roar, a gigantic creature emerged from the clouds. It was a golden, draconic creature that seemed as much an automaton as it was Dragon. Its wings and other joints seemed to be hinged by strange gears and other devices. But it was clearly no Machine… Inside the spaces of its golden armor that you could see, there were images of moons, planets, and stars, as if a whole miniature galaxy resided within its inner workings.

It bellowed a great roar…

(3,000/3,000)

"Oh… kay…" said Yumi. "Uhm… I kinda expected the lord of all time to be a little more than just 3,000 Attack Points…"

"He also has a powerful effect, Yumi," said Nicholas. "Once per round, he destroys one Monster on the field.

"And before you embarrass yourself by triggering that facedown card, which I'm certain is Magical Dimension, let me tell you it won't work. Chronopsis is impervious to all Spells, Traps, and all Monster effects except his own."

"You mean he's unbeatable?" gasped Yumi.

"Of course not," replied Nicholas. "He's not unbeatable… You simply have to attack him with something that has at least 3,000 Attack Points.

"But I'm not going to give you that chance. Chronopsis, wipe out Dark Magician of Chaos!"

The great Dragon's eyes glowed. Dark Magician of Chaos's body started to stretch and warp, and finally, he shattered into bits.

"I still have his normal attack," said Nicholas. "Chronopsis, kill Valkyria! Temporal blast!"

Chronopsis breathed a thunderous blast of pure energy. Magician's Valkyria let out a bloodcurdling scream as she was engulfed by it…

When the light subsided, and Yumi looked, she had been turned to solid stone. Then she simply crumbled into a pile of rocks and dust.

**(Y: 6,500) -------------------- (N: 3,300)**

"I'll place one card, facedown, and end my turn."

He fit a card into his Disk, and it appeared behind the great creature.

"Your move, Yumi," said Nicholas, looking at his hand. "Your side looks kind of empty. Maybe you should play a Monster?"

Yumi drew a card.

She realized something. Suddenly, the purpose behind Nicholas's strange choice with the Field Spell had become perfectly clear…

"Fat chance, Nicholas," she said.

"Pardon?" he asked.

"All Monsters have a weakness, Nicholas," she said. "And I think I already see what your Monster's is."

"Do tell," replied Nicholas.

"You said that Chronopsis is immune to all Monster effects…" said Yumi, "except his own. Why the heck would you use his own effect on him?

"That leads me to believe that his effect isn't optional. If I just end my turn without doing anything, and have no Monster on the field, you'd have to destroy one of your own Monsters. That might even mean Chronopsis himself if you couldn't summon one."

"Does that mean you end your turn?" asked Nicholas.

"Mmm!" said Yumi.

Nicholas chuckled, and drew a card.

"You're very bright, Yumi," he said. "Most folks don't pick up on his weakness. They foolishly waste their Monsters thinking they can somehow defend against this guy…

"Oh well…

"I could summon a Monster of my own… But why waste them when I have this?"

His facedown card lifted. It showed the image of a zombie crawling out from beneath a tombstone.

"It's called Mis-Revive," he said. "And it lets me choose a Monster in your Graveyard, and summon it to your side of the field."

Yumi stepped back in shock, as Magician's Valkyria materialized on her side of the field, kneeling in Defense Mode. (1,600/1,800)

"And like you said," continued Nicholas, "Chronopsis's effect isn't optional, so she just drew the short straw."

The Dragon's eyes glowed, and the Valkyria clutched her stomach. Her body started to warp, and she screamed before shattering into shards.

"Valkyria…" muttered Yumi. "I am SO sorry…"

"Now the fun part…" said Nicholas.

"Oh no…" said Yumi.

"Chronopsis, attack Yumi directly! Temporal blast!"

Yumi tried to brace herself as the powerful blast hit her. To her horror, she felt her muscles stiffen, and her skin tightening…

Had Nicholas created some Shadow Game of his own? Could this creature's attack do to her what it had done to Valkyria the first time?

The blast let up, and she took some deep breaths. The tightness started to go away…

She didn't know if the answer to either of those two questions was yes, but she certainly didn't want to take another attack to find out.

"Next…" said Nicholas, "I play… Sebek's Blessing."

He played a one of his two cards, and in a dark aura, the huge form of the crocodile god appeared behind him, and waved a scepter. He glowed with energy.

"Now, all the Life Points you just lost, go right into mine. Like they say, Yumi… Your loss is my gain! HA, HA, HA, HA, HA!"

**(Y: 3,500) -------------------- (N: 6,300)**

Rasputin sighed and put his head on his hand.

_How many times have I told you, Nicholas?_ he thought. _Maniacal laughter makes you sound so… undignified…_

"Well, Yumi, it's your move…" said Nicholas.

"Well…" said Natalie, "looks like the apple fell pretty far from the tree after all… The end of a great dueling legacy may well end here at the hands of this powerful God of Time..."

Yumi drew a card.

She glared at Nicholas.

She opened her Field slot, and placed a card in it.

"I play… Mausoleum of the Emperor!" she shouted.

The fancy, decorated circle shattered into shards…

The sky darkened, and the Olympian Glades faded away. The temples of the sacred tomb rose behind each duelist, with the bridge between them, and the statues of the Terracotta Army lurking below.

"What?" said Nicholas.

"Now…" continued Yumi. "I pay 2,000 Life Points to bring forth two Terracotta statues…"

Two statues of soldiers in oriental armor floated up in front of her.

"And now I sacrifice them… Begone!"

The statues vanished.

In a flash of energy, the intimidating form of Dark Magician appeared, confronting the huge temporal deity. (2,500/2,100)

"It's the Mouto family's super spectacular signature Monster!" shouted Ben. "As long time fans know, when the Dark Magician shows up, he might well turn the duel around!"

"Yeah, right…" said Nicholas, with a laugh. "I hope the 2,000 Life Points was worth bringing your star out, Yumi… Next turn, this duel is over."

"Not quite," said Yumi. "Forget my facedown card?"

"I already told you," said Nicholas. "Magical Dimension won't work."

The facedown card flipped up.

"What?" shouted Nicholas. "Rush Recklessly?"

"I never said it was Magical Dimension, pal," said Yumi, as Dark Magician's Attack Score rose to 3,200. "And with no facedown cards to protect your Monster from an attack, the lord of time is about to become history.

"Dark Magician… Dark magic attack!"

Dark Magician spun his staff dramatically, and fired a blast at the great golden Dragon. It roared, and powerful magical energy flew from its metallic hull. Cracks started to appear in its beautiful armor…

Finally, a deafening explosion shook the whole arena, as Chronopsis the Chronomancer was vanquished.

**(Y: 1,500) -------------------- (N: 6,100)**

Nicholas fell to his knees…

"This isn't happening…" he gasped. "This is a nightmare… A bad dream…

"My best card… No one has ever beaten it!"

"Too bad, so sad," replied Yumi, placing a card in her Disk.

A facedown card appeared behind Dark Magician.

"Your move, by the way."

Nicholas growled as he got up. He drew a card.

He looked at his cards.

"I'll use the effect of Card Trader this round…" he muttered.

He placed one of his cards in his deck, reshuffled, and then made a draw.

_The bad news is, I lost Chronopsis,_ he thought. _The good news is, I'm still in the lead… And a good duelist always has a backup plan…_

"All right, Yumi…" he said, playing a card. "I play… Dimension Fusion!

"It may cost me 2,000 Life Points, but now, every Monster that I removed from play comes back."

Four beams of light shot up into the sky…

Four Monsters appeared on his side of the field. First, Hiro's Shadow Scout. (650/500) Then, Earthbound Spirit. (500/2,000) Next came The Earl of Demise. (2,000/700) Finally, Dark Necrofear reappeared in the same shadowy aura. (2,200/2,800)

"Now I…" he started.

Then he was startled to see Dark Magician of Chaos on Yumi's side of the field. (2,800/2,600)

"Huh?" he said. "Where did he come from?"

"You forgot," said Yumi. "I also get to bring back any of my Monsters that have been removed from play. And when you destroyed him, he was removed from play by his own effect.

"That means I get a Spell Card back again, by the way…"

A card slipped out of her discard slot.

She smirked a little as she looked at Rush Recklessly again.

"Yeah, well, neither he nor it will do you any good," replied Nicholas. "I have more than one Fiend that's Level Seven or higher in this deck…

"I sacrifice Earthbound Spirit and Hiro's Shadow Scout to summon Invader of Darkness!"

The two Fiends disintegrated into shadowy particles, and a new, intimidating Fiend appeared. It was a tall, man-shaped, muscular demon, with golden skin, clad in a dark robe and hood. (2,900/2,500)

"Okay…" said Yumi. "That's trouble…"

"More than you know," replied Nicholas. "Because he has a powerful effect. So long as he's around, you can't activate Quickplay Spell Cards."

"I can't use Quickplay Spell Cards?" shouted Yumi.

"You heard me," replied Nicholas. "That means no Rush Recklessly, no Magical Dimension, and no Mystical Space Typhoon, whichever of the three it was that you got back with that guy's effect.

"So…

"Invader of Darkness, attack Dark Magician of Chaos! Shadow blast!"

Invader of Darkness pointed, and his hand became shrouded in shadow…

A blast of pure darkness fired from his fingertips, vaporizing Dark Magician of Chaos.

"Now, I'll, uhm…" he said.

He paused. He looked at Dark Necrofear.

"Go on…" said Yumi, with a sinister smile. "You know you want to…"

Nicholas paused again.

_Man, I had forgotten she could bring back Dark Magician of Chaos…_ he thought._ I was going to just attack Dark Magician with Invader of Darkness and then attack her with Dark Necrofear…_

_But now…_

_If I kamikaze Dark Necrofear against Dark Magician, I could use its effect to take control of Dark Magician…_

_But her facedown card… What if it's something she could use to negate that effect? Any number of anti-Spell cards could do it…_

He paused again.

"By all means, take your time…" said Yumi. "I'll just wait…"

_Man, she has a poker face!_ thought Nicholas. _Fine… I'll just take care of her Dark Magician next turn…_

"I end my turn!" he shouted.

**(Y: 1,400) -------------------- (N: 4,100)**

Yumi drew a card.

_He's smarter than I thought…_ she thought.

"Now…" she said, "time to take this duel to the next level!"

She played a card, and Polymerization appeared in front of her.

"Huh?" said Nicholas. "Polymerization?"

"I use this…" said Yumi, "to fuse together Dark Magician… With Buster Blader…"

Buster Blader appeared on the field, and the Spellcaster and the Warrior swirled into a multicolored collage of light…

"Arise…"

A much more magnificent form descended to Yumi's side of the field. It was a powerful figure in decorated, lavender armor, with glowing, golden eyes, holding a long staff tipped with a large, serrated blade. He glowed with an aura of dark energy. (2,900/2,400)

_Dark Paladin?_ thought Rasputin, getting nervous. _The Dragon-slaying sorcerer?_

"See, Nicholas," said Yumi, "I figured it out. My Buster Blader was the biggest threat to your deck's most lethal weapon. If I had managed to summon him while Chronopsis was on the field, his Attack Score would have been 3,100, which was stronger than Chronopsis.

"So you played that Field Spell and named Warriors. That way, Chronopsis could have destroyed him with its effect before he ever got a chance to attack.

"It was a sound plan… But you totally forgot about this guy. Dark Paladin inherits Buster Blader's Dragon-slaying powers. And with Chronopsis in your Graveyard, that's 500 more Attack Points."

Dark Paladin grew to an Attack of 3,400.

"Even if I hadn't destroyed your Field Spell, this guy is no Warrior. So your Invader is out of luck…

"Dark Paladin, attack Invader of Darkness with dark sword of fury!"

Dark Paladin swung his weapon, and blasted a blade of dark energy at the Fiend. Invader of Darkness was literally cut in two before shattering into bits.

"I'll set a Monster in Defense Mode," said Yumi, "and end my turn."

A facedown Monster appeared next to Dark Paladin.

**(Y: 1,400) -------------------- (N: 3,600)**

Nicholas started to sweat. He didn't have a Monster in his entire deck that could beat this Spellcaster…

He drew a card.

He smirked. It was Torrential Tribute.

_I just have to set this,_ he thought, _and if she summons another Monster, I can…_

_Wait…_

_She can use Quickplays again… And she didn't set a card just then! If she had Rush Recklessly or Magical Dimension, she likely would have…_

_What if the card she got back from Dark Magician of Chaos's effect that time was… Mystical Space Typhoon?_

He looked at Dark Necrofear again.

_Only one chance…_ he thought. _I'll force her to use it to get back her Dark Paladin._

"I'll move The Earl of Demise to Defense Mode…" he said. "Then I play a facedown."

The ghoulish Earl knelt and held its rapier in its lap. A facedown card appeared behind it.

"Now… Dark Necrofear…" he commanded. "Attack the Dark Paladin!"

Dark Necrofear's evil eyes opened wide…

"A Dark Necrofear kamikaze strike!" shouted Ben. "Yumi may be in trouble!"

The evil hex blasted towards Dark Paladin, but he swatted it aside with his free hand. Dark Necrofear let out an unholy scream, and exploded into a plume of black flames and smoke.

Ghostly spirits started to fly around the arena, but Dark Paladin strangely didn't look worried…

Actually, he looked downright _annoyed_.

"Get him…" said Nicholas.

One of the ghosts flew towards the Spellcaster…

And then it shattered into bits against his armor.

"What?" said Nicholas.

"Dark Paladin has another ability," said Yumi, as she discarded her copy of Double Spell. "I just have to discard one card, and he can negate any Spell Card you try to play. And Dark Necrofear counts as an Equip Spell Card when you use that effect."

Nicholas gulped.

"I end my turn," he said, quickly.

_I still have one last chance…_ he thought. _If it isn't Mystical Space Typhoon, my Torrential Tribute might make all the difference…_

**(Y: 1,400) -------------------- (N: 2,400)**

Yumi drew a card.

It was Dark Magician Girl.

_Heh,_ she thought. _You came late for the party…_

"Nicholas," she said, "you've been a worthy adversary, but it's ending now…

"I was fully prepared in case you used Dark Necrofear against Dark Magician… And now that preparation pays off."

Her facedown card lifted, revealing Dust Tornado.

It tore across the field, blowing his Torrential Tribute to pieces.

"Nice try," she said. "Now, I sacrifice my facedown Magician of Faith, for Dark Magician Girl."

The facedown Monster vanished, and Dark Magician Girl appeared in a flurry of flowers and hearts. She smiled sweetly at Nicholas. (2,000/1,700) –) (2,300/1,700)

"Dark Magician Girl, wipe out his last Monster!"

The Spellcaster cast her dark spell, and The Earl of Demise was blown to bits again.

"Dark Paladin, attack him directly and finish this!"

Nicholas screamed as the blade of dark energy ripped through him, seemingly cutting right through him. He fell to his knees.

**(Y: 1,400) -------------------- (N: 0)**

"And that's a wrap," said Natalie.

Delmato walked up to Yumi, and held her hand in the air.

"Yumi Mouto is the winner!" he shouted.

The crowd cheered.

Yumi looked on her wrist, and saw the Gale Shield on it.

"Thanks, Nicholas, that was fun," she said.

Nicholas glared at her.

Then he held his stomach.

"Ooh…" he muttered to himself. "All of a sudden, I don't feel too good…"

Sheena walked to the center of the arena, as Nicholas ran off the field.

"Well, guys and gals," she said, "we have one more duel for the day. Be sure to be here in thirty minutes, as Erik takes on Rasputin, in the last match of the quarter finals!"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Five minutes later…

Rasputin and Olga were standing outside a men's room. They clearly heard Nicholas inside, seemingly puking his guts out.

"Is he gonna be all right?" asked Olga.

"He has no-one to blame but himself," growled Rasputin. "He insisted on using the domination pheromone, and since he was unable to transmit it this time, it made him sick.

"I also blame the three cheeseburgers he's had.

"But to answer your question, yeah, he'll be fine…"

He frowned and crossed his arms.

"You aren't really going to make the same wager with Erik, are you?" asked Olga.

"Of course I am!" shouted Rasputin. "Since you two lost the Cat's Cradle Comb and the Gale Shield, we only have one Charm left! We must get another…"

"But what if you lose?" asked Olga.

"Please…" replied Rasputin. "Even if that traitor spoke to Erik, he won't win… If I can't beat some duelist with a Toy Deck, I don't deserve the Rod of the Ancients…

"Erik will soon learn that this is not child's play any more…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Back at the seats, Sam was nervously eating from a box of Crackerjacks.

"You're worried about Erik, aren't you?" asked Yumi.

"Why do you care?" snapped Sam.

"Stop worrying about him, Sam," replied Yumi. "Erik has grown and matured a great deal since he first set foot on Duelatopia. He's become a true duelist…

"And I'd say his chances against Rasputin are better than you may think.

"He'll do fine."

Sam sighed.

She noticed something in the box of snacks. She picked it out.

"Oh, look…" she said nervously. "The best thing about eating Crackerjacks is finding the prize…

"Rub-on tattoos… Neat."

Meanwhile, Erik was taking some deep breaths. He looked through his deck.

_Gren Maju Da Eiza is a powerful Monster…_ he thought, _but it isn't impossible to beat…_

_In order to beat a powerful foe, all you need…_

…_is a plan…_

_The heroes have scored another victory, and another Shadow Charm is in their hands. But the last one may be the hardest to get, as it is in the hands of a duelist who has already defeated Yumi. Can Erik and his deck containing the figments of childhood dreams stand up to the raw power that nearly killed Yumi? Stay tuned…_

**0**

**0**

**0**

**RULE OF THREE (Trap Card)**

**Continuous Trap**

**Image:** A beautiful woman with angelic wings holding two golden orbs in her outstretched arms while a third one hovers over her head.

**Card Description:** You may activate this card if at least one of your Fiend or Fairy-Type Monsters that is Level Four or less has been removed from play. You must have one Fiend or Fairy-Type Monster that is Level Four or less removed from play for each time you activate a card with this name.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**UNITY OF RINGS (Trap Card)**

**Continuous Trap**

**Image:** A male and a female figure holding hands inside a design made up of three interlocking golden rings.

**Card Description:** You may activate this card if at least one of your Fiend or Fairy-Type Monsters that is Level Five or Level Six has been removed from play. You must have one Fiend or Fairy-Type Monster that is Level Five or Level Six removed from play for each time you activate a card with this name.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**CENTER OF ALL (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** DaVinci's Vitruvian Man in the midst of a cosmic scene.

**Card Description:** You may activate this card if at least one of your Fiend or Fairy-Type Monsters that is Level Seven or higher has been removed from play. Send one face-up "Rule of Three" and one face-up "Unity of Rings" on your side of the field to the Graveyard to Special Summon one "Chronopsis the Chronomancer" from your hand or deck. You must have one Fiend or Fairy-Type Monster that is Level Seven or higher removed from play for each time you activate a card with this name.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**CHRONOPSIS THE CHRONOMANCER (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Dragon/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level:** 10  
**ATK:** 3,000  
**DEF:** 3,000

**Card Description:** This card cannot be Normal Summoned or set. This card can only be Special Summoned via the effect of "Center of All". Once per round, during your Main Phase, destroy one Monster on the field (this effect is not optional). This card is not affected by Spell Cards, Trap Cards, and Monster effects except its own effect.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**MIS-REVIVE (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image:** A zombie crawling out of the ground from under a tombstone.

**Card Description:** Select one Monster in your opponent's Graveyard. Special Summon the selected Monster to your opponent's side of the field in face-up Defense Position.

_Note: "Mis-Revive" is a real card that will be released in "Gladiator's Assault"._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**Ren: What's going on? Rasputin didn't use those cards before…**

**Chelsea: It's a completely new strategy… Erik has gone in totally unprepared!**

**Yumi: Yes, but he doesn't seem to be worried… I think Erik may have a plan…**

**Erik: I have a plan, but I'm keeping it secret until it's time to bring it out… My Monsters may look immature, but I can use them in a smart way.**

**Sam: Coming up next, "The Tarterian Depths of Carceri; Erik versus Rasputin."**

**Rasputin: Hah! The deck that Yumi saw was only a sample of my true power… The playthings of children can't defeat me...**


	45. The Tarterian Depths of Carceri

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR**

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**The Tarterian Depths of Carceri**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Erik versus Rasputin**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

Twenty minutes into the intermission, Erik was still going over his cards.

He remembered Yugi's Yami no Oujou with Rasputin… And he remembered the ending…

He remembered quite clearly how Rasputin – the man he'd be dueling in ten minutes – mercilessly attacked Yumi with a fiery blast from a Monster that had 8,000 Attack Points, more than an Egyptian God Card usually had.

…and he remembered how loudly she had screamed…

How she had screamed…

Sweat beaded down his face. The hideous visage of Gren Maju Da Eiza was in the front of his mind…

He had a plan for defeating it… He had a couple, in fact… But they all required perfect timing and a great deal of luck…

He slowly took something out of a duffle bag next to him…

A small cloth bag. The bag of chocolate truffles that Janustein had given him.

He opened it, and counted the small candies. Ten.

He thought for a minute…

"_Zey are ze food of knowledge tempered vith wisdom. Eat one before you are challenged by something difficult, und you may vell be victorious."_

"Well, I suppose it couldn't hurt…" he muttered.

He took one from the bag and put it in his mouth, and chewed.

_Delicious!_ Clearly this wasn't run-o-the-mill candy that you could get at the drug store.

It was tempting to eat the whole bag, but he knew better. He put the rest of the bag back in the duffle.

"Erik!" said Sam's voice.

Erik looked at her.

"You don't have to do this…" she said, with a sad look.

"You're right, I don't have to…" he replied. "I'm doing it because I choose to.

"Don't worry, baby… I promise you, I will come back…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In the center of the arena, that had been turned into an Umi Field, two Cure Mermaids and two Mermaid Knights were performing a synchronized swimming routine to the tune of _Blue Danube._

Eventually, they all bowed, and they dove underwater. The Field vanished, taking them with it.

"Welcome back," said Ben. "It's time, time for the last duel of the day. I don't know if anything can top the last one, but we're sure gonna try."

"That's right," said Natalie. "One of our contestants proves that you can never get too old for the joys of childhood, while the other proves that dueling is a pastime that spans all ages."

_That's the truth…_ thought Yumi. _I don't think they'd even have a tournament age group for Rasputin if he ever came clean about how old he was._

"So, without further ado," said Ben, "let's get started. Coming to us from that quaint city in Japan known as Domino, lets all welcome Erik Matell!"

Fireworks burst from one end of the arena, and Erik walked out.

_Don't let him intimidate, you, Erik…_ he thought. _Just take it one step at a time…_

"And, coming to us from the other side of the world," said Natalie. "Copenhagen, Denmark, to be precise, Rasputin Lamont!"

Sparks flew at the other entrance, and everyone watched as Rasputin walked in. He was clearly not in a good mood when he entered.

He perked up a little as he walked towards Erik. His expression was quite clear: it was like the kind that a hungry wolf would give towards a lamb.

Sheena stood between them, as she had before.

"Okay, people," she said. "Now lets…"

Rasputin took the Rod of the Ancients from his belt and pointed it at Erik.

_Oh no…_ thought Yumi. _Has he found out something that thing can do?_

Erik glared at Rasputin for a minute.

"Am I supposed to be impressed?" he asked.

"It's nice, isn't it, Mr. Matell?" said Rasputin. "One of the most powerful of the Charms… Yumi tried to win this, but she failed miserably…

"Maybe you'd like to try… I'll give you that chance if you like…"

Erik glared at him.

"Go on…" he said.

"Your Talisman of the Mind against my Rod of the Ancients," said Rasputin. "It's that simple…"

"Fine…" replied Erik.

Rasputin grinned.

That small affirmative was all that was needed. He tucked the Rod in the back of his belt.

"People…" muttered Sheena. "If we can get these idiotic wagers out of the way…"

She placed a card into her Disk.

"It's time for another journey, yes? I give you… The Tarterian Depths of Carceri!"

Darkness emitted from her Disk, creeping over the whole field…

When the light came back, the city had been transformed to a bleak, rocky wasteland. Stone spires and monolithic peaks rose in the distance, towards the sky, which was dark and full of floating, broken stones. The place echoed despair.

"Carceri…" said Rasputin with a chuckle. "The Prison Plane. Fitting for what I'm going to do to you, Erik…"

"Hold on there, bub!" said Delmato. "We're gonna play by my rules, here… Now cut and shuffle each other's decks, and I'm gonna be watching closely."

The two duelists handed each other their decks.

"That's it, Erik, shuffle," said Rasputin with a laugh. "And pray that a certain Fire Attribute Monster lands on the bottom."

"He's not even _trying_ to hide his strategy!" shouted Sam. "He's going to use the same monstrosity that almost killed you, Yumi!"

Yumi was biting her nails.

She was just as worried, actually.

"Keep one thing in mind, people," she said. "Gren Maju Da Eiza does have a weakness. Rasputin told him to pray it falls on the bottom of his deck. That was a lie. What Erik should really hope for, is if Rasputin gets it in his opening hand."

Everyone gave Yumi odd looks.

"Wait… I get it…" said Ren. "Gren Maju Da Eiza's power depends on how many of Rasputin's cards have been removed from play. If it's in his opening hand, it'll be worthless, because he won't have any removed."

Meanwhile, Erik was still shuffling.

"Okay, son," snapped Delmato, "that deck isn't going to get any more thoroughly shuffled."

"I'm as game as you are, Rasputin…" growled Erik, as the two of them took their decks back.

Erik looked at his foe as they faced each other. A stale wind blew over the wasteland.

_I can do it…_ he thought, clutching his fist. _Sam took the Cat's Cradle Comb away from Olga… Yumi took the Gale Shield away from Nicholas… The Rod of the Ancients is the only Charm that Rasputin has left!_

_If I win this duel, Rasputin will be finished! Through! Caput! We'll have all the Charms! I'll be the hero…_

_You're going down, buddy…_

The two Disks activated.

"Game on!" they both shouted.

**(Erik: 8,000) -------------------- (Rasputin: 8,000)**

Spooky mist rose from the pits in the ground, and assumed demonic features. They screamed and flew into the air.

"AND, it begins!" shouted Ben, as Erik drew his first card. "The last match of the quarter finals of Duelatopia XX!"

"Okay, Rasputin…" said Erik. "I'll place three of my cards facedown…"

Three cards appeared in front of him, in flashes of light.

"…and I think I'll end my turn with that."

Rasputin raised an eyebrow.

"Erik has certainly made a strange opening move," said Natalie. "Ending his turn with no Monsters on the field, just three facedown cards. One of them had best be something that can repel an attack, or Rasputin will take an early lead."

"That's the truth," said Rasputin, drawing a card. "I'm assuming one of three things, Mr. Matell… One, your opening hand has no Monsters at all. Two, you only have high-level Monsters. Three, you're simply being foolish.

"Since most of your Monsters are low-level, and you're at least smart enough to have actually gotten to the finals, I'm going with option one.

"But you're still foolish enough to think it would actually work. I play Heavy Storm."

As he played the card, the stale wind turned into a fierce hurricane, and the three facedown cards were swept up and blown to pieces as Erik shielded himself.

"The horror!" screamed Natalie. "A lucky opening hand by Rasputin and a very unlucky one by Erik has left Erik completely defenseless!"

_Erik…_ thought Sam, holding her hands to her mouth.

"Soon to be more so than he could dream…" said Rasputin, playing a Spell Card. "I pay 1,000 Life Points to activate Decision of Discord."

His Life Points went down, and a very fancy Spell Card appeared on the field, showing the image of a man in armor confronting three goddesses, holding a golden apple.

"What does that do?" asked Erik.

"It's similar to Painful Choice," replied Rasputin, taking his deck from its holder. "But, Painful Choice is a very broken card that has been illegal for years. This version is more restrictive.

"As you just saw, it first has a Life Point cost.

"Then, like its more infamous forbearer, I choose five cards from my deck. However, if I choose Monsters, I have to have a great deal of variety. Only two can be the same Type, and only two can be the same Attribute. In addition, they must all be Effect Monsters.

"Anyway, once I show them to you, it's the same as the old card… You choose one, and that one goes to my hand. I throw the rest away.

"So anyway… Take a look…"

He fit five cards into his Disk, and five images appeared in front of him.

The cards were: Rainbow Flower, Ooguchi, Princess of Tsurugi, Blast Juggler, and Deepsea Warrior.

"What the…" said Erik. "You're asking me to choose one of a set of utterly useless Monsters?"

"Useless?" replied Rasputin. "No more useless than your Monsters."

Erik growled…

He paused.

"Why is it taking him so long?" asked Chelsea.

"Because Rasputin isn't fooling anyone, least of all Erik," said Ren. "He doesn't want any of those Monsters in his hand. He played that Spell Card for the same reason people played Painful Choice… He wants them all in his Graveyard.

"Just why, however, I have no idea…"

"Come on, Erik…" said Rasputin with an evil smile. "You might think it makes no difference, but trust me, it does…

"So don't make the same mistake that Paris made!"

"All right!" shouted Erik. "I choose… The one you likely can't summon on your first turn… Deepsea Warrior."

Rainbow Flower, Ooguchi, Princess of Tsurugi, and Blast Juggler shattered into shards. Then Deepsea Warrior vanished as Rasputin added it to his hand.

"Thanks…" he said. "I was rather hoping you'd choose that one…"

"Huh?" said Erik.

"Continuing my turn…" replied Rasputin, "I now play the Spell Card, Soul Absorption."

A Spell Card appeared on his side of the field.

"Oh, no!" shouted Ren.

"Rasputin uses a Chaos Deck…" gasped Yugi. "Now his Life Points will go up each time a card is removed from play!"

"Now let's start the fun!" laughed Rasputin. "I remove Princess of Tsurugi from play, to summon Garuda the Wind Spirit!"

A tornado erupted on his side of the field, and a tall bird-man with large, feathered wings, and a sash around its waist, appeared out of it. (1,600/1,200)

"Next…" he said. "I remove Ooguchi from play to summon The Aqua Spirit!"

A column of water shot up on his side of the field, and a young maiden with blue skin, wearing a fancy dress and velvet gloves stepped out of it. Her ears resembled fins, and she had gills. (1,600/1,200)

"And since I just removed two cards from play, my Life Points get a boost, bringing them right back to where they were before."

The Soul Absorption card glowed.

"Rasputin has changed strategies…" muttered Yumi. "He's not using Fire Monsters and Skull Lair anymore… He's using Elemental Spirits."

"Ready for more fun, Mr. Matell?" asked Rasputin. "Aqua Spirit, attack him directly with drowning rush!"

The Spirit grinned evilly, and put its hands together. A blast of water shot at Erik, striking him squarely in the chest, and chilling him to the bone.

"Garuda, attack directly with foul wind."

The Wind Spirit flapped its wings, sending a gust that fit the name of the attack perfectly. Erik staggered as the buffeting wind struck him, seemingly flaying his skin…

**(E: 4,800) -------------------- (R: 8,000)**

"So," said Rasputin, crossing his arms. "How did you really beat Samen? Did he have a heart attack, or was he struck by lightning?

"Well, that's enough for now. I end my turn…"

"Not yet you won't…" said Erik with a grin.

A cloud of purple, sparkling smoke rose up on his side of the field…

"What the?" said Rasputin. "What's going on?"

As the smoke cleared, Rasputin stepped back in shock, as _three_ Toy Magicians stepped forward. (1,600/1,500 x3)

"WHAT?" he shouted. "Where did THEY come from?"

"They were the three facedown cards you destroyed with Heavy Storm," said Erik.

"You can't put Monsters in your Spell/Trap Zone!" shouted Rasputin. "I want a ruling here…"

"You can do that with Toy Magicians," said Erik. "And you did exactly what I wanted you to do, fool! When Toy Magicians are destroyed when they're in my Spell Zone by my opponent's card effect, they're automatically summoned to the field during the next End Phase."

"He's right," said Delmato, nodding.

The crowd burst into cheers.

"And since that WAS your End Phase," said Erik. "It's my move now…"

He drew a card.

"I activate The Aqua Spirit's effect!" shouted Rasputin.

The Aqua Spirit blasted a stream of water, striking the Toy Magician on the left. He stumbled back, and knelt in Defense Mode.

"Right…" said Erik. "And when I end my turn, Garuda can do that to another one of my Monsters. Sorry, but it's not going to survive that long."

"Oh, sure…" said Rasputin. "Attack my Monsters with yours. They'll all die."

"No they won't…" said Eric with a grin.

He opened his Field Slot and placed a card in it.

The bleak wasteland was enveloped in a flash of light…

Within seconds, the whole landscape had changed. They were standing on the streets of a fairy-tale town, with gingerbread houses, and a castle on a hill in the background. A huge rainbow was in the sky.

"Welcome to Toy Town," said Erik.

"What?" shouted Rasputin. "You expect to win with rainbows and sugar plums?"

"I do," replied Erik. "Let me explain the three benefits that all Monsters with the word 'Toy' in their names receive from this Field Spell.

"One, they all gain 300 Attack Points."

The three Toy Magicians glowed, and rose to Attack Scores of 1,900.

"Two, they become immune to any targeting Trap Cards.

"Three, if one should be destroyed outside of battle, I get to pull another one from my deck that has less base Attack Points.

"But for now…"

He played another Spell Card.

"I'll make one of my Magicians even stronger. I play the Equip Spell, Chthonian Alliance. Now, for each Monster on the field with the same name, he gains 800 more Attack Points. And since I have two other Toy Magicians on the field, his Attack Points go up by… well, a lot."

One of the Toy Magicians in Attack Mode glowed with a dark aura, and his Attack Score shot up to 3,500.

"Toy Magicians… Destroy his two Spirits!"

The two Toy Magicians in Attack Mode cast their sparkle blasts. The Aqua Spirit burst into a splatter of water, and Garuda the Wind Spirit exploded into a flurry of feathers.

"Surprised?" asked Erik.

Rasputin glared at him.

"I think I can read you pretty well…" said Erik. "You have no idea how powerful toys can be. When you were a kid, you likely lived in a pretty disciplined environment… Your parents and whatever servants they had raising you likely made you concentrate on your lessons, and gave you almost no toys to play with. They likely thought them to be frivolous.

"What a shame…

"Anyway, that's my turn. So now what?"

**(E: 4,800) -------------------- (R: 5,800)**

"It seems Erik has played Rasputin like a toy piano!" exclaimed Ben. "What his opponent thought was an advantage was actually him falling right into Erik's hands."

"And he doesn't look too happy about it…" said Natalie.

Rasputin growled, and drew a card.

"You got lucky, that's all," said Rasputin. "I play Pot of Greed."

He played the card, and drew twice.

He chuckled as he looked at them.

"I remove Blast Juggler from play, to summon Spirit of Flames in Attack Mode!"

In a burst of fire, the flaming, muscular demon with only fire for its lower body appeared. (1,700/1,000)

"Then…" he continued, "I remove Rainbow Flower from play as well, to summon The Rock Spirit!"

The ground rumbled, and a hulking creature burst out of the ground. It looked like a muscular man made completely out of stone, wearing Spartan armor and a helmet, holding a ruby-tipped mace. (1,700/1,000)

"And of course, due to my Soul Absorption…"

He glowed with energy again, as his Life Points went up.

"But before they do anything, I'll disarm you Magician… I play Mystical Space Typhoon."

He played the card, and the cyclone blasted the Equip Spell to pieces. The Toy Magician fell back to an Attack Score of 1,900.

"By the way," continued Rasputin, "the Attack Score of my Spirit of Flames goes up by 300 during my Battle Phase.

"So, Spirit of Flames, attack one of the Toy Magicians in Attack Mode! Flame geyser!"

Spirit of Flames burned fiercely, and its Attack Score rose to 2,000. It breathed out a tongue of fire at the Magician in the center. He groaned, and shattered into pieces.

"Rock Spirit, attack the one in Defense Mode with Might of the Earth."

The Rock Spirit lifted its mace into the air, and roared in a voice that sounded like an avalanche. Stones ripped out of the ground, and it ordered them forward. They flew at the defending Toy Magician, crushing him.

**(E: 4,700) -------------------- (R: 6,800)**

"That's enough for my turn," said Rasputin. "By the way, just so you know… The Rock Spirit gains 300 Attack Points during _your_ Battle Phase. So your Toy Magician is too weak to take him out."

"How many cards has he removed from play so far?" asked Sam, nervously.

"Four, I think," replied Yumi. "He's taking his time in this duel…"

Erik drew a card.

"All right…" he said, "I play MY Pot of Greed…"

He played the card, and drew twice.

His eyes opened when he saw one of the two cards.

_It's the card that Janustein gave me…_ he thought.

He looked at the two cards that had already been in his hand.

_And I've got just what I need to bring him out!_

"Okay, Rasputin," he said, playing a Spell Card. "I play Dark Designator."

"Huh?" said Rasputin. "Dark Designator?"

"In case you're unfamiliar with it," said Erik, "I state the name of any Monster I can think of, and if that Monster exists in your deck, you add it to your hand."

Rasputin started to sweat.

_He's going to combo that card with D.D. Designator!_ he thought. _I could lose Gren Maju Da Eiza…_

"Now let's see…" thought Erik. "Since you're playing an Elemental Spirit Deck, the Monster I name is… Inferno."

Rasputin looked at him strangely. Then he took his deck.

"I do have an Inferno," he said, taking it out of his deck. "And you're a fool for using that strategy on a Monster so trivial..."

"Not really," said Erik with a grin, as his opponent added the card to his hand. "I don't think you understand what my strategy is. See, since you just added a card to your hand via a means other than drawing, I'm now allowed to Special Summon Puppet King from my hand."

"Puppet King?" said Rasputin in disbelief. "What the sam-hill is… YAAH!"

The Monster that was now in front of Erik was fully eight feet tall. It was indeed a puppet, made of wood, but it radiated an aura of incredible strength. It was colored with a black and white checkerboard design, and wore a royal, red cape and a golden crown on its disproportionately small head. (2,800/2,600)

"Something tells me," said Natalie, "that while this Puppet King is a toy, he isn't interested in playing around."

"With an Attack Score this high," said Erik, "who _cares_ if your Rock Spirit gains 300 more Attack Points?

"Toy Magician… Attack Spirit of Flames with sparkle blast!"

Toy Magician cast his spell, and Spirit of Flames burst in a plume of fire and smoke.

"Puppet King, attack The Rock Spirit with Judy punch!"

With amazing speed for someone so big, Puppet King ran towards The Rock Spirit and clocked it in the chest, blowing it into dust.

**(E: 4,700) -------------------- (R: 5,500)**

"I'm still winning…" growled Rasputin.

"Not for long," said Erik, taking another card. "Here's a good rule of etiquette: Never play with your food, unless you've already eaten your toys."

"What the Hell is THAT supposed to mean?" shouted Rasputin.

"It means," said Erik, "that since Puppet King was summoned by his own effect, he'd be destroyed when I ended my turn. However, before that happens, I'm going to sacrifice him, by playing Mystik Wok."

He played the card, and Puppet King disintegrated into granules of light. Erik glowed with energy.

"Now I gain Life Points equal to his Attack Score. I'll end my turn on that note…"

**(E: 7,500) -------------------- (R: 5,500)**

"This is crazy!" shouted Ren. "Could Erik actually win?"

"Let's keep hoping…" said Chelsea.

At her seat, Sheena was watching intently.

An aide came up to her.

"Ms. Arachne," he said, handing her a cell phone. "The home office is on line two, and they wanted to speak to you. They said it's a very urgent matter."

Sheena looked at him.

"Calling in the middle of the finals?" she said, taking it. "It had _better_ be urgent or heads are gonna roll…"

She turned it on.

"What?" she asked.

As she listened, her brow furrowed with anger…

Meanwhile, Rasputin angrily drew a card.

_There's no way I'm letting this rank amateur make a fool of me…_ he thought.

"Since you were so kind as to let me have Inferno," he said, "I'll remove Sprit of Flames from play to summon it. Defense Mode."

The Soul Absorption card glowed again, and then the blazing bonfire with glowing eyes appeared on his side of the field. (1,100/1,900)

"Try getting past _that_," he said. "I end my turn."

**(E: 7,500) -------------------- (R: 6,000)**

Erik drew a card.

He placed it on his Disk, and Toy Soldier appeared, pointing his musket forward. (800/300) –) (1,100/300)

He smirked and waved his hand.

Rasputin looked at him and drew a card. He looked at it.

He grunted and simply waved his hand.

"You could at least try to smile," said Erik, drawing a card. "We are on global TV, you know…"

"I use Toy Soldier's effect, so now two more of them come out."

In two flashes of light, two more Toy Soldiers appeared.

"That's all for me…"

"A lull in the action here," said Ben. "We'll just have to see what happens next…"

Rasputin drew a card.

He grinned when he saw what it was.

"I play… Graceful Charity!" he shouted.

He played the card, and his deck glowed. He quickly drew three cards.

_And I know just what to discard…_ he thought, looking at the cards that were now in his hand.

He discarded Deepsea Warrior and an odd-looking Spell Card.

"Time to take control of this duel, Mr. Matell," he said. "I remove The Rock Spirit from play, to summon Gigantes."

In a burst of dust and dirt, the armored, horned ogre holding a tree trunk as a weapon rose out of the ground. (1,900/1,300)

The Soul Absorption card glowed again.

"And finally…" he said, "I remove The Aqua Spirit AND Deepsea Warrior from play, in order to summon Fenrir!"

A howl echoed over the field, and a mist formed on the arena. A spooky-looking wolf, seemingly made out of the mist itself, stepped out of the fog. (1,400/1,200)

The Spell Card burned with blue fire.

"Oh, no!" gasped Sam. "Not that one…"

"What's wrong?" asked Ren. "It only has 1,400 Attack Points."

"It has a deadly effect…" replied Sam. "If it destroys one of Erik's Monsters, he has to skip his next Draw Phase…"

"And he only has two cards in his hand right now…" gasped Chelsea.

"Fenrir, attack one of his Soldiers with vile fog!"

Fenrir breathed a blast of chilling mist from its jaws. The Toy Soldier was covered with frost, and then shattered into shards of ice.

"Gigantes, attack his second Toy Soldier. Tree trunk bash!"

Gigantes roared, and lunged at another Toy Soldier, clobbering it with its club and blowing it to bits.

"Now I play… Soul Release. I'll remove five of the cards in my own Graveyard from play."

He played the card, and five cards appeared above his head. Pot of Greed, Heavy Storm, Decision of Discord, Graceful Charity, and the odd Spell Card. They all faded into nothing.

"I end my turn," laughed Rasputin. "Those two cards in your hand better be good ones."

**(E: 6,400) -------------------- (R: 10,000)**

Erik glared at him.

"Oh, but they are," he said, playing one of them.

"I play… Toy Memorial. Now for the cost of skipping my Battle Phase, I get to draw one card for each card in my Graveyard with the word 'Toy' in it. I have two Toy Magicians and two Toy Soldiers."

Rasputin gasped as he drew four cards.

"I move Toy Soldier and Toy Magician to Defense Mode…"

Toy Soldier and Toy Magician knelt, and held their weapons in their laps.

"Next, this card may be familiar to you… I play Heavy Storm."

He played the card, and the fierce wind erupted again. Toy Town vanished, returning them to the bleak wasteland, but Soul Absorption also blew to pieces.

"So much for your ability to increase your Life Points…

"I place a card facedown, and end my turn.

A facedown card appeared in front of him.

"I draw one card…" replied Rasputin, drawing a card.

Then a card appeared in his hand in a flash of light.

"And you'd be interesting in knowing that one of the cards I removed from play with Soul Release last turn was this one…

"Card From A Different Dimension. Now, it goes to my hand, and we both draw twice."

"You don't hear me complaining…" said Erik.

They both drew two cards.

Rasputin looked at the two cards and frowned.

"Disappointed?" asked Erik.

"I move Inferno to Attack Mode…" said Rasputin.

Inferno blazed fiercely.

"Fenrir, attack his Toy Soldier!" he shouted.

Fenrir breathed the vile mist again. Toy Soldier iced over, and shattered.

"Gigantes, destroy the last Magician."

Gigantes roared again, and slammed its weapon onto the Magician, crushing him

"Inferno… Attack him directly. Pyre flame."

Inferno shot a blast of fire at Erik, and he hollered as it roasted him.

He gasped for breath.

**(E: 5,300) -------------------- (R: 10,000)**

"Rasputin may have turned around this turnaround," said Ben. "There doesn't seem like much more that Erik can do at this point…"

"Just watch me," said Erik. "Is that your move?"

"Yes," replied Rasputin. "Remember, you can't draw on this turn."

"I don't care," said Erik. "I have all I need right now…"

His facedown card lifted.

"I activate Call of the Haunted!" he shouted.

A coffin appeared on his side of the field, and it opened. A Toy Soldier walked out. (800/300)

"Now, I sacrifice him… To summon Toy Dragon!"

In a burst of light, the Toy Soldier vanished, and Toy Dragon appeared, looming over the field. (2,300/2,000)

"And now… Monster Reborn!"

He played the card, and in an explosion of energy, Puppet King reappeared on the field. (2,800/2,600)

A look appeared in Rasputin's eyes that neither Erik or his allies had seen in him before…

It was fear…

"Puppet King… Smash his Gigantes!" shouted Erik.

Puppet King lunged, and brought his fist down on the rocky ogre, blowing it into pebbles.

"Toy Dragon, attack Fenrir! Shooting star shower!"

Toy Dragon shot its blast of glowing motes from its jaws, and Fenrir exploded into globules of liquid.

**(E: 5,300) -------------------- (R: 8,800)**

Erik placed two cards in his Disk, and two facedown cards appeared on his side of the field.

"Your move, Rasputin," said Erik. "And by the way, since I didn't summon Puppet King using his own effect, he gets to stick around this time."

Rasputin grit his teeth.

_If I don't do something fast…_ he thought. _This fool will beat me…_

_If I lose, it will be all over…_

He drew a card.

_Damn!_ he thought.

"I move Inferno to Defense Mode…" he said.

A facedown card appeared, and Inferno's fires died down.

"…and that will be all."

He sweat as Erik drew a card.

"Well, what do you know?" he said. "I activate… Pot of Avarice."

He played the card, and all three Toy Magicians and two Toy Soldiers fell out of his discard slot. He shuffled them into his deck, and drew two cards.

He looked at them for a second.

"Toy Dragon…" he said, "destroy Inferno!"

Toy Dragon breathed its shooting star shower, and Inferno was blown into fiery embers.

"Puppet King… Give Rasputin a king-sized crowning! Attack him directly!"

Puppet King charged at Rasputin, and clobbered him in the stomach. Rasputin gasped and fell backwards, as the crowd stood up and applauded.

**(E: 5,300) -------------------- (R: 6,000)**

"Another impressive turnaround!" shouted Natalie. "The crowd is going nuts!"

Rasputin gasped for breath…

"How dare you…" he snarled.

"Blah, blah, blah…" said Erik. "Your move, Rasputin… And this duel is almost over…"

Rasputin drew a card.

"I play… Card Destruction!" he shouted. "Now, we must both fold our hands and draw an equal number…"

They both looked each other in the face. Both of them discarded their hands. Erik drew three cards, while Rasputin drew six.

Then Rasputin laughed. He laughed out loud.

"Time to finish you off, Mr. Matell," he said. "Finish you off but good…"

He played a Spell Card.

"I play Spell Reproduction. Now, for the cost of two other Spell Cards…"

He discarded a second copy of Decision of Discord and Nobleman of Crossout.

"I get a Spell Card back… Like my Soul Release.

"Now I'll play it again…"

He played the card, and five cards appeared above his head: Card Destruction, Inferno, Gigantes, Fenrir, and Nobleman of Crossout. They vanished into grains of light.

"Next, something more insidious…"

He revealed a Spell Card.

"I play the powerful Chaos End. Since at least seven of my cards have been removed from play, this powerful Spell destroys all Monsters on the field."

A dark aura surrounded Toy Dragon and Puppet King, and cracks started to form over them. Then they were both blasted to dust.

"Ho boy…" muttered Erik.

"And now…" said Rasputin, throwing a card on his Disk. "Gaze upon the face of death…"

A roaring fire appeared on his side of the field…

"No…" gasped Yumi.

"Erik…" cried Sam.

"Arise…" said Rasputin.

With a bestial roar, Gren Maju Da Eiza walked out of the flames…

"In case you haven't been keeping track…" said Rasputin, "seventeen of my cards have been removed from play so far, and my Chaos Fiend receives 400 Attack and Defense Points for each one. How good are you at multiplication?"

(6,800/6,800)

"I'm very good at it," replied Erik. "How good are you at _subtraction_?"

"Huh?" asked Rasputin.

One of Erik's two facedown cards lifted.

"Go!" he shouted. "Toy Cannon!"

The cannon appeared in front of him, manned by two Toy Soldiers. One of them loaded a cannonball into it, and then the other rammed it down with a pole…

"What's going on?" shouted Rasputin.

"FIRE!" shouted Erik.

The two Soldiers covered their ears, and the Toy Cannon fired, knocking over both Gren Maju Da Eiza and Rasputin. The Fiend crouched in Defense Mode.

"Now I activate my other Trap!" shouted Erik. "Gulliver Chain!"

His other Trap Card lifted. Gren Maju Da Eiza roared in rage as a mass of chains burst out of the ground, tying it up.

"Your Chaos Fiend is a sorry substitute for Gulliver," said Erik, "but this should hold him just as well."

"What have you done?" screamed Rasputin.

"Rendered your best Monster powerless," replied Erik. "If you switch it to Attack Mode now, it will be ripped to shreds, no matter how powerful it is."

The crowd cheered again.

"You will die slowly…" cursed Rasputin, "cut into a hundred pieces…"

"Sticks and stones…" said Erik. "Is that your turn?"

Rasputin growled. He placed the last card in his hand into his Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

"That's all…" he muttered.

(E: 5,300) -------------------- (R: 5,600)

"Then I draw!" said Erik.

He drew a card, and looked at his hand.

"I place two cards facedown, and that will be my turn," he said.

Two facedown cards appeared in front of him.

Rasputin tensed…

He drew a card…

He grinned an evil grin…

_I just drew Giant Trunade!_ he thought. _Once I play this, his Gulliver Chain and his other two facedown cards will be blown off the field, and…_

"Trap activate…" said Erik.

Rasputin looked up, as one of Erik's facedown cards lifted.

"Ring of Destruction," said Erik.

The crowd gasped, as the ring of grenades materialized around the abomination's neck.

"You fool!" screamed Rasputin. "We'll both wind up with zero Life Points!"

"I won't!" laughed Erik. "Let me show you a little trick that my girlfriend taught me…"

His other facedown card lifted.

"I activate Ring of Defense!"

Everyone in the V.I.P. seats got up.

"Erik is gonna win!" screamed Sam.

Rasputin's eyes narrowed.

"I made the mistake of underestimating you, Mr. Matell…" he snarled. "That's a mistake I won't repeat…

"I activate my own Trap."

His own facedown card lifted.

"Spell Shield Type-8."

The crowd gasped again. Rasputin discarded the Giant Trunade card, and the Ring of Defense shattered.

"I may not win this duel, Mr. Matell, but sure as Hell, I'm not going to let you beat me either…"

He said something else, but no-one heard it. It was drowned out as Gren Maju Da Eiza exploded in a blast of fire that covered the whole arena and seemingly consumed both duelists…

**(E: 0) -------------------- (R: 0)**

When the smoke cleared, Rasputin was down on his knees, and Erik was lying on his back, staring up at the sky and holding his head.

Delmato was very confused.

"Uh, folks…" he said. "Uhm… uh… It's a draw…"

Erik slowly got up, rubbing his joints.

Sheena walked onto the field.

"Ladies and gentlemen…" she muttered, "I can honestly say this has never happened before in the Duelatopia finals. We'll have to check the official rulebook to see who will progress to the next round.

"Anyway, I hope you all can come to the semi finals, starting tomorrow at noon! We'll have this straightened out by then.

"I… uhm, I hope…

"See you tomorrow!"

White Rain appeared on a stage behind her, and started to play again. It was a more familiar melody, but more than a few spectators weren't interested in the music. They were somewhat confused.

Yumi looked at Erik and Rasputin.

Neither of their Charms had changed hands, so apparently whoever was in charge of that didn't rule that the duel had a winner… And truthfully, it hadn't.

So whoever she'd duel in the semi finals was up to Sheena's ruling…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

It was eight PM, in the V.I.P. lounge inside the Colosseum. All eight of the finalists were there, along with Louis next to his boss, and two Centurions next to Yumi's group. Rasputin had protested their presence, and they had at first told him to be quiet, and then had told him to shut up. Rasputin was now more than a little nervous.

Sheena walked in.

"People…" she said, "I reviewed the official rules set forth by Siegfried Kaiba, twenty years ago, and I know what the ruling is now in case of a draw…"

She sighed.

"Since Rasputin had more Life Points than Erik at the time the Ring of Destruction went off… He will proceed to the semi finals."

Sam sadly bowed her head.

Rasputin grinned, and stood up.

"Thank you, Ms. Arachne," he said. "Now, Mr. Matell, if you will kindly hand over that…"

The two Centurions got up and blocked his path.

"Step away from Mr. Matell," they ordered.

"YOU step away from him!" shouted Rasputin. "She just declared me the winner, so I demand the prize he wagered!"

"Sit down, Rasputin!" shouted Sheena. "I did NOT declare you the winner!

"I said you will progress to the semi finals. The result of the duel will be recorded as a draw, which was what it was. Thus, your wager is null and void."

"This is an outrage!" shouted Rasputin. "I demand…"

"I don't recall giving you any right to make demands," interrupted Sheena.

Rasputin tried to force himself past the Centurions, only to be shoved back to his seat.

Louis rolled up his sleeve and walked towards the armored men.

Then he cowered, as one of them pointed a weapon in his face.

"Back off, Frankenstein," ordered the Centurion, "you aren't bulletproof…"

"All guests except Rasputin, leave this room immediately," ordered Sheena.

Yumi, Ren, Chelsea, Sam, and Erik quickly got up and left. Louis, Nicholas, and Olga hesitated.

"Some people apparently didn't hear me," growled Sheena. "Anyone who isn't gone in ten seconds will be arrested. I won't warn you again."

"Sorry boss," said Louis, "you're on your own…"

The three of them left, leaving only Sheena, Rasputin, and the Centurions.

Rasputin glared at her.

"When my lawyers are done with you…" he said, "you're going to regret the day you were born…"

"Actually, Rasputin," said Sheena, "when MY lawyers are done with YOUR lawyers, their law firm is likely going to be history."

"What?" said Rasputin.

"I got an interesting phone call in the middle of the duel," she said. "Someone in KaibaCorp's main headquarters in Domino bribed my head of security in order to get into my private files.

"What he didn't know is, no-one who works at KaibaCorp can truly be bribed. The rewards we offer to employees who help catch spies and saboteurs is too good to pass up. My employee let him into a room that was actually a trap. And while he was looking at dummy files, his fingerprints were being scanned and analyzed, and the call he made on his cell phone was being recorded. Once we had all the proof we needed to press charges against him for corporate espionage, we caught him.

"And someone _really_ should have told him that it's an incredibly serious crime in Japan for anyone except a police officer to even _own_ a handgun.

"His name is Julius Bjorn, and he's a lawyer for the Jarvis and Micawber Law Firm… Conveniently located in Copenhagen. By the way, that phone call we recorded? He was calling the president of the firm to say he was in. We checked around, and you're on their clientele, Rasputin."

"And that proves I was behind it?" said Rasputin, with a smirk. "I've been working out of Copenhagen for years, and it's a good firm."

"Oh?" said Sheena. "So far, the Centurions have arrested twenty members of the League of Ascension. When we gave them permission to call a lawyer, each one called a lawyer from that firm."

Rasputin turned pale…

This was his fault. He had told them to call Jarvis and Micawber if they were ever arrested; he guaranteed them that they'd find a technicality that would get them off. He never dreamed that twenty Ascenders would all be arrested in the same city…

"This Bjorn character won't talk yet, and neither will his firm," said Sheena, "but my law firm has defeated every one who has opposed them. Especially firms like yours full of sleazy lawyers like this one who just last year requested a dismissal in a case in London against a child rapist by citing an law that had been valid for two months in 1956 before it was declared both illegal and immoral under the British Constitution."

Rasputin was now very nervous. That incident was not exactly the firm's best moment… The law that had been cited really should never have been on the books in the first place. It had been passed when someone had bribed an official, saying that the Bible approved of child slavery. When the bribe and the very questionable law had been discovered, the official's superiors were not amused…

Nor was the judge when a member of the modern law firm had tried to use it as a defense. Jarvis and Micawber couldn't find anything else that might get the client off, but they soon regretted not entering a guilty plea. The judge had personally said that calling the defense attorney a snake would have been an insult to snakes everywhere…

He had to face facts… His law firm didn't really care about a client's guilt or innocence… It cared about making money. So it would use any trick it had to in order to get a case dismissed or have the judge presiding over a lawsuit rule in their favor. He didn't even like using the firm himself, but in his line of work, he needed people who didn't care about morals when dealing with the law. That was the reason why he had never been arrested…

"You still have no proof…" he said, pointing a finger.

"Not yet…" said Sheena. "Not until your law firm realizes it will lose its license to practice as a firm if it doesn't reveal who hired them to break into my files. Heck, their top members will likely face criminal charges now. We have solid proof that one of its members committed a very serious crime, and that they condoned the action. Perhaps even funded it.

"But if Mr. Matell is threatened, or approached by anyone who even _might_ be an Ascender, I will consider that all the proof I need.

"You mess with KaibaCorp, Mr. Lamont, you're playing with fire. The Big Five, Dartz, and Ziegfried von Schroder all found that out the hard way. Only one person has ever truly defeated my company… And that man was Seto Kaiba himself, when he overthrew his stepfather.

"Get out of my sight."

Rasputin got and left the room, trembling in fear.

He had done it now… He had hoped to find a scandal in order to manipulate Sheena Arachne… But his attempt to do so had horribly backfired. His most potent weapon in that regard had been caught in the act. Now they would either turn him in and plea bargain, or they would go to jail. Either way, that potent weapon was now gone.

"What do I do…" he muttered.

"_What can you do, Rasputin?"_ said a voice.

"Go away…" he scowled.

"_You can't fight anyone in a legal system anymore, Rasputin,"_ said the voice. _"You only have one Charm left, and you don't even know how to use it yet…_

"_But you can get the other Charms… You're still dueling Yumi next, and you beat her once…_

"_You must make it so her punishment for losing will be far more dire…"_

"No…" muttered Rasputin, with tears in his eyes. "She doesn't deserve it… She's just a child…

"I've got to stop… These poor children… What did they ever do to me? They never wronged me… This isn't right…"

He clutched his throat. Something was clutching him. It wasn't choking him, but it was grasping firmly.

He took some deep breaths… The grip relaxed.

He grit his teeth.

"I will… prepare the formula…" he said.

He walked to his suite.

_Erik's duel with Rasputin may have ended in a draw, but Rasputin still came out ahead. Still, he retains only one Shadow Charm, and now must revert to other methods. What sinister plot is next on his list of schemes? It doesn't look good for Yumi…_

**0**

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**PUPPET KING (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Dragon/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level:** 7  
**ATK:** 2,800  
**DEF:** 2,600

**Card Description:** If your opponent adds a card to his hand by an effect other than drawing, you may Special Summon this card from your hand. If this card is Special Summoned via its own effect, it is destroyed at the End Phase of the turn in which it is Special Summoned.

_Note: "Puppet King" is a Japanese card that has not yet been released in the United States._

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**0**

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**TOY TOWN (Spell Card)**

**Field Spell**

**Image:** A colorful toy village with a toy castle on a hill overlooking it, with a rainbow in the sky.

**Card Description:** Monsters with the word "Toy" in their names gain 300 Attack Points. Negate the effect of any Trap Card that specifically targets a Monster with the word "Toy" in its name and destroy it. If a Monster with the word "Toy" in its name is destroyed outside of battle, the owner may select one Monster from his deck with the word "Toy" in its name that has a lower base ATK than the destroyed card and add it to his hand.

**0**

**0**

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**DECISION OF DISCORD (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** A young man wearing armor, holding a golden apple, confronting three goddesses.

**Card Description:** Pay 1,000 Life Points. Choose five cards from your deck. The chosen cards cannot be Normal Monsters, cannot consist of two or more copies of the same card, and cannot include more than two Monsters of the same Type, and more than two Monsters of the same Attribute. Show the five cards to your opponent. Your opponent selects one card among them. Add that card to your hand and discard the remaining cards to the Graveyard.

**0**

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**CARD FROM A DIFFERENT DIMENSION (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** A mysterious machine crackling with electricity, with a Duel Monsters card being created inside it.

**Card Description:** When this card is removed from play, return it to your hand during your next Standby Phase. Then, each player draws two cards from their respective decks.

_Note: "Card From A Different Dimension" was first used by Zane in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "The Graduation Match". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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Yumi: The finals have progressed to the next level. Chelsea is dueling Sam.

Chelsea: I can't wait! There's no need for you to get involved, Yumi… I'm taking her down myself.

Ren: Be cautious, Chelsea. Sam's Monsters are never the handsomest fellows around, but these ones are even uglier than usual.

Yumi: Sam… Are these cards what I think they are? You may have these cards, but can you control them?

I hope so…

Coming up next, "Ever-Shifting Chaos of Limbo; Sam versus Chelsea".

Chelsea: It may be a Dark World, or whatever, but I can still take it on!


	46. Ever Shifting Chaos of Limbo

_First, an announcement._

_I'd like people to stop posting reviews saying I got the effects of anime-only cards wrong based on what Yu-Gi-Oh Wikia says. That website is not the most reliable source. It is not affiliated with Konami or Upper Deck, and its interpretations are mostly guesses. I use Janime as my source, which actually reads the text of the cards when they appear on the Japanese version. Thus, I trust them more than Wikia._

_On to this chapter._

_I remember playing _Dungeons and Dragons_ with some old friends that I haven't seen in years, when a question came up: Who'd likely win a fight between fiends and undead? The gaming group was pretty split on the answer. Questions arose about what kind of fiends, and whether they could count such undead personalities as Strahd and Lord Soth. I don't believe we ever came up with an answer. (We agreed that Lord Soth's unholy army could likely stand up to any fiendish invasion and likely be victorious.)_

_The chapter that follows features this very conflict: Fiends against Zombies. _

_Which creatures of darkness will rule the night on Duelatopia?_

_Read on…_

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**CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE**

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**Ever-Shifting Chaos of Limbo**

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**Sam versus Chelsea**

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It was ten 'o clock at night.

Yumi was still awake. She was going over some cards as she reworked her deck for the last time.

She looked at one: Cosmo Queen.

"Nah…" she muttered, tossing the card aside, "I've got three double-Tribute Monsters as it is…"

She looked at another one: Ebon Magician Curran.

"Nah," she said, tossing it with the other one. "She's cute, but… She really belongs in a different type of deck…"

She turned to her room's computer.

It was set at a certain entry on the Industrial Illusions website:

Gren Maju Da Eiza.

Yumi shook her head. Its name meant "Red Lotus Beast". She wondered who the heck had come up with that. It didn't fit. In Buddhism, lotuses were symbols of purity. They were representations of the place where virtues grew from.

In fact, Buddha had been born from a lotus blossom, making the flower the symbol of a divine birth and creation. What did a lotus have to do with a demon that could do nothing but destroy?

And the red lotus, specifically, represented the original nature of the heart. It was the lotus of love, passion, and compassion.

_Humph,_ she thought.

The only thing that Monster had ever done to express love was trying to administer the kiss of death…

She would figure that out later. She had to prepare her deck so it could defeat an uber-powerful Chaos Fiend.

She looked at the card's description and the information. It was fairly straightforward… Not many rulings…

It did have a few weaknesses… If it was Equipped with Megamorph, its Attack Score would become zero. But she could only place an Equip Spell on it on her own turn. By then it might be too late.

Skill Drain would also reduce its Attack Score to zero, but that Trap Card would also cripple many of her own Monsters…

She paused.

But not the Monsters in her second deck… Maybe she could…

Then her face fell as she realized something…

She didn't have any copies of Skill Drain with her, and there was no way she could get any before she had to duel him. Duelatopia's card stores weren't open this late, and they had likely closed for the finals anyway. She doubted that Ren and Chelsea had any either.

She looked at her deck, and then she looked at the boxes of cards she had brought with her…

She was going to think up a foolproof plan, if it took all night…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In Chelsea's suite…

Ren held Chelsea closely, as she slept soundly in his arms. He gently stroked her hair.

He was glad their duel was over. Now it was behind them, and he would never have to hurt her again. As much as he had wanted to go all the way in this tournament, he could at least support her now.

He wondered what Sam was going to pull out of her bag of tricks… Sam could be a nasty opponent… But then again, Chelsea was no pushover…

They'd just have to wait and see…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Sweat beaded down Rasputin's face. He was working at a steady pace on something in front of him – a liquid concoction the color of a bruise.

Right now, he was using a mortar and pestle to grind seeds into powder. Once they were the consistency of fine sand, he poured them into the mixture.

He watched as it changed color, turning to red, then blue, then green, then clear.

He held his chest…

In history, only one alchemist was known to have made this formula and actually use it. When he went too far, he was caught, and he was burned at the stake for practicing witchcraft…

Once he had been executed, the judge who had sentenced him ordered his victims executed via beheading… But not because they had committed any crimes…

The judge ordered them executed as mercy-killings, because no one knew any other way to help them…

Perspiration beaded on Rasputin's forehead as he lifted a small tube of blood-red liquid.

He remembered what Erik had said to him during their duel…

"_I think I can read you pretty well… You have no idea how powerful toys can be. When you were a kid, you likely lived in a pretty disciplined environment… Your parents and whatever servants they had raising you likely made you concentrate on your lessons, and gave you almost no toys to play with. They likely thought them to be frivolous._

"_What a shame…"_

Erik actually hadn't been far off in that regard. His father had been a magistrate, at a time when such men were greatly respected.

Respected? They were feared…

He had demanded discipline at all costs in raising his son, wanting to mold him into an adult with a respectable future…

Rasputin wiped more sweat from his forehead…

"The final ingredient…" he muttered, looking at the tube. "I just have to add this… And it will be done…"

His hand shook as he lifted the tube.

"ERGH!" he cried, holding his head. "What am I doing? I have to fight this!"

He took some deep breaths. His hand reached for his chest.

His hand was now right above the hidden pocket, where unknown to him, was the crucifix he had put there…

"I don't want the Charms that badly…" he muttered. "It isn't worth…"

He clutched his head and cried out in pain again, letting go of the place where the holy symbol was.

His other hand, the one holding the tube, shook. He had half a mind to dump it down the drain in the sink, and more than half a mind to drink it and hope that the vile stuff would kill him… It wasn't meant to be drunk…

He regained his composure. With a blank look on his face, he poured the contents of the tube into the mixture.

He stared at it, as it turned pink, and vapor emitted from the top of the beaker…

After about a minute, the liquid had evaporated, leaving a fine, granular powder in the beaker.

Rasputin picked it up.

"It's finished…" he said, in a slow monotone. "Yumi… beware…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The next morning, it was even hotter than it was the day before. Despite the heat, the Colosseum still filled up quickly, as the guests certainly didn't want to leave yet.

At the stroke of noon, a Baby Dragon flew down to the center of the arena. Then a Time Wizard appeared in a puff of smoke, and cast a powerful spell. A time warp opened, and the Baby Dragon aged and grew, turning into a more powerful Thousand Dragon.

It breathed a gout of flames in the air, before vanishing in a cloud of smoke. Fireworks went off.

"Hello, Duelatopia!" came a familiar voice from the announcer's booth. "In case you missed us yesterday, and I pity you if you did, I'm Ben Fulton."

"And I'm Natalie Malone," said the other announcer. "We hope everyone watching at home has set their VCR, DVR, or whatever you record with, because if the semi finals are anything like the quarter finals, you're gonna want to watch them again and again!"

"As you may recall yesterday in our first match," said Ben, "the prophesy of Ragnarok turned out to be quite accurate, as Sam's Fiends soundly defeated Olga's Valkyries."

"After that," continued Natalie, "Ren's Dark Warriors went up against Chelsea's vampires, and in a close match, the undead legions came out on top."

"Once that was done," said Ben, "Nicholas attempted to use a creature that seemingly couldn't be beaten to hinder the Princess of Games… But Chronopsis the Chronomancer wasn't as invulnerable as he thought, and Yumi came out on top."

"And lastly," said Natalie, "in what was likely the most thrilling match of the day, Erik's toy army took on Rasputin's Elemental Spirits, in a duel that was one turnaround after another, leading to a draw."

"And for those of you who don't know yet," said Ben, "due to the official ruling set forth by Siegfried Kaiba, the duel will remain listed as a draw… However, Rasputin will progress to the semi finals due to his standing in the duel at the time of the last play."

The crowd didn't seem to approve of this announcement. There was a lot of grumbling and a few shouts towards the VIP booth.

In the VIP booth, Yumi, Ren, and Chelsea were watching Rasputin and his cohorts. They were a little surprised.

"I know it's hot," said Ren, "but that guy seems to be sweating more than he should. You think he's nervous about dueling you, Yumi?"

"I don't think so…" replied Yumi. "There's something else…"

Olga and Nicholas were just as worried.

"So what's the plan from our great leader?" asked Olga. "Are you going to make that same wager with Yumi?"

Rasputin looked at the deck on his Disk.

"Just… Just leave me alone for now…" he muttered.

"Are you okay?" asked Olga. "You're sweating…"

"I don't sweat," he grumbled, "I perspire…"

The shrugged, and went to their seats. Rasputin wiped his brow.

_I'm perspiring like a pig…_ he thought, nervously.

Chelsea looked at Sam. She leafed though her deck, and took out Penelope.

"Okay…" she whispered. "We're gonna show her who's boss… We beat her, and we'll be dueling Yumi in the last match."

Meanwhile, Sam was shuffling her own deck, and chuckling softly.

"Heh, heh…" she whispered. "Chelsea will make a fine appetizer before we go after Yumi for the main course…"

She looked at one of the cards.

"The thrill of using a new card… It never gets old… Has a nice smell too…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The holographic system had transformed the field into an ice rink. A Blade Skater was performing a routine on the ice. She finished with a pirouette, followed by a perfect chasse. She bowed before the crowd, and then vanished.

"Okay, that was… interesting…" said Ben. "But let's get into the heart of the matter. We have two young ladies ready to pound each other senseless!"

"Indeed," said Natalie. "Introducing, the Queen of the Undead, Chelsea Ramset!"

Chelsea appeared on one end of the arena, and waved as her supporters cheered.

"And her opponent," continued Natalie, "the Consort of Ha Des, Samantha Arachne!"

Sam appeared on the other side of the arena, and her own supporters cheered.

"Tear her apart, Chelsea!" shouted Ren.

The two duelists walked up to Sheena, who was standing in the middle as always. As Sheena approached her mother, the elder Arachne took a moment to turn her microphone off.

"Just a warning again, Sam," she whispered. "If you never make it to duel Yumi and make the wager, you automatically lose the wager."

"I know, mom, I know…" replied Sam.

"Okay, ladies…" said Sheena. "Let's have a clean duel, as always, even though our arena this time is going to be anything but…"

She placed a card in her Field slot.

"I give you… The Ever-Shifting Chaos of Limbo!"

At that moment, the whole world seemed to erupt into energy and fall apart. The surroundings were best described as just that – chaos. Around the two duelists was a void, in which were chunks of matter, solid, liquid, and gas, as well as balls of fire. And it was not still. The chaos churned and blew like a storm of mixed-up, elemental soup.

Sam and Chelsea were facing each other on two small islands of rock, five meters apart.

Delmato appeared between them out of the storm.

"Okay ladies," he said, "we may be in the Realm of Ultimate Chaos, but this duel is still gonna have rules. So follow them!

"Game on!"

The two Disks activated.

**(Chelsea: 8,000) ------------------- (Sam: 8,000)**

"And the battle is well-waged!" said Ben. "Who will be the victor in this primordial power struggle?"

"We'll soon see, won't we?" said Chelsea, making her first draw.

She looked over her cards.

"All right, Sam," she said. "I'll start by playing… Call of the Mummy."

She fit a card into her Disk, and the Spell Card appeared.

"Now, I'll use it, to throw Blood Sucker out in Attack Mode."

In a burst of dark flames, Blood Sucker appeared, with a big grin on its face. (1,300/1,500)

"Then, I'll Normal Summon Zombie Werewolf."

Zombie Werewolf appeared, and let out a howl. (1,200/1,200)

"Then I'm throwing down two facedown cards."

Two facedown cards appeared in two bursts of light.

"My side is stacked already. Let's see if you can match that."

"Chelsea…" said Sam. "No-one can match what I'm about to do…"

She drew a card.

"I'll start by playing this Spell Card…" she said. "The powerful Card of Safe Return."

She played a card, and a card appeared on her side of the field, with the image of a crawling man with three cards hovering over him.

"This Continuous Spell Card works as follows: Whenever a Monster is Special Summoned from my Graveyard, I get to draw one card.

"And trust me, with my new strategy, that's going to be happening a _lot_.

"Next… I play the Spell Card, Dark World Lighting! Now I can vaporize one of your facedown cards!"

There was a violent clap of thunder, and lightning blasted from the heavens, blowing Chelsea's Widespread Ruin to shards.

"And this card has a second effect," continued Sam. "It now requires me to send a card in my hand to the Graveyard…"

She flipped a card in her hand around.

"And I choose Beiige, Vanguard of Dark World."

She discarded the card.

"But he won't stay in the Graveyard long, because when his card is discarded by a card effect, he's instantly reborn on my side of the field."

In an aura of darkness, an especially ugly-looking demon appeared in front of Sam. His skin was wrinkled, his broken teeth twisted into an evil grin, with curling horns on each side of his head. He wore armor made of bones and leather, a metal band over his eyes, and carried a spear. (1,600/1,300)

"Ugh!" gasped Chelsea.

"You haven't seen anything yet," said Sam. "Like I said, Card of Safe Return now lets me draw one card…"

She made a draw, and looked at it.

"Now, since I haven't Normal Summoned yet, I think I'll summon another Beiige."

She played the card, and a second Vanguard, a twin of the first, appeared. (1,600/1,300)

Yumi got up out of her seat.

_Dark World Fiends?_ she thought, getting nervous.

She paused.

"What's the matter?" asked Ren. "You worried about Chelsea?"

"No…" replied Yumi. "Although Sam's deck may well be more powerful than her older one, I'm more worried about her than I'm worried about Chelsea…

"I hope for Sam's sake that she knows what she's doing!"

"Prepare yourself, Chelsea…" said Sam, with a chuckle. "These two footsoldiers are merely a preview to the untold horrors lurking in Dark World!

"Beiige number one… Shish-kebab her Blood Sucker!"

The first Vanguard rushed at Blood Sucker and speared it through the gut with his spear. Blood Sucker howled, and burst into pixels.

"You triggered my Trap!" shouted Chelsea. "Go, Thirst of Blood!"

Her Trap Card lifted.

"Now I can summon a low-level Monster with the word 'Vampire' in its name," she said, looking through her deck. "So I'll bring out Vampire Lady!"

In another burst of black flames, Vampire Lady appeared, kneeling and shielding herself in Defense Mode. (1,550/1,550)

"Oh, fine…" muttered Sam. "Second Beiige, attack the Vampire Lady!"

The other Beiige stabbed at the vampire with a downward thrust, and she shattered into triangles.

"It's your move," said Sam.

**(C: 7,700) ------------------- (S: 8,000)**

Sam drew a card, as an arc of fire mixed with water cascaded over her.

"Zombie Werewolf…" she ordered, "attack the Beiige on the right!"

"Huh?" said Sam.

Zombie Werewolf lunged at the Vanguard. He snarled, and drove his spear into the Zombie, blowing him to pieces.

"I may have lost 400 Life Points," said Chelsea, "but now I get to summon another Werewolf, and he's even stronger."

In another burst of dark energy, Zombie Werewolf appeared again, angrier than last time. (1,700/1,200)

"Now he'll finish what the first one started…" said Chelsea.

The Werewolf slashed at the Vanguard with its claw. The Fiend gasped and dropped its spear, before exploding into pixels.

"I place one card facedown, and activate Mirage of Nightmare," said Chelsea.

A facedown card and the Mirage card appeared in front of her.

**(C: 7,300) ------------------- (S: 7,900)**

"A clever strategy by Chelsea, and she gains the advantage," said Natalie. "But I have a feeling that this is just starting."

"You bet it is!" shouted Sam.

She growled as she drew a card.

"I'll crush you under my foot like the insect you are…" she growled.

"What?" asked Chelsea.

Sam shook her head.

"Uh, nothing!" she said with a nervous grin. "It was… nothing…"

"Well, now I get to draw four cards," said Chelsea.

She made four draws.

"Now, I activate… Emergency Provisions."

Her facedown card lifted, and a mouth consumed the Mirage card.

"So you handled that mirage pretty well," said Sam, looking at what she had drawn. "But I assure you, the terror I'm about to unleash will be no illusion!"

She paused.

"Well, okay, technically it _will_ be an illusion, but, uhm, you get the idea…

"Anyway…

"Prepare yourself, Chelsea. The Monster I'm about to summon is a Fiend whom the citizens of Dark World believe is their king… Although, they also know that he is hopelessly insane. I summon Brron, Mad King of Dark World!"

A maddening laughter echoed through the void, and another ugly Fiend appeared. He was tall and gangly, with grey, rubbery skin, long limbs ending in claws, and think, tangled, ropy hair. The only thing he wore that might have indicated royalty was a long cape made of blue fur. (1,800/400)

"He's their king?" asked Chelsea. "I kind of expected someone stronger."

"Wait until you see what he can do," said Sam. "Brron, attack the Zombie Werewolf with lunatic lunge!"

With the skill of an Olympic-level athlete, the Mad King of Dark World leapt into the air, landed on his hands, and then in one swift motion, delivered a kick to Zombie Werewolf with both feet. Zombie Werewolf was thrown backwards with a howl before shattering.

"Nice," said Chelsea. "Too bad this isn't _Wide World of Sports_. I activate Zombie Werewolf's effect, to summon my third one!"

With a howl, another Werewolf appeared. (2,200/1,200)

"And I activate Brron's effect," said Sam. "When he damages your Life Points, I get to discard one card from my hand.

"And I discard this one… One of the two generals of Brron's unholy army… Sillva, Warlord of Dark World."

She discarded the card.

"And just like Beiige," she continued, "when Sillva is discarded due to a card effect, he is instantly resurrected to the field."

A glowing aura of pure silver appeared next to Brron, and another demon appeared. This one had the same fangs and grey skin, with the bat-like wings and devilish horns of an atypical demon, and was dressed in elaborate silver armor. He held a curved scimitar in his right hand. (2,300/1,400)

Card of Safe Return glowed, and Sam drew a card.

"My Battle Phase continues, Chelsea," she said. "Sillva, destroy the last Werewolf with dark quicksilver!"

Sillva hissed, and slashed with his sword, sending a blade of sliver energy towards Zombie Werewolf, that literally cut it in half. The pieces shattered into bits.

"Beiige… Attack Chelsea directly!"

Beiige rushed and stabbed Chelsea directly in the navel. Chelsea screamed as he actually pushed and twisted the point of the spear. She fell to her knees as he finally let go.

**(C: 6,500) ------------------- (S: 7,900)**

"HA, HA, HA!" laughed Sam. "How does that feel, Chelsea? Want more? I got lots more…"

Yumi shook her head in her seat.

"Poor Sam…" she muttered.

"Poor Sam?" shouted Ren. "Yumi, Chelsea is the one who just got nailed…"

"Ren, let me explain…" said Yumi. "The Dark World cards are powerful, but they're incredibly hard to control. They were created with the images of ancient beings of primordial chaos and evil, demons who knew secrets about the very origins of wickedness. These creatures were spreading evil before there even were mortals to tempt with it.

"Anyone who uses those cards risks succumbing to the ultimate darkness. Sam thinks she's controlling those cards, but if she doesn't come to her senses, they're going to be the ones controlling her…

"Better duelists than her have tried to use these cards… They've always led to disaster."

Erik was listening, and a look of horror was now on his face.

"What… What can we do?" he asked.

"Well, for starters…" muttered Yumi, "we pray that Sam included one important card in that deck. It isn't truly necessary in a Dark World Deck, but she _might_ have included it, given her usual strategy. And it might give her the power to regain control."

Sam smiled as Chelsea gasped for breath. She placed a card in her Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

"That's it for me for now, Chels," she said. "You can either stay down, or get up and keep taking it. If I were you, I would stay down."

Sweat beaded down Chelsea's face as she got up. She looked at Sam with a look of fury.

She drew a card and looked at it.

She played a card, and Graceful Charity appeared in front of her. The angel materialized in a shower of sparking motes. The three Fiends sneered at the seraphim, but she gave them a dirty look.

Chelsea drew three cards and looked at them. She discarded two of them and smirked.

"You want to play dirty, Sam?" she asked. "Fine. Let's play dirty. I use Call of the Mummy to summon Vampire Lord!"

She played the card, and the vampire appeared in front of her. He frowned at Sam and her three Fiends. (2,000/1,500)

"Vampire Lord?" asked Sam. "Bela Lugosi over there doesn't scare me. Sillva will _eat_ him."

"Oh really?" asked Sam. "We'll see about that. First, I'll Normal Summon my second Vampire Lady."

She played another card, and Vampire Lady appeared next to Vampire Lord. The two vampires turned to each other and nodded. (1,550/1,550)

"Now, as for your presumption that Sillva would defeat Vampire Lord… Wrong. I play Rush Recklessly."

She played the card, and Vampire Lord hissed. His Attack Score rose to 2,700.

"Attack the Warlord of Dark World!" shouted Chelsea. "Children of the Night!"

Vampire Lord leapt up into the air and hovered for a minute. He unleashed a storm of bats from his cape, and Sillva let out an unholy scream as he was eaten alive by them.

Sam growled.

"So much for him," said Chelsea. "And now we get to Vampire Lord's effect. I declare Spell Card."

Sam frowned and looked through her deck. She found a copy of Gateway to Dark World and discarded it.

"Before you end your turn," said Sam, returning her deck to her Disk, "I'd like to activate my Trap Card if I may…"

Her facedown card flipped up.

"The Forces of Darkness?" asked Chelsea, looking at it.

"This lets me take two Dark World Monsters from my Graveyard, and add them to my hand," said Sam.

Two cards slipped out of her discard slot, and she took them.

"So now Sillva and my first Beiige are waiting in the wings again."

Chelsea frowned.

"I'll play a facedown, and end my turn," she said.

A facedown card appeared.

Sam drew a card.

She smirked when she saw what it was.

"All right, Chelsea…" she said. "It's time to take a trip down memory lane. Did you ever see _The Wizard of Oz_ when you were a kid?"

"Who didn't?" replied Chelsea.

"Then this will be a treat," said Sam. "I play the Spell Card, Golden Road."

As she played the card, the scenery behind her changed. The fabled Yellow Brick Road appeared behind her, and the magnificent Emerald City loomed in the distance.

"How does that old song go, Chelsea?" she asked.

"Somewhere… Over the rainbow… Bluebirds fly… Birds fly over the rainbow, why then, oh why can't I?"

She chuckled.

"The heroine of that movie who sung that song got her wish… Although I must say, I don't believe a tornado is the most pleasant form of air travel."

Chelsea glared at her.

"Oh, you're trying to distract me!" she shouted. "Just explain what the heck your Spell Card does!"

"It's an incredibly rare card that benefits both of us," said Sam. "We both get to draw four cards… But then we discard two from our hands."

_Lovely…_ thought Chelsea, making four draws. _That means she'll get to activate the effects of two of her nightmares._

She looked at the six cards in her hand, and then discarded Symbol of Heritage and Sangan.

"I'll start by discarding Kahkki, Guerilla of Dark World," said Sam, discarding one of her cards. "And when I do that, he destroys one of your Monsters. Kahkki, execute her Vampire Lord."

A phantasmal creature appeared behind Vampire Lord. It looked like a short, stout, egg-shaped Fiend with beady eyes and broken teeth. It drove a long knife between Vampire Lord's shoulders, and he screamed before shattering into shards.

"You're kidding, right?" said Chelsea. "You do know what happens when Vampire Lord is destroyed by a card effect?"

"Yeah, he'll be back next turn," replied Sam. "But I'm gonna hurt you badly this turn. Next, I discard Kahkki's companion, Gren, Tactician of Dark World. And when that happens, he can destroy one Spell or Trap Card."

Another spectral Fiend appeared in the center of the arena. This one was tall and impossibly thin, with an enlarged cranium. He wore a green cape and spectacles, and carried a musty-looking tome.

"Gren, wipe out her Trap Card!" shouted Sam.

Gren raised his free hand, and fired a bolt of energy, blasting the facedown card to pieces.

"You actually fell for it!" laughed Chelsea. "You just destroyed my Zombie Bed, sucker!"

"WHAT?" shouted Sam.

A large, stone coffin appeared on Chelsea's side of the field.

"Now I get to summon back a Zombie from my Graveyard," said Chelsea. "And I sent a good one there with Graceful Charity. Let's all welcome…"

The coffin exploded into shards of rock…

"…The Midnight Caller!"

In an aura of fiery, dark energy, The Midnight Caller arose in front of Chelsea. His eyes glowed with feral light… (2,400/1,000)

_Crap!_ thought Sam. _My plan backfired!_

The Emerald City crumbled to pieces, and was consumed by the storm of chaos.

"I move Beiige and Brron to Defense Mode, and set another Monster in Defense Mode," she said.

Beiige knelt and held his spear in his lap, while Brron knelt and covered himself with his cape. A facedown Monster appeared next to them.

She glared at Chelsea.

Chelsea drew a card.

"As promised, Vampire Lord returns…"

A dark coffin appeared on the field. It opened, and Vampire Lord stepped out, more than a little angry. (2,000/1,500)

"Now, I Normal Summon my final Vampire Lady!"

In another burst of energy, the third female vampire appeared. (1,550/1,550)

The four vampires looked at Sam with hungry eyes…

"Vampire Ladies…" ordered Chelsea, "wipe out Beiige and Brron!"

The two vampires leapt at the two Fiends, and slashed with their claws. The Vanguard and the Mad King burst into particles.

"Vampire Lord, take out her last Monster!"

The swarm of bats shot at the card, and another Vanguard appeared on it before exploding.

"And then there's the Caller! Attack Sam directly with dark curse!"

The Midnight Caller pointed at Sam, and she screamed as a dark aura surrounded her, sucking the breath out of her lungs.

She fell to her knees.

**(C: 6,500) ------------------- (S: 5,500)**

"Chelsea has made an impressive turnaround!" exclaimed Natalie. "Sam is gonna need something big to get out of this."

Sam got up, and took a few deep gasps…

"My… move…" she muttered.

She drew a card.

She smirked.

"Heh, heh…" she said. "Chelsea, don't think I didn't come into this duel unprepared. I put a little something in my deck with you in mind…"

She showed her the card.

"It's a little guy called a Marionette Mite. By discarding it from my hand, I can take control of one opposing Fiend or Zombie for one round. So I think I'll take your Midnight Caller."

She discarded the card, and the Midnight Caller gasped. He was yanked over to Sam's side.

Sam looked at him.

"Cheer up…" she muttered. "At least now you're on the winning side…

"But not for long. I'm going to sacrifice him to summon Brron's other general…"

The Midnight Caller vanished.

"I summon Goldd, Wu-Lord of Dark World!"

In a brilliant, golden aura, a new Fiend appeared. He looked similar to Sillva, with the same demonic horns and wings, but with golden armor. He carried a large, golden battle-axe. (2,300/1,400)

"Attack her Vampire Lord!" ordered Sam. "Dark gold rush!"

Goldd slashed with his axe, and a blade of golden energy shot towards Vampire Lord, blasting him into dust.

"And that's all for now…"

**(C: 6,200) ------------------- (S: 5,500)**

Chelsea frowned, and drew another card.

"Oh, I'll just move my two Monsters to Defense Mode, and that will do," she said.

The two Vampire Ladies knelt down, and folded their arms.

"My turn again?" asked Sam.

She drew a card.

"I play… Dark World Dealings," she said, playing a Spell Card. "Now, we each draw one card, and then discard one from our hands."

Chelsea growled, and drew one card. She looked over her hand, and discarded Soul-Absorbing Bone Tower.

Sam drew a card, and then smirked.

"I'll discard Sillva again," she said, discarding a card. "I'm sure you remember him."

In a flash of silver energy, Sillva appeared again. (2,300/1,400)

Card of Safe Return glowed, and Sam drew another card.

"Now, I summon Zure, Knight of Dark World."

In another aura of darkness, a Fiend with upward-curving horns on the sides of his neck and a mouth full of shark-like teeth, dressed in armor and a cape, holding a longsword walked out onto the field. (1,800/1,500)

"Let's clean up…" said Sam. "Zure, Sillva, attack her vamps!"

The two Dark World Fiends leapt at the Vampire Ladies and slashed with their swords, cutting them down.

"Goldd… get her."

Chelsea screamed as the Wu-Lord's axe plowed into her, and she fell on her behind.

**(C: 3,900) ------------------- (S: 5,500)**

"This duel is going back and forth," said Ben. "Anything could happen at this point… I can hardly wait to see what comes next."

Chelsea got up and brushed herself off. A column of fire shot up from the void underneath her.

"What next, he says?" she asked.

She drew a card.

"I'll show you what next. I play Premature Burial."

She played the card, and her Life Points dipped as Vampire Lord appeared on her side of the field. (2,000/1,500)

"Now, Vampire Lord, begone… I banish you to summon Vampire Genesis."

Vampire Lord vanished, and the hulking, muscular vampire deity appeared. (3,000/2,100)

Sam took a step back.

"Well, Sam…" said Chelsea. "I guess the shoe's really on the other clawed foot, huh?

"Especially because I'm making Genesis even stronger with a powerful Spell… Genesis Crisis!"

She played the card, and Vampire Genesis glowed with black fire.

"With Vampire Genesis on the field, this Spell Card lets me add a Zombie from my deck to my hand every round," continued Chelsea, taking her deck. "And right now, I'm going to do that to bring my second Vampire Lord to my hand…"

She took the card from her deck, and showed it to Sam.

"And now, I'm going to use it to activate Genesis's effect. Since Vampire Lord is Level Five, I can discard him to summon a Vampire Lady from my Graveyard."

She discarded the card, and Vampire Genesis howled. Vampire Lady appeared in a burst of dark energy. (1,550/1,550)

"All right… Vampire Genesis… Destroy her Wu-Lord!"

Vampire Genesis burst into his crimson shroud, and Goldd screamed. Cracks appeared on his golden armor. Finally, he exploded into golden shards.

**(C: 3,100) ------------------- (S: 4,800)**

"Goldd is vanquished," said Chelsea. "It's your move."

Sam growled, and drew a card.

"I move Zure and Sillva into Defense Mode, and set another Monster in Defense Mode," she said.

The two Fiends crouched in Defense, and a facedown Monster appeared.

"Then I place two cards facedown."

She fit a card into her Disk, and two facedown cards appeared.

"End…"

Chelsea drew a card.

"I activate the effect of Genesis Crisis again," she said, taking her deck. "This time, I'm going to add Penelope to my hand."

She took the card from her deck.

"And since Penelope is Level Seven, I can discard her to use Genesis's effect, and summon The Midnight Caller from my Graveyard."

She discarded the card, and Genesis howled again. The Midnight Caller appeared in another dark aura. He glared at Sam angrily. (2,400/1,000)

"All right everybody…" said Chelsea. "All together now…"

Three dark auras blasted towards Sam's side of the field, and Sillva, Zure, and her facedown Monster, revealed to a Fiend that looked like a weird cross between a reptile and ape, with red scales, holding a dagger.

"That facedown Monster was Scarr, Scout of Dark World," said Sam, taking her deck from the holder. "He isn't a very good fighter, but when he goes down, I get to take any Monster from my deck with the words 'Dark World' in its name, so long as it's Level Four or less."

She looked at her cards.

"Now let's see here…"

She went over her remaining cards – of which there weren't a whole lot – and finally chose one.

"So, is that your turn?" she asked, adding it to her hand.

"Yeah," said Chelsea.

_This next move is going to be harder to pull off than the safety top on that bottle of prescription flu remedy I had to take last winter,_ thought Sam. _But I'm gonna have to try it…_

"Watch out!" she shouted, drawing a card.

As she added it to her hand, her eyes started to burn like embers...

"It ends now, Chelsea," she said, in a voice that sounded like a demonic parody of her normal voice. "The streets of this city will run red with your blood!"

"Whoa, whoa, Sam!" shouted Chelsea. "Take it easy! There's something wrong with you!"

Sam smiled evilly…

"On the contrary," she said, still in that horrid voice, "I've never felt better!"

One of her facedown cards lifted.

"I activate a Trap Card. It's called Mind Crush. Now listen closely…

"I state the name of any card I can think of. Then I get to see your hand. If the card I named is in your hand, you have to send it to the Graveyard. However, if I'm wrong and it isn't, I have to send a card in my hand to the Graveyard.

"Now, let me think…

"The card I name is…

"Blue-Eyes White Dragon."

"What the Hell?" shouted Chelsea. "Sam, you know damn well that I don't have that card in my deck!"

"Well, let's check and make sure," said Sam, motioning with her hand. "You can't be too certain, you know…"

Chelsea angrily turned her hand of cards around.

Sam shrugged.

"Guess I was wrong…" she said, as a card in her own hand glowed.

Yumi got up.

"She did that on purpose…" she said. "She's playing a Dark World Deck… She _wanted_ to have to discard one of her own cards! It was the perfect strategy!"

"Oh look," said Sam, discarding the card. "I just discarded someone who's eager to meet you. His name is Celeri, Guru of Dark World."

"Let me guess…" muttered Chelsea. "That means he's summoned to the field."

"Yes, but there's a little twist this time," replied Sam. "He isn't summoned to _my_ side of the field. He's summoned to _your_ side of the field."

Chelsea was shocked to say the least as a Monster materialized next to her vampires. It was a short, stocky, scaly Fiend with a bald head, tusks, and two downward-pointing horns on the sides of its head. It knelt and shielded itself in Defense Mode. (500/300)

"And you're being so helpful, why?" asked Chelsea.

"You'll find out soon enough," said Sam. "First, I still get to draw a card from Card of Safe Return."

She drew one card.

"As for why I'm doing this," she continued, "it's because Celeri has another effect. When he's Special Summoned from the Graveyard, the opponent of his controller must choose one card in her hand and discard it.

"Since you're technically his controller, that means I discard another card…

"But I get to choose which one this time…"

The embers in her eyes burned fiercer. She lifted one of the cards in her hand, and it burned with black fire...

"Remember when I said that the residents of Dark World believe that Brron is their king?" she asked. "That's a fiction. In reality, Brron answers to a secret ruler who passes his edicts through him. Only a privileged few know of the existence of the true king of Dark World…

"This Monster's effect is so powerful, I can only Special Summon him via discard if my opponent's card effect makes me discard him. And since Celeri is under your control, that condition is fulfilled."

She discarded the card. The void of chaos darkened…

"Arise… Come forth, Reign-Beaux, Overlord of Dark World."

Lightning flashed in the distance. A bonfire appeared in front of Sam. It spread out, forming into a pit of bubbling lava. A hulking creature started to rise from the pit…

The Fiend stepped out, the same one whom Sam had fought in the shrine. The gemstones on his chest glowed with multicolored light, and his sasumata burned with dark fire.

The crowd was silenced…

(2,500/1,800)

"Ho boy…" muttered Chelsea.

Card of Safe Return glowed, and Sam drew another card.

"Now…" said Sam, adding it to her hand, "I activate his effect. He can either destroy all your Monsters, or all your Spell and Trap Cards…

"Since I could care less about your Call of the Mummy, I'll choose the former."

Chelsea quickly glanced at her hand.

_No Monsters…_ she thought, starting to panic. _I can't use Midnight Caller's effect!_

Reign-Beaux raised his right hand and glowed with an aura that was both dark and full of flickering colored lights… Then Vampire Lady, Vampire Genesis, The Midnight Caller, and Celeri, Guru of Dark World were surrounded by the same aura…

Then the four Monsters on Chelsea's side of the field exploded into atoms.

Chelsea glared at Sam.

"Still defiant, eh?" asked Sam. "Reign-Beaux, you know what to do…

"Attack her directly with Dark Spectrum!"

The Overlord twirled his sasumata around, and aimed it at Chelsea. The whole void turned black as he shot a bolt of the same multicolored energy. Chelsea screamed bloody murder as it hit her in the chest and stabbed into every pore…

She collapsed.

**(C: 600) ------------------- (S: 4,800)**

"Chelsea is hurt bad," said Natalie. "She's taken a lot of direct hits so far. I don't know if she can continue at this point…"

Chelsea's eyes slowly opened…

With sweat pouring down her face, she pulled herself up. She picked up her cards, and staggered to her feet, clutching her chest.

"Still trying to win?" asked Sam. "Pathetic. I've got the best Monster ever out now!"

"And I'm very disappointed in you, Sam," said Chelsea, with a scowl. "What are you now, the Consort of Reign-Beaux? Man… 'Consort of Reign-Beaux', that _really_ sounds better than 'Consort of Ha Des'."

Sam gave a look of shock.

"Ha Des?" she said in surprise.

"In case you didn't realize it," said Chelsea, "I was being sarcastic."

Sam looked at her strangely.

"What is with you, Sam?" asked Chelsea. "Throughout this whole tournament, Ha Des won you one duel after another. In that Yami no Oujou, when losing might have meant dying, he let himself be sacrificed to give you enough strength to win.

"And now… You've dumped him… For this upstart with a mere fifty more Attack Points and an effect that you can't even rely on. I hope that the thrill of wiping out my side was worth betraying your best Monster."

Sam looked at Chelsea. She held her forehead for a minute…

She shook her head, and the embers in her eyes went from blazing to smoldering.

She looked down. She was mortified…

She looked at Reign-Beaux…

"I… I didn't betray him…" she muttered, in a voice that was closer to her real voice. "Ha Des is still my consort… He's the real King of the Underworld. Reign-Beaux is nothing more than a ruler of a crumbling, decaying empire that Ha Des will take over someday, once he gets around to it…

"And I'm gonna prove it… It's still my turn…"

She took a card from her hand.

"I place this facedown…"

A facedown card appeared.

"Then I activate my Trap Card… Rebirth Judgment!"

Her first facedown card lifted, revealing the image of a boy's face, the right half of which was cybernetic.

"Now, I name one Type of Monster, and for as long as this card is in play, all Monsters in both our Graveyards are considered that Type.

"I name Fiends. Did you get that?"

"Yes, I got that," said Chelsea. "But I don't see the sense in it. What good would it do you to turn the Monsters in my Graveyard into Fiends?"

"Because, I saw your duel with the real Midnight Caller, remember?" replied Chelsea. "And I remember your ace card, Penelope. She needs Zombies in your Graveyard to gain power. Otherwise she's weak. With this card in play, you don't have a single Monster left that can take out Reign-Beaux.

"I end my turn."

Sam looked at her facedown card.

_Even if she does manage to summon something stronger,_ she thought, _my Bark of Dark Ruler will win me this duel._

Chelsea drew and looked at her hand.

_She was close,_ she thought, _but she was only partially informed…_

"Sam," she said, "when I summoned Penelope in that duel, you only saw one of her effects, not both of them."

"BOTH of them?" shouted Sam.

"I play Monster Reincarnation," said Chelsea. "So, I toss one card, to bring Penelope back to my hand."

She discarded the card she had just drawn, Coercive Magic Eyes, and Penelope came out of her discard slot.

"Now I'll use Call of the Mummy to summon her," she continued.

In a burst of light, Penelope appeared on the field. (1,000/200)

"And as for that other effect I was talking about? When she's summoned, all Spell and Trap Cards on the field are destroyed, including THAT one!"

Sam gasped. Her Rebirth Judgment, Card of Safe Return, and Bark of Dark Ruler shattered to pieces, along with Chelsea's Call of the Mummy.

"Now the Monsters in my Graveyard are Zombies again," said Chelsea. "And in case anyone here lost count, there are ten of them there."

Penelope glowed.

(5,000/200)

"Oh no…" muttered Sam.

"Penelope," ordered Chelsea, "attack Reign-Beaux with Light of Vengeance!"

A blinding light erupted from the vampire slayer. A look of panic appeared on the Overlord of Dark World's face. He screamed and dropped his weapon and turned to run, but a beam of pure light blasted him to gibbets before he made it a second step.

Sam was knocked backwards by the backlash. She got up, holding her chest in pain…

"Humph…" said Chelsea, shaking her head. "Ha Des never tried to run when your opponent's Monster attacked him. He had pride. Seems your Overlord just proved that he's little more than a bully and a coward when things turn against him.

"You know, that probably explains just why he uses Brron as a puppet ruler. Hide in the shadows, draw all the would-be assassins and revolutionaries towards a decoy while you remain perfectly safe.

"Maybe that's the whole reason he rules a 'crumbling, decaying empire'.

"And you gave up Ha Des for him…"

"She's right…" said Ren. "That big, bad Monster is a sheep in wolf's clothing."

"Make your move…" said Chelsea.

**(C: 600) ------------------- (S: 2,300)**

Sam blinked again…

The embers in her eyes were fully extinguished now. She gasped for breath.

"Chelsea has sent Reign-Beaux over the rainbow!" exclaimed Ben. "And with her best Monster on the field, Sam is gonna need a miracle to turn this one around!"

"So Sam," said Chelsea. "We gonna finish this, or are you gonna throw in the towel?"

"Listen to me, Chelsea," said Sam. "I never end a duel while I still have Life Points left. I'll finish the duel…"

She drew a card.

"…but I can honestly say, I'll finish it on my own terms."

It was Premature Burial. She looked at her other three cards.

_No…_ she thought. _I have no Monsters to defend with! If I use Premature Burial, the Monster I summon will be in Attack Mode… One attack from Penelope, and I'll lose…_

She looked at another Spell Card that was in her hand.

_This is my only chance…_ she thought. _But it's a gamble… If Chelsea wins it, I lose…_

_But I have no choice… I'm running out of options… Besides, with all the extra drawing I've done, I'm down to less than half a deck!_

"All right, Chelsea…" she said, playing a Spell Card. "I play… Premature Burial. I'll bring the big coward back…"

The ground in front of her split, and Reign-Beaux rose out of the ground. (2,500/1,800)

"But if he thinks he's in charge this time, he's sadly mistaken.

"Now I play this… the Spell Card, Hand of Ha Des!"

"Huh?" said Chelsea, as the Spell Card was played.

"Listen carefully, because this is complicated," said Sam. "I have to have a Fiend-Type Monster on the field to play this card. Then, each of us picks up cards from our decks until we each pick up a Monster. Whoever draws the Monster that has more Attack Points gets to destroy one of her opponent's Monsters on the field, and also gets to keep the Monster she picked up. All the other cards are shuffled back into our decks, including the picked up Monster, in the case of whoever gets the weaker one."

"What on Earth?" asked Erik. "Why would she do that?"

"Well, she's basically betting the farm," replied Ren, nervously. "If she gets a stronger Monster than Chelsea, she wins. If not, she loses. Because whoever loses won't have anything to defend against a direct attack."

Both Chelsea and Sam snatched a card off of their decks as the crowd tensed.

"Ha!" laughed Chelsea, showing her the card. "My Curse of Vampire! Beat that!"

"Oh really?" said Sam, quietly, looking at the card she had picked up.

She flipped it around.

It was Dark Ruler Ha Des.

"That's gotta hurt."

A huge, gruesome claw erupted out of the ground on Chelsea's side of the field, and grabbed Penelope. She screamed, and was pulled under.

"Well," said Sam. "It was a good duel, Chels. Now I'll…"

She paused.

"You know something, Chelsea?" she said. "I could attack you with Reign-Beaux, but you were right. His empire may have been powerful long ago, but maybe it's best to keep it buried.

"Using him and the rest of these things… What was I thinking?

"So… Reign-Beaux, get lost… I'm sacrificing you to end this with my real headliner."

The Overlord of Dark World scowled angrily before he vanished into grains of light.

Then Dark Ruler Ha Des appeared in a burst of dark energy. (2,450/1,600)

"All right, Ha Des…" shouted Sam. "Finish Chelsea off with Stygian blast!"

Ha Des hurled his bolt of black fire, and Chelsea cringed. She groaned, and then collapsed on her back.

**(C: 0) ------------------- (S: 1,500)**

Delmato walked up to Sam.

"Sam is the winner!" he shouted, holding her hand up.

Some members of the crowd cheered. Others were silent.

Erik sighed in relief.

"Well, Chelsea lost…" muttered Ren. "But at least Sam came to her senses and didn't turn evil…

"Well… uhm… at least not more evil than she usually is…"

"Yeah…" muttered Yumi. "We can thank the maker that she was attached enough to Ha Des to include him in that deck. Like I said, he isn't truly necessary in a Dark World Deck. And her favorite card let her see the truth.

"What Chelsea said may have been meant as scolding, but it helped a good deal."

She looked at Sam as someone helped Chelsea up.

_Well,_ thought Yumi. _Sam is headed for the final round… If I manage to defeat Rasputin next, it will be me versus her…_

_I'll concentrate on Rasputin for now. He's the greater threat at the moment…_

"Attention everybody," announced Sheena. "There will be a one-hour intermission. Get some refreshments, stretch your legs, and get back here, because after sixty minutes, Yumi faces Rasputin in the second match of the semi finals!"

Yumi looked at Rasputin, who had been watching the duel between Sam and Chelsea in stony silence.

_I'm ready for you, Rasputin…_ she thought. _Bring it on… I'm ready for that ugly Fiend…_

_But first… I think I'll get a cheeseburger…_

"Ren…" she said. "Chelsea's gonna need to be comforted when she gets back here, and you can do that better than I can. I'll be back when I can. It depends on how long the lines are."

Sam slowly walked off the field.

No one saw the spirit of Dark Ruler Ha Des behind her, looking at her…

He wasn't very happy…

In fact, a look of incredible anger was on his face…

_The demons of Dark World proved to be no match for Sam's iron will. Still, she has won her semi final duel, and has moved closer to her long-awaited match with Yumi. But can Yumi defeat Rasputin to meet her rival in the final round? Rasputin will certainly have something to say about it…_

**0**

**0**

**0**

**GENESIS CRISIS (Spell Card)**

**Continuous Spell**

**Image:** A demonic face wreathed in flames.

**Card Description:** If there is no "Vampire Genesis" face-up on your side of the field, destroy this card. If this card is destroyed as a result of "Vampire Genesis" being removed from your side of the field, destroy all Monsters on your side of the field. Once per round, during your Main Phase you may search your deck for one Zombie-Type Monster and add it to your hand.

_Note: "Genesis Crisis" was first used by Camula in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Field of Screams (Part Three)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**REBIRTH JUDGMENT (Trap Card)**

**Continuous Trap**

**Image:** The face of a young boy with the right half cybernetic.

**Card Description:** When you activate this card, declare one Type of Monster. As long as this card remains face-up on the field, all Monsters in both Graveyards are considered to be the Type you declared.

Note: "Rebirth Judgment" was first used by Zane in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Tough Love". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**HAND OF HA DES (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** Dark Ruler Ha Des holding a skull in his claw and grinning.

**Card Description:** You may activate this card when you have at least one Fiend-Type Monster face-up on your side of the field. Both you and your opponent pick up cards from the top of your decks until both of you pick up a Monster Card. Whoever picks up the Monster with the higher base ATK may destroy one of his opponent's Monsters on the field, adds the picked up Monster to his/her hand, and shuffles his/her other picked up cards back into his/her deck. Whoever picks up the Monster with the lower ATK shuffles all of his/her picked up cards back into his/her deck. (In the case of a tie, this effect is rendered invalid.)

**0**

**0**

**0**

**GOLDEN ROAD (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** The Road of Yellow Brick, leading up to a beautiful Emerald City.

**Card Description:** Both players draw four cards from their respective decks. Then, both players discard any two cards from their hands.

_Note: "Golden Road" first appeared in "Dark Messiah"._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**CELERI, GURU OF DARK WORLD (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fiend/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level:** 1  
**ATK:** 500  
**DEF:** 300

**Card Description:** When this card is discarded from your hand to the Graveyard by a card effect, Special Summon this card in face-up Defense Position to your opponent's side of the field. When this card is Special Summoned from the Graveyard, the opponent of the controller of this card chooses one card in his hand and discards it to the Graveyard.

_Note: "Celeri, Guru of Dark World" was first used by the spirit of Brron, Mad King of Dark World in a third season episode of "Yu-Gi-Oh GX". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**Chelsea: Yumi… Rasputin looks different this time… He looks more nervous than you do…**

**Ren: What the hell are you planning, Rasputin? Can it be that the big bad guy actually has stage fright?**

**Erik: I tried my hardest, but I only managed a draw. But it can't end in a draw this time, Yumi. This is a duel that you have to win… You'll have to try even harder.**

**Anastasia: There is no try, Erik. Yumi **_**will**_

**Coming up next, "Clockwork Nirvana of Mechanus; Yumi versus Rasputin."**

**It's time for a rematch, with the whole world watching…**


	47. Clockwork Nirvana of Mechanus

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**CHAPTER FORTY-SIX**

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**Clockwork Nirvana of Mechanus**

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**Yumi versus Rasputin**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

Sam looked at the Monsters in the Dark World Deck. Beiige, Sillva, Goldd…

Reign-Beaux…

She realized now just how hideous and ugly they were…

_Lust for power makes people do dumb things…_ she thought.

She had seen the tapes of the original Battle City… She saw how her great uncle relied so much on Obelisk the Tormentor… How he was almost drunk with the power of the mighty God Card…

…so much that his poor Blue-Eyes were disregarded and put on the back burner…

He learned his lesson the hard way… He had been addicted to that mega-powerful card. In many ways, his use of it was no better than Marik's use of Ra.

If Yugi hadn't taken it from him, it likely would have destroyed him.

The Dark World Fiends weren't Obelisk, but they had presented the same temptation…

She looked at her Dark Ruler Ha Des card.

"It won't happen again…" she whispered. "When Yumi and I duel, I'll duel her as the Consort of Ha Des."

She looked at the Dark World cards again.

"And as for you freaks, once I find Hoshi, you're going back to where you came from…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Thank you," said Yumi, taking her tray from the counter.

Yumi sighed as she went up to the condiment counter. Sam had a point… Diets started after vacations. And she was going to start one after this one. She must have gained five pounds since she had gotten to Duelatopia. Sure, dueling tended to burn a lot of calories, but they had started to add up.

For now though, she could enjoy lunch before going in to face the one who had become her greatest foe…

She licked her lips as she spread ketchup on the double cheeseburger in front of her.

As she went to take a bite, she heard a familiar voice behind her.

"The game is still afoot, Yumi."

Yumi glanced over her shoulder, and saw Maria there.

"Can't you see I'm eating?" she asked. "Scram."

"Not worried?" asked Maria. "Yumi, you are in danger. Rasputin…"

"Maria, please…" said Yumi. "You may think I'm dumb, but this time, I'm meeting him prepared."

"He knows you have prepared," replied Maria. "And he has planned a strategy to counter your preparation. You see, the deck he intends to use for this duel…"

"Shut up, Maria!" snapped Yumi.

Maria looked at her.

"Maria, look…" said Yumi, with a sigh, "it's not that I don't appreciate the help… But I'm still a duelist. And I think that Rasputin is one too, at least on some level. If he has indeed adopted a new strategy, I don't have any more right to know about it than he has a right to know about mine."

She bit into the burger.

"Trust me… I'm more than ready for him."

Maria looked at her.

"Then I'll do the one thing I can," she said. "I'll wish you good luck."

She paused.

"May the Fates smile upon you…"

She turned and walked away.

Yumi concentrated on the cheeseburger, noticing Anastasia out of the corner of her eye.

"I hated to be so hard on her…" she muttered, "but I really hate to think I need help."

"I know…" replied Anastasia. "Your grandparents were the same way… Most of the time.

"I hope you truly are ready for Rasputin."

"I'll try my hardest…" said Yumi.

Anastasia put her hand on Yumi's shoulder.

"Yumi…" she said. "When I was undergoing rehabilitation in the Bastion of the Hopeful, when I knew that failure would result in my damnation, I was doubtful of my success at first. I told the ones coaching me that I would try to succeed.

"They told me that I could not try. I would either do it, or I wouldn't do it. There was no such thing as trying.

"So either do, or don't do. There is no trying…"

Yumi nodded, and went back to the burger.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The sound system was playing polka music, and in the center of the field, Ojama Yellow, Ojama Green, and Ojama Black danced an Irish jig around a pot of gold.

They burst into an explosion of stars, and more ominous music started.

"We're back," said Ben, as he appeared on the screen. "And it's time to decide just who will face Samantha in the final round."

"Indeed," said Natalie. "Two duelists vie for the spot, and they want to climb their way to the top… And they're entering the arena now!"

The music turned more low and spooky, as Rasputin and Yumi walked to the center of the arena. Sheena glared at Rasputin for a second.

"Okay folks…" she said, placing a card in her Disk. "Let's change the scenery again… It's time to go…"

There was another great flash of light.

"…to the Clockwork Nirvana of Mechanus!"

Once again, the entire city had been changed. They were now in a large void, full of floating islands… They resembled gears and cogs, all of them interlocking with each other. On the sides of the cogs were forests, hills, even cities. Flying through the void or perched around the arena were strange spectators – modrons, little clockwork creatures shaped like geometric shapes with arms, legs, and faces.

"The Plane of Ultimate Law," said Delmato, "and I couldn't be happier. Now both of you, cut and shuffle each other's decks."

Rasputin seemed truly out of it as he took Yumi's deck. He started to shuffle.

"So, Rasputin," said Yumi, shuffling. "Care to make any wagers?"

"No thank you," replied Rasputin.

"No?" said Yumi. "You don't want to wager your Rod for my Crown and Gale Shield? Or even one of them?"

"Nope, I'm good," he said.

Then, as he handed the deck back, he held his forehead.

Yumi stared at him. He took his deck back. The Pharaoh appeared next to her.

She looked at her own deck. Something wasn't right…

"Prepare yourself, Yumi," said Rasputin in a sinister voice. "I broke you once before, and when I do it this time, no-one will be there to put you back together…"

Yumi stared at him closely as he walked to his position.

"Weird…." she said. "Very weird…"

"Yumi…" said the Pharaoh, "I have a feeling that he's trying something entirely new."

"And that would be?" she asked.

He sighed.

"Yumi…" he said, "there are times when things even confuse me…"

The Puzzle glowed with golden fire, and the two merged together in a burst of light. Yumi stared down her opponent.

"Contestants…" said Delmato. "Honored guests… Viewers… It's time to duel! Game on!"

**(Yumi: 8,000) -------------------- (Rasputin: 8,000)**

"You won't be walking away from this one, Yumi!" warned Rasputin, drawing his first card.

He looked at his hand.

"To start, I play Magical Mallet. You know how that works, right? I take any number of cards from my hand, return them to my deck, then reshuffle, and then draw the same number. And I think I'll do that with all five of my cards."

"Huh…" said Ren. "He must have a bad first hand."

Rasputin reshuffled and drew five new cards.

"I'll have this defend me for now, and that will be all," he said.

A facedown Monster appeared.

"About time," said Yumi.

She made a draw. She gave it a strange look, and added it to her hand.

"I summon my Skilled Dark Magician!" she shouted.

In a burst of dark energy, the mage in black appeared. (1,900/1,700)

"Attack his Monster! Black magic blast!"

Skilled Dark Magician fired a wave of dark energy at the facedown card. A young girl in a blue witch's hat and a peasant's dress with dragonfly wings appeared kneeling on the card before she was blown to pieces.

"Heh, heh…" chuckled Rasputin. "Someone who likes Spellcasters as much as you do, Yumi, obviously knows what happens when a Pixie Knight is destroyed in battle. I get to take a Spell Card from my Graveyard, and place it on the top of my deck."

Magical Mallet slipped out of his discard slot.

"Normally, you'd get to choose which one, but I only have this one in there."

He slid it on the top of his deck.

"I place one card facedown, and end my turn," said Yumi.

A facedown card appeared. Rasputin grinned, as if he had been expecting that.

He drew a card.

"As you might expect, I drew Magical Mallet," he said. "Now… If you don't mind… I'd like to play it again. And I'll reshuffle all four of my cards."

"Why does he keep resetting his hand?" asked Ren.

Chelsea held her chin.

"Obviously there's a key card somewhere in his deck," she said. "And he's trying his hardest to get it…"

Rasputin drew four cards.

"Next…" he said. "I play Pot of Greed."

He played the card, and drew two cards.

"Excellent…" he said, looking at his six cards. "My true strategy begins now… With this card…

"I play a powerful Continuous Spell Card… The incredible Chaos Distil."

He placed a card in his Disk, and an explosion blasted behind him. With multiple bursts of steam and smoke, a huge contraption rose behind him. It looked like an enormous, pear-shaped, copper kettle of some sort, covered with tubes, gauges, and gewgaws, with a fire burning underneath it.

"What is that?" whispered Yumi.

"I'm as clueless as you are," replied the Pharaoh.

"And what does this monstrosity do?" asked Yumi, out loud.

"This 'monstrosity', as you put it," said Rasputin, "is a powerful alchemical artifact. With it, an alchemist can harness the secrets of his science, transmuting one form of matter into another.

"In game terms, any card that would normally go to my own Graveyard is removed from play… The cards are used as fuel to power my Distill, you see.

"Also, the Distill is necessary to use many other Spell Cards…

"Like this one… Steel Lamp."

He played the Spell Card, and it vanished. It reappeared inside the panel inside the Distill, burning with flames.

"Now I'm able to summon Alchemy Beast – Salamandra the Steel from my deck."

In a burst of flame, a large, winged Dragon made entirely of Steel appeared in front of him. (500/500)

"An Alchemy Beast?" said Ren.

"That isn't very powerful," said Yumi.

"That tends to be the case with Monsters who can attack directly," said Rasputin with a smile.

"Attack directly?" said Yumi, in shock.

"And I'm not done…" continued Rasputin, holding up two more Spell Cards.

"I also play… Bronze Scales and Lead Compass to summon two more Alchemy Beasts… Ouroboros the Bronze and Leon the Lead!"

In two more bursts of flames, two more Monsters appeared. One was a huge serpent made of bronze. The other was a large lion with a fiendish face made of lead. (500/500 x2)

"Ho boy…" said Yumi.

"I could go into a long discussion on the principles behind how creatures such as these are created using alchemical solutions and formulas," said Rasputin, "but this is a duel, not a science lesson. I'm sure you get enough of that in school.

"Alchemy Beasts, attack her directly!

"Salamandra, Greek fire!"

The Dragon breathed a blast of white-hot flame at Yumi, scorching her.

"Ouroboros, scorching ray!"

The metal serpent shot a beam of pure, burning light from its maw, and Yumi screamed.

"Leon, metal burst!"

Leon the Lead roared, and shards of metal shot from its mane, stabbing into Yumi's chest.

Yumi clutched her chest in pain, and caught her breath.

"And to think my rotten older brother used to tell me that if I jabbed myself with a pencil, I'd get lead poisoning," said Ben. "Yumi looks hurt bad."

**(Y: 6,500) -------------------- (R: 8,000)**

"Are we all right?" asked the Pharaoh.

"I'll be fine," replied Yumi. "Assuming I don't laugh or sneeze anytime soon…"

Rasputin chuckled, and looked at his deck as Yumi struggled to keep standing. Only he saw the red aura that was surrounding her.

_Part one is complete… _he thought. _Little does Yumi know, every Monster Card in my deck has been laced with thrall powder. The forbidden solution that one alchemist was burned for using._

_Now that even one direct attack has succeeded, she is infected with it. I now only have to win this duel…_

_And once the final blow lands, Yumi is mine. She'll follow me like a lamb. _

_I won't need to combat her friends to get the other Charms. With her as my slave, she can do it for me. Best of all, she'll have one thing I no longer have… The element of surprise…_

Yumi glared at him.

"Okay, buddy, you hurt me," she said. "But your Beasts are weaklings. I can take them out with no problem."

"Oh?" asked Rasputin, taking the last card in his hand.

He fit it into his Disk.

"Only if you can get by this. I play Messenger of Peace."

In a flash of light, a holy man wearing a long robe appeared on the field, and raised his hand. The three Alchemy Beasts didn't seem to care, but Skilled Dark Magician bowed his head.

"Now you can't come near my Beasts, unless you manage to draw a Monster with less than 1,500 Attack Points.

"With that, I end my turn."

Yumi glared at him, and drew a card.

"I place a Monster in Defense Mode, and end my turn," she said.

A facedown Monster appeared next to Skilled Dark Magician.

"I draw one card," said Rasputin, drawing a card. "And I pay 100 Life Points to keep Messenger of Peace."

He looked at the card and grinned.

"And I got the perfect card," he said. "It's a Spell called Black Process Nigredo. A funny name, I know, but trust me, it's no laughing matter. This process is the alchemic formula of death."

He fit it into his Disk.

"By playing this card, I destroy all my Alchemy Beasts on the field. Begone."

The three Alchemy Beasts in front of him erupted into flames, and shattered into shards of metal.

"Rasputin has made a strange move," said Natalie. "He's wiped out his whole line, and I don't know why."

"I'll explain why," said Rasputin. "A good alchemist doesn't tolerate waste, and can easily recycle his material. Now for each Beast I just destroyed, I get to draw two cards."

He quickly made six draws, and looked them over.

"Now, I intend to use them!"

Three Spell Cards appeared on the field.

"I play Mercury Hourglass, Tin Spell Circle, and Silver Key!"

The Spell Cards were consumed in flames, and then three more bonfires appeared on the field. Three more creatures appeared out of the fires. One was a large predator bird made of metal. The other was a large, lamprey-like fish, also made of metal. The third was a round, unhewn, rock-like thing on legs. (500/500 x3)

"Meet Aitos the Tin, Echeneis the Mercury, and Moonface the Silver," said Rasputin. "But before I use them…"

He played another Spell Card.

"I play Soul Release. Now I'll remove the three cards in my Graveyard from play."

Magical Mallet, Pixie Knight, and Pot of Greed appeared above him, and faded into nothing.

_He keeps removing more and more cards from play,_ thought Yumi. _That accursed kettle is making sure that nothing reaches his Graveyard. When he finally summons Gren, its Attack Score is going to be through the roof!_

"Alchemy Beasts attack!" shouted Rasputin. "Blazing breeze!"

Aitos blew a burning wind from its beak, and Yumi screamed again.

"Freezing stream!"

Echeneis shot a blast of water, striking Yumi in the stomach.

"Sonic slivers!"

Moonface let a blast of pure sound at Yumi, and she fell to her knees, clutching her ears…

**(Y: 5,000) -------------------- (R: 7,900)**

"I place one card facedown," said Rasputin, "and I end my turn…"

A facedown card appeared in front of him.

Yumi held her chest. She took some deep breaths.

_Rasputin isn't fooling around,_ thought Yumi. _And his deck has never been stronger. I've gotta turn this around before he summons something really bad…_

She drew a card.

She placed it in her Disk, and a facedown card appeared next to the other one.

"Move…" she said.

_Poor Yumi,_ thought Rasputin, drawing a card. _You're so predictable, it's sad._

_You're so afraid of my Chaos Fiend… I see the fear in your eyes… I can hear you trembling… So I know exactly how you've prepared._

_One of your facedown cards is clearly Magic Cylinder, which would send a powerful attack right back at me._

_What you don't know is, my own facedown card is Trap Jammer, which will dash your plan to pieces._

"I'll neglect to pay for Messenger of Peace, and destroy it," he said.

The priest shattered into pixels.

"He was getting on my nerves anyway. Now… While Nigredo is the process of death, there is also a process of life…"

He held up a Spell Card.

"White Process Albred. This card lets me Special Summon my Golden Homunculus!"

A bonfire appeared on the field, and a giant man who seemed to be chiseled completely out of gold appeared, wreathed in flames. (1,500/1,500)

"Whoa," said Natalie. "Rasputin has just summoned twenty-four karats of killing machine!"

"Actually, it's a Warrior," said Rasputin, "even though it doesn't look like one. And it has an impressive ability. It gains 300 Attack and Defense Points for each of my cards that have been removed from play. And there have been fifteen of my cards removed from play so far…"

Golden Homunculus glowed with a golden, fiery aura…

(6,000/6,000)

"NO!" screamed Chelsea.

"I activate a Trap!" shouted Yumi. "Go, Threatening Roar!"

One of her facedown cards lifted, and a loud roar bellowed over the field.

Rasputin gave a look of surprise.

_Threatening Roar?_ he thought. _Since when has a member of her family ever used a Trap like that? My Trap Jammer can't counter that… Ooh, if I had known she was going to use that, I would have come with Seven Tools of the Bandit!_

"Fine, fine," he said, angrily. "I have to end my turn. Let's see how you intend to bring down my Homunculus…"

Everyone looked, as Yumi drew a card.

_Huh?_ she thought, looking at it.

She stared at it for a minute.

The card wasn't a very rare one, nor a very powerful one, unless you had the right type of deck. But Yumi had certainly never put this in her deck.

_Chaos Necromancer?_ she thought. _How the heck did I get this?_

She paused for a minute. Had her deck been sabotaged? She looked at Delmato, and wondered if she should call a time out…

She looked at the card again. It wasn't of any use now. This Monster's Attack Score depended on the number of Monsters in her Graveyard. She had none right now, so if it were summoned, the Attack Score would be zero.

She paused again.

Maybe she wouldn't cry foul just yet…

"All right, Rasputin…" she said. "I flip my facedown Monster into Attack Mode. Meet the newest Spellcaster on my team… The Crystal Seer!"

Her facedown Monster flipped up, and a mysterious figure stepped forward. It was a gypsy wearing expensive, silken clothing, a turban, cape, and a veil. She held her hands out, and a glowing, crystal sphere hovered between her hands. (100/100)

"Crystal Seer?" exclaimed Rasputin.

"Don't underestimate her because she only has 100 Attack Points," said Yumi. "She has a powerful Flip-Effect. I get to look at the top two cards on my deck. Then I choose one. The one I choose goes to my hand. I put the other one at the bottom of my deck.

"So, let's see…"

She took the two cards off of her deck.

One of them was Sage's Stone…

The other was a key part of her strategy.

Maybe she could use Chaos Necromancer after all.

She smirked, and put Sage's Stone at the bottom of her deck.

"Check it out, Rasputin!" she said with a laugh, as the card appeared. "It's Special Hurricane!"

"Special Hurricane?" gasped Rasputin.

"Yeah, I added it to my deck after I saw your duel with Erik," said Yumi. "I just have to toss one card…"

She discarded the Chaos Necromancer.

"…and all Monsters on the field who were Special Summoned are destroyed!"

"So, uh, what does this mean exactly?" asked Erik.

"Well…" said Sam. "Since all four of Rasputin's Monster's were summoned with Spell Cards, it basically means he's about to get his ass handed to him."

A fierce storm erupted over the void of Mechanus, and the modrons ran for cover. Crystal Seer and Skilled Dark Magician held onto each other, but they had secure footing. Rasputin's Monsters, however, strained and struggled against the storm, their footing not as secured due to the methods in which they arrived. The three Alchemy Beasts burst into shards of metal. Finally, Golden Homunculus roared, and exploded into a burst of fiery golden slag.

"This isn't possible…" muttered Rasputin.

"Oh, but it is…" said Yumi. "And I'm not through with you yet, Rasputin!

"Since more than enough Spell Cards have been played since I summoned Skilled Dark Magician, and since the Special Hurricane has now subsided, I sacrifice him to Special Summon Dark Magician from my deck."

Skilled Dark Magician smirked at Rasputin. Then he vanished, and the mighty sorcerer appeared in his place. (2,500/2,100)

"Crystal Seer," she said. "You were a big help, but… It's time for you to leave too. Sayonara."

Crystal Seer nodded, and then vanished.

Yumi placed a card on her Disk, and Dark Magician Girl appeared in a flurry of hearts and flowers. (2,000/1,700)

The two Spellcasters looked at Rasputin with dirty looks…

"Oh… no…" he muttered.

"Dark Magician Girl…" said Yumi. "Dark burning attack!"

The sorceress raised her staff, and a mighty blasts shot towards Rasputin. The crowd cheered as the blast hit home and Rasputin screamed…

"Ooh…" said Ben. "That's gotta hurt…"

"Dark Magician," ordered Yumi, "dark magic attack!"

The older Spellcaster fired an even more powerful blast, and Rasputin screamed and was sent toppling backwards.

"I stand corrected," said Ben. "THAT'S gotta hurt!"

**(Y: 5,000) -------------------- (R: 3,400)**

The audience rose to their feet and cheered as Rasputin struggled to his feet.

"I've been wanting to do _that_ for a long time!" laughed Yumi. "Anyway, I'll place another card facedown, and end my turn."

A facedown card appeared, next to the one she had set on her first turn.

Rasputin shook his head. His ears were ringing.

"That hurt…" he muttered.

He paused.

"THAT HURT!" he screamed.

He looked at Yumi, just to make sure that the red aura from the thrall powder was still there.

_Oh, that does it,_ he thought. _Once she's my slave, no job I could think up will be too humiliating…_

He looked at her side of the field.

_One of those facedown cards MUST be Magic Cylinder. What other Trap could she have set?_

He drew a card.

"I play… Chaos Greed," he said, playing it. "Since at least four of my cards have been removed from play, and my Graveyard is empty, I get to draw two cards."

He drew twice. He looked at the cards.

Then he laughed. He laughed out loud.

_Here it comes…_ thought Yumi, sweating.

"Well look here, Yumi," he said, playing a card. "It's an old friend of yours!"

Once again, the roaring flame appeared on his side of the field. The two demonic eyes peered out of it…

Gren Maju Da Eiza had arrived.

"Have you been keeping track, Yumi?" asked Rasputin. "In case you haven't, I've removed twenty of my cards from play so far…"

(8,000/8,000)

"You say you waited a long time to make that attack?" he shouted, pointing at Dark Magician Girl. "I've been waiting to make this one ever since that whore cost me the God Cards!"

Everyone in the crowd gasped.

Yumi looked at Dark Magician Girl, who looked close to tears.

"Keep calm…" whispered Yumi. "He won't get away with that…"

"Gren Maju Da Eiza…" ordered Rasputin.

Dark Magician Girl trembled in fear as flames danced over the Chaos Fiend's exoskeleton.

"Kill Dark Magician Girl! Fires of Chaos!"

The blast of white-hot fire shot towards Dark Magician Girl…

"Go, Trap Card!" shouted Yumi. "Mirror Force!"

Her Trap Card lifted.

"Mirror Force?" said Rasputin, with a smirk. "Well, I was expecting something else… But no matter…

"Activate Trap Jammer!"

His own Trap Card lifted…

"Hold on, Rasputin…" said Yumi. "Did you forget about my other facedown card?"

Her second Trap Card lifted.

"Activate… Dark Bribe!"

"HUH?" exclaimed Rasputin. "Dark Bribe?"

"Yep," said Yumi. "It's a Counter Trap to counter your Trap. In exchange for a small bribe on my part, letting you draw one card, your Trap Jammer… well, it jams."

Rasputin growled as he drew one card. Trap Jammer exploded into shards.

"And that means my Mirror Force is still good to go!"

As the flames shot towards Dark Magician Girl, a shimmering plane of force appeared in front of her. The flames backfired back on Gren Maju Da Eiza, and the Fiend exploded into burning particles.

Dark Magician hugged his apprentice, who was still crying a little.

"Don't worry, you two," said Yumi.

She turned to Rasputin.

"It's over, Rasputin!"

Rasputin chuckled.

"Not yet, it isn't, dear child…" he said. "My Chaos Fiend is coming right back."

"Oh, how?" asked Yumi. "You've already used your Normal Summon for this round, so even if one of those three cards in your hand is another one, you can't summon it. And thanks to your own Chaos Distill, the one that was just destroyed is gone for good."

"I beg to differ!" said Rasputin, taking a card from his hand. "Proceeding to my second Main Phase, I play Dimension Distortion!"

A Spell Card appeared on his side of the field.

"Dimension Distortion?" said Ben. "I've… never heard of that one."

"I must admit, even I'm clueless," said Natalie.

"I suppose even former champions need a lesson now and then," said Rasputin. "Dimension Distortion is actually a common card, but very few duelists use it, because it's almost never useful. See, I can only use it when there are no cards in my Graveyard.

"But when that condition is met, I can Special Summon a Monster that has been removed from play, without paying a dime."

A portal ripped open in the fabric of space behind him.

"Guess who it is."

Gren Maju Da Eiza crawled out of the portal, and landed on the ground. It roared.

"And by the way, since my Chaos Distill just removed Trap Jammer and Dimension Distortion from play, he's even stronger now."

(8,800/8,800)

"Heh, heh… I end my turn."

Rasputin looked at the last two cards in his hand.

Fairy Meteor Crush, which had been there in first place, and Giant Trunade, which he had drawn due to Dark Bribe.

_This duel is mine,_ he thought. _Even if she switches her Monsters to Defense Mode on her turn, one mighty blast from my Fiend will finish her once I Equip it with Fairy Meteor Crush._

_And if she tries to defend herself with any Traps again, my Giant Trunade will blow them off the field._

Yumi drew a card.

"Okay Rasputin…" she said. "I play… Instant Fusion!"

"Instant Fusion?" he said. "What the…"

"Yeah, you know…" said Yumi, playing the card. "Instant Fusion. I play 1,000 Life Points, add a little water, and poof… I get to summon a Fusion Monster from my Fusion Deck. It has to be Level Five or less, but this guy is sort of a family heirloom… Before my grandfather Joey won Red-Eyes from Rex Raptor, it was his favorite card. And even after he had Red-Eyes for a long time, this Warrior still held a place in his heart…

"So come on out… Flame Swordsman!"

A burst of fire appeared on Yumi's side of the field, and a mighty Warrior in blue and orange, wearing a helmet and carrying a bronze greatsword stepped out of the fire. (1,800/1,600)

"What's the point?" asked Rasputin. "Since you summoned him with Instant Fusion, he can't attack, and he'll be destroyed when you end your turn…"

He paused.

Then a realization hit him.

"Unless…"

"That's right, Rasputin!" said Yumi with a grin, as she held up another card. "I summoned him with Instant Fusion… So I could use him in a _real_ fusion!

"Dark Magician… Flame Swordsman…"

The Spellcaster and the Warrior nodded to each other. The Polymerization card appeared behind them.

"GO!"

The two Monsters leapt into the sky, and swirled into a blur of violet and orange. Dark Magician Girl looked up in wonder, as her Attack Score rose to 2,300…

Then, a new Warrior landed next to her. He was clad in black armor and a helmet, with crimson streaks, with a flowing cape, carrying a gleaming sword and a very large shield with a flaming pattern on it. (2,200/800)

"The Dark Flare Knight!" shouted Rasputin.

"That's his name, don't wear it out," said Yumi. "And it seems you're far more familiar with his special ability than the Big Five was.

"Dark Flare Knight… Attack Gren Maju Da Eiza!"

The void of Mechanus turned dark, and the evil Lord of Chaos roared in bloodlust, and the modrons huddled in fright. But Dark Flare Knight faced the beast without fear. The crowd gasped, as he lifted his sword. It shone in the dim light…

He charged the great demon, his cape flying behind him.

Gren Maju Da Eiza bellowed, and blasted its flame to meet the attack. Even as the overwhelming heat struck him, Dark Flare Knight continued to charge, until it was too much, and the blast reduced him to cinders.

"Perfect!" said Yumi, giving a thumbs up. "As you no doubt know, Rasputin, when Dark Flare Knight falls in battle, my Life Points are untouched. What's more, with the death of his mortal body, his true, divine form is released…"

The darkness of the void lit up, and a brilliant figure descended from the heavens. It was another Warrior, this one wearing armor of solid gold, carrying a halberd with a sharp, golden blade.

He glared at Rasputin and his Monster… (2,800/2,000)

"And Mirage Knight has an even greater ability," said Yumi. "He absorbs the Attack Score of whatever opponent he's battling.

"And since Gren Maju Da Eiza's base Attack Score is indeterminate, and therefore determined by whatever its effect gives it…"

Mirage Knight raised his halberd…

(11,600/2,000)

"_Eleven-thousand, six-hundred?!"_ screamed Rasputin.

"Mirage Knight…" ordered Yumi, "slay Gren Maju Da Eiza!"

Mirage Knight flew into the air, leaving a trail of pure light in his wake. For the very first time, the expression of Gren Maju Da Eiza's face could be described as terror…

The divine Warrior slashed with his weapon, and the Lord of Chaos screamed in an earsplitting death throws…

The explosion from the dying beast sent geysers of flame skyward, lighting up the void in flashy pyrotechnics…

**(Y: 4,000) -------------------- (R: 600)**

Rasputin was sweating heavily.

"Well, Yumi…" he said with a sneer. "I'll admit you had me worried there for a minute… But I still have 600 Life Points left, and when you end your turn, your Mirage Knight will disappear, so I'm not finished just…"

"Who said I'm ending my turn?" interrupted Yumi. "It's still my Battle Phase, and I still have another Monster who can attack."

Rasputin slowly looked away from Mirage Knight…

Dark Magician Girl smiled sweetly, and waved at him.

"Dark Magician Girl…" said Yumi. "Finish this…"

Dark Magician Girl flew towards Rasputin.

"No…" he shouted. "Stay away from me, you…"

He screamed as Dark Magician Girl cast her spell, and he fell to his knees.

**(Y: 4,000) -------------------- (R: 0)**

"Humph!" said Dark Magician Girl, turning her back to him.

Slowly, the crowd started to get up. One person started to clap, and followed by several more, and then the whole stadium was applauding.

Delmato lifted Yumi's hand.

"Yumi is the winner!" he exclaimed.

Rasputin was still on his knees.

"I… I lost…" he muttered.

He looked at Yumi.

The red aura was already turning brown. The thrall powder was rotting.

He watched as it turned black, and then crumbled into nothing.

Rasputin spilled his cards on the ground.

"How could I have lost…" he said, dumbfounded. "It was a perfectly devised strategy… The logic behind it was impeccable…"

"Rasputin…" said Yumi. "With some folks, you can't measure their strength using logic.

"And let me tell you… In this crazy world, where things don't always make sense, and nothing is ever for certain, a little faith can work wonders."

Rasputin bowed his head. He took the Rod of the Ancients from his belt, and looked at it.

_It's over…_ he thought. _My last plan has failed…_

_I… I give up…_

_One quick incantation will sever my ties with the Rod… Then I'll simply give it to her. The police would just take it from me anyway…_

He closed his eyes.

Then he paused.

"There is another way, you know," said a voice.

He opened his eyes.

He was in darkness.

"Who said that?" he asked.

Then he paused.

"Oh, it's you…" he muttered. "I figured you were watching over me… So were the _both_ of you hovering over me now? Which one of you is holding the other's leash, might I ask?"

"Now, now…" said the voice. "I want to be friends, Rasputin…"

"I have no friends," replied Rasputin.

"And whose fault is that?" asked the voice. "You could have found ways to make friends, Rasputin… You could have been more social… Taking a bath more often would have helped.

"But seriously, I wouldn't give away this Rod just yet… As you know, you have no idea what it can do…

"Me, on the other hand, I know a great deal more.

"I can get you all eight of the Charms, Rasputin, but you must stop rejecting the help that's been offered you for so long. The Power Wall card was only a taste of what true power can accomplish."

"Bah!" snapped Rasputin.

Then he sighed.

"What do I need to do?" he asked.

"The first thing you must do," said the voice, "is finalize the deal you made so long ago. I know it will be taking a risk that you never intended to take, but I can only help you so much. That fool you made the deal with can handle Yumi… I'll help with the rest.

"Just follow me, and who knows? Maybe we could be partners."

Rasputin snarled.

"Fine, have it your way," said the voice. "But do what you're told for now."

Rasputin opened his eyes, and saw that, while he was talking, he had left the Coliseum and walked outside. His deck was gone – he had likely left it spilled on the floor – but he didn't care. He had decided never to use Gren Maju Da Eiza again, if he ever dueled again.

He took out his cell phone and hit the multi-call button. He spoke into it.

"Olga, Nicholas, Louis," he said. "Meet me at the backup."

Meanwhile, Ren and Chelsea were hugging each other.

"All right!" shouted Ren. "Yumi beat that creep! Sam had better watch out!"

"Sorry you two…" said Erik. "Sam is going to pound her into the pavement."

"Oh?" said Ren. "Want a bet?"

"Actually…" said Erik, "I do…"

He held up his badge.

"I got twenty dollars left on this," he said. "I'll bet it against everything that's left on yours, Ren, that Sam wins tomorrow."

Ren paused. He had twenty-five left on his himself…

He looked at the badge.

_Oh, what the heck,_ he thought. _I can't redeem it anywhere else anyway…_

"You're on," he said.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Six o'clock.

Yumi, Ren, and Chelsea were in the V.I.P. lounge, eating pizza that Sheena had graciously provided. Sam and Erik had gone out to eat for their own private celebration.

Ren was laughing.

"Aw, Yumi, did you see the look on Rasputin's face when your Mirage Knight blew that Fiend to Kingdom Come?" he asked. "It was priceless!"

Yumi chuckled herself.

Chelsea sighed, and looked at her pizza. It was extra cheese, pepperoni, and mushroom – a combination she usually loved – but she felt a bit empty.

"You gonna be all right, Chels?" asked Ren.

"I suppose so…" she replied. "I so much wanted to beat Sam… I at least wanted to try to duel Yumi for the title… But I guess I couldn't make it…"

Yumi sighed.

She had supported Chelsea, but in reality, a small part of her was glad that Sam had won. She wanted to duel Sam more than she wanted to duel anyone. More than Rasputin, more than anyone on this island…

She was Yugi Mouto's descendent… Sam was Seto Kaiba's descendent. The two of them were fated to confront each other. It had been decided so long ago that they would be rivals, and would likely repeat itself with each generation.

She put her hand on Chelsea's shoulder.

"Tell you what, Chelsea," she said, "once the tournament is over and we deal with Rasputin, I'll duel you again, with both our decks at their full strength. It may not be on worldwide television for a huge prize, but at least we can duel as mature duelists."

Chelsea smiled.

"You're on," she said.

She bit into the pizza.

"So… Where do you suppose Rasputin and his henchmen went anyway?"

"Eh, he won't get off the island," said Ren. "Sheena has her eye on him, and she'll make sure of that."

Yumi nodded.

"Yeah…" she said with a smile. "Once we find out where he went, we just have to win the Rod from him. Seeing as we smashed his spirit to pieces, it should be relatively easy.

"After all… Tomorrow is another day."

She held up a card and looked at it.

It was the Chaos Necromancer card.

She had gone through her deck twice. There weren't any other surprises in it.

"Yumi," said the Pharaoh's voice. "You realize that there's only one explanation for how it got in your deck. Rasputin put it there when he shuffled your deck."

"But why?" asked Yumi. "If I had just the right number of Monsters in my Graveyard, it might have been able to get by Messenger of Peace and still defeat his Alchemy Beasts!

"Could the card be magic?"

"No," said the Pharaoh. "I can't detect even a small trace of magic in it. It's just a normal card.

"Clearly, this was meant as a message of some sort…

"But whether it was some sort of threat, warning, or something else entirely, I don't know… I don't understand it any more than you do."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In her office, Sheena's phone rang. She answered it.

"Arachne here," she said.

"Ms. Arachne?" said a stern voice at the other end. "It's Akuma. Good news. The head of Jarvis and Micawber cracked."

"So he told the authorities that Rasputin was behind the break-in?" asked Sheena.

"Better," replied Akuma. "You should have seen the guy. First he gets there an hour late. He was really upset about having to actually show up, and told the judge that he wanted it done with quickly because he had an appointment in an hour. The judge told him to sit down because he was going to miss it. He started to argue, but the judge threatened to hold him in contempt.

"After the charges were read, he tried to motion for dismissal three times based on three loopholes that he thought would help, but we were expecting all three, and presented documented proof that they were irrelevant.

"Then we presented the recorded conversation between him and the spy that was recorded while the break-in occurred. He got nervous and said it was inadmissible evidence – we had proof that it wasn't.

"That's when reality finally sank in. He pretty much panicked. Apparently, being threatened with jail was a new concept to him. He's spilling his guts completely now.

"He's telling Scotland Yard everything. He told them that Rasputin is the head of no less than eight underworld organizations in Europe and elsewhere, including the League of Ascension, and that they've been handling the legal cases for all of them.

"Incidentally, a lot of convictions and lawsuits that Jarvis and Micawber were responsible for are likely going to be overturned soon, and they're all likely going to have to apply for informant status to avoid going to prison now. But anyway…"

"Just keep doing what you're doing," said Sheena. "You're doing great. Me, on the other hand, I'll get you the big fish."

She hung up and then dialed a number.

"Commander Descartes?" she said. "Yes, it's me… I want an APB put out. Find Rasputin. I want him arrested. Don't listen to any excuses or threats that he makes, period. I'm labeling him a Class-8 criminal, and you are not to treat him as a single rank lower.

"I also want Olga Warren, Nicholas Algernon, and that bodyguard of his brought in, but they are secondary concerns.

"Tell every boat and transport leaving the island to screen every passenger carefully. If someone tries to leave that even _might_ be Rasputin or one of his henchmen, have them use Code B27 to disable the engines and call the nearest squad. They aren't leaving, and they aren't going to hijack a boat either.

"And by the way… This suspect should be considered armed and dangerous. I'm authorizing use of lethal force if that becomes necessary. Be prepared to use hostage rescue tactics and special techniques. Be prepared for anything."

"Affirmative," said Descartes's voice.

Sheena got up and looked out the window.

It was incredibly rare that she assigned Class-8 to someone she wanted brought in. To put it simply, there was no such thing as Class-9.

"There's no place left to hide, pal," she whispered. "You should have known better than to unleash the Lord of Chaos upon the Plane of Ultimate Law…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In a dark place, Rasputin was standing in a design he had drawn with chalk. It was a circle, in which was drawn a five-pointed star…

A pentagram.

At each point of the star was a lit candle, made of black wax.

He started to chant in a language known only to a select few mortals. The flame of the candles turned from orange to green, and ominous mists appeared in the room.

Two glowing, red eyes appeared in front of him out of the mists.

A voice spoke from where the eyes were. It was deep and commanding… And sounded downright annoyed.

"You have some nerve calling me, Rasputin," said the voice. "It's been how long? Three hundred years? Four hundred? Even I lose track after a while.

"You think you're so smart just because you managed to avoid paying up after we made our deal. Well let me tell you…"

"Look, I'm going to do what you want, okay?" replied Rasputin. "I want you to fulfill the third and final request in our contract."

The glowing eyes narrowed.

"Like I said," said the voice, "you have a lot of nerve. However, I am bound to fulfill your request by the best of my ability. What is it?"

"I want you to seize the Crown of Souls and Gale Shield from Yumi Mouto and deliver them to me," said Rasputin.

"A tall order," said the voice. "I may be powerful, Rasputin, but even I am bound by the rules set by the Sorcerer Kings. Neither I nor anyone under me can simply grab her and steal the Charms… They can only be won. Nor can I force her to submit to me due to our own rules. Due to the terms of the Pact Primeval…"

"Yeah, yeah," snarled Rasputin. "I know all about the Pact Primeval. I read the paperback. A mortal can't be forced to commit or serve evil, they can only be encouraged or tempted.

"So win them then! Use whatever it takes… Offer her access to the Garden of Delights as a wager if you have to, I don't know… It doesn't even have to be Duel Monsters… Offer to play checkers with her or something. Maybe someone can beat her at _that_.

"And once you get it, do with her whatever you please. Throw her into the Pit of Flame… I really don't care…"

The eyes stared at him again.

"Very well, Rasputin…" he said. "I have someone who can at least make an attempt. By this time tomorrow, you will know whether or not his attempt at that matter was successful."

The eyes vanished.

In the Iron Tower, in the fiendish, iron city, the dark figure brooded on his metal throne.

He hadn't told Rasputin this, but as they were talking just then, he had scanned the forefront of his mind, and had learned his immediate plans.

He tapped his clawed fingers on the throne's armrest.

In the dark figure's mind, he formed an idea.

"Read the paperback, he says…" he muttered. "He mocks the document that defines our existence… He has some nerve…

"If I deliver the Charms to Rasputin, the chances of me collecting what I was promised in our bargain may go from slim to almost nonexistent…

"But due to the terms of the contract we made so long ago, I must attempt to deliver what he was promised, or the contract will become void…

"He suggested that I tempt Yumi with access to the Garden of Delights, something I often use to tempt mortals… He suggested I use a challenge other than Duel Monsters…"

He tapped his fingers together…

He grinned and shook his head.

"But those were merely suggestions, and I don't have to take them to heart.

"No… I will send someone to challenge Yumi at her own game, and offer a wager that she will not possibly refuse…

"Thus… Even if the challenge is lost… I still come out the winner…"

_Victory! Yumi has finally defeated Rasputin! But now what? It seems another player, or even a couple, have entered the conflict, and it doesn't bode well for Yumi. But for now, Yumi goes on to the final round, where the cycle repeats itself, and Sam waits for her. The rivalry between the Moutos and the Kaibas is about to explode into a battle again… What will be the outcome?_

**0**

**0**

**0**

**ALCHEMY BEAST – SALAMANDRA THE STEEL (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Dragon/Effect  
**Attribute: **Fire  
**Level:** 3  
**ATK:** 500  
**DEF:** 500

**Card Description:** This card cannot be Normal Summoned or set. This card can only be Special Summoned via the effect of "Steel Lamp". This card can attack your opponent directly.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**ALCHEMY BEAST – OUROBOROS THE BRONZE (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Reptile/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level:** 3  
**ATK:** 500  
**DEF:** 500

**Card Description:** This card cannot be Normal Summoned or set. This card can only be Special Summoned via the effect of "Bronze Scales". This card can attack your opponent directly.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**ALCHEMY BEAST – LEON THE LEAD (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Beast/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level:** 3  
**ATK:** 500  
**DEF:** 500

**Card Description:** This card cannot be Normal Summoned or set. This card can only be Special Summoned via the effect of "Lead Compass". This card can attack your opponent directly.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**ALCHEMY BEAST – AITOS THE TIN (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Winged Beast/Effect  
**Attribute: **Wind  
**Level:** 3  
**ATK:** 500  
**DEF:** 500

**Card Description:** This card cannot be Normal Summoned or set. This card can only be Special Summoned via the effect of "Tin Spell Circle". This card can attack your opponent directly.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**ALCHEMY BEAST – ECHENEIS THE MERCURY (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fish/Effect  
**Attribute: **Water  
**Level:** 3  
**ATK:** 500  
**DEF:** 500

**Card Description:** This card cannot be Normal Summoned or set. This card can only be Special Summoned via the effect of "Mercury Hourglass". This card can attack your opponent directly.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**ALCHEMY BEAST – MOONFACE THE SILVER (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fiend/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level:** 3  
**ATK:** 500  
**DEF:** 500

**Card Description:** This card cannot be Normal Summoned or set. This card can only be Special Summoned via the effect of "Silver Key". This card can attack your opponent directly.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**CHAOS DISTIL (Spell Card)**

**Continuous Spell**

**Image:** A weird copper kettle, covered with gauges, dials, and tubes.

**Card Description:** When this card is face-up on your side of the field, all cards that would normally go to your own Graveyard are removed from play instead.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**STEEL LAMP (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** An old oil lamp made of steel with an open flame.

**Card Description:** You can only activate this card when "Chaos Distil" is active on your side of the field. Special Summon one "Alchemy Beast – Salamandra the Steel" from your hand or deck.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**BRONZE SCALES (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** A wiry old balance made of bronze.

**Card Description:** You can only activate this card when "Chaos Distil" is active on your side of the field. Special Summon one "Alchemy Beast – Ouroboros the Bronze" from your hand or deck.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**LEAD COMPASS (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** A man standing before a compass the size of a table.

**Card Description:** You can only activate this card when "Chaos Distil" is active on your side of the field. Special Summon one "Alchemy Beast – Leon the Lead" from your hand or deck.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**TIN SPELL CIRCLE (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** A metal disk inlaid with strange runes.

**Card Description:** You can only activate this card when "Chaos Distil" is active on your side of the field. Special Summon one "Alchemy Beast – Aitos the Tin" from your hand or deck.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**MERCURY HOURGLASS (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** An hourglass floating in space among weird-looking clocks.

**Card Description:** You can only activate this card when "Chaos Distil" is active on your side of the field. Special Summon one "Alchemy Beast – Echeneis the Mercury" from your hand or deck.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**SILVER KEY (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** An old key standing point-down over a summoning circle.

**Card Description:** You can only activate this card when "Chaos Distil" is active on your side of the field. Special Summon one "Alchemy Beast – Moonface the Silver" from your hand or deck.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**BLACK PROCESS NIGREDO (Spell Card)**

**Image:** A collage of colors with black being dominant.

**Card Description:** You can only activate this card when you have "Chaos Distil" active on your side of the field, and this is the only card in your hand. Destroy all "Alchemy Beast" Monsters on your side of the field. For each Monster destroyed by this effect, draw two cards from your deck.

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**WHITE PROCESS ALBRED (Spell Card)**

**Image: **A collage of colors with white being dominant.

**Card Description:** You can only activate this card when you have "Chaos Distil" active on your side of the field. Special Summon one "Golden Homunculus" from your hand or deck.

_Note: The proceeding cards were all first used by Banner in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Amnael's Endgame (Part One)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**Chelsea: We've reached the final round…**

**Ren: I guess it had to happen, didn't it? It's been like a cycle…**

**Erik: It's a feud that began almost when Duel Monsters was invented, and it likely will continue until it becomes obsolete…**

**Yumi: Sam and I have dueled before, but she's more powerful than ever… This time, she's truly facing me as a Kaiba, and I'm more of a Mouto than ever. Our truce is officially over.**

**The conflict that my grandfather and her great uncle started so long ago… One that was fated to begin thousands of years ago… A new chapter is about to be written…**

**Will this rivalry ever end?**

**I hope not… It's too much fun!**

**Coming up next, "The Mounting Heavens of Celestia; Yumi versus Sam".**

**Sam: I'm heading for the mountain top, Yumi… And I'm gonna throw you off of it!**


	48. Mounting Heavens of Celestia

_Happy Thanksgiving._

_If you're reading this, you're likely in one of two situations: You're hungry and waiting for dinner to be served, or you're fighting off the fatigue that the tryptophan in the turkey has caused. Maybe you're waiting for the big football game to come on, if that catches your fancy._

_Anyway, I celebrated Thanksgiving with my family on Tuesday, since I couldn't go home today because of my work schedule. So, I figured I celebrate with you today, with my new chapter._

_Again, happy Turkey Day. And save a slice of pie for me._

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**CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN**

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**Mounting Heavens of Celestia**

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**Yumi versus Sam**

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It was ten o'clock the next morning.

Yumi sat on the edge of her bed in her luxurious suite, going over her deck one more time, one that she had reworked, hopefully to prepare for Sam.

She knew that Sam wasn't dumb… She had likely done the same and prepared for her.

And now she was more nervous than she had been since she had gotten off the boat…

She gave Dark Magician Girl a long look before shuffling her back into the deck.

"Pre-duel butterflies?" said that familiar voice.

She turned, and saw the Pharaoh standing beside her.

Yumi shrugged.

"Weird, you know…" she mumbled. "Ever since that day when Seto Kaiba ripped Grandpa Mouto's Blue-Eyes in half and my grandfather beat him with Exodia… The Moutos and the Kaibas have been rivals in every sense of the word…

"Sam and I only had an uneasy truce since this tournament started… As of noon, it's officially called off."

"I know, Yumi, I know…" said the Pharaoh. "It's been like this for ages…"

He shook his head.

"My memory is still hazy, but I know of Kaiba's counterpart… His ancestor… The original holder of the Millennium Rod… The rivalry was there back then too…

"But so was the uneasy alliance…

"Kaiba wasn't always an enemy."

Yumi nodded.

"You're talking about the duel with Marik, right?" she asked. "Did he ever say why he gave grandpa that Fiend's Sanctuary card?"

"No…" replied the Pharaoh. "I don't even know if Kaiba knew why. Kaiba's reason was, he wanted to believe that his helping Yugi wouldn't be any help at all, and giving him the card would disprove any prophecies… But I'm sure that there were deeper reasons."

"Well…" said Yumi with a sigh, "I guess that Sam and I really didn't have much of a choice… We couldn't back down from this duel even if we wanted too…

"Besides…"

She stood up. She smiled.

"I really don't think I wanted to…"

The Pharaoh smiled back.

The Puzzle glowed with golden light. Yumi spread her arms, as the golden aura surrounded her.

Her eyes narrowed, and her features turned feral. She slipped the Duel Disk on her arm.

"It's time to duel…" she said.

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As the visual screens played footage of past Duelatopias, and the seats filled up, the V.I.P. seats were looking pretty empty. Only Ren and Chelsea were there right now.

"So where's Rasputin and his goon squad?" asked Ren.

"Haven't you heard?" replied Chelsea. "They're fugitives now. Sheena found someone willing to testify that he's behind the League of Ascension. Once the Centurions find where he's hiding, it'll be all over."

"Thank goodness," said Ren with a sigh. "So where's Erik?"

"Acting as Sam's corner man," replied Chelsea. "I offered to do the same for Yumi, but she said she could handle herself."

At a far end of the arena, Erik was mopping Sam's brow with a towel.

"Okay, baby, now remember," he said, "watch out for facedown cards… You know she has a Mirror Force."

"Yes…" said Sam.

"And if she activates A Hero Emerges, look close, and choose the card she isn't looking at. That's the trick to it."

"Yes…" said Sam.

"And that Dark Paladin of hers can negate your Spells, so save your best Traps for…"

"Erik, please!" shouted Sam. "You trying to make me more nervous than I am?"

She panted.

"Water…"

Erik took a squirt bottle and lifted it to her mouth. Then he wiped her brow again.

"Why are vacation resorts always in the tropics?" she muttered.

"So people can go there in the winter," replied Erik. "Now get out there and make your dad proud! Don't forget, I got twenty clams on you."

"I'm going to have to duel with twenty clams on me?" said Sam. "Gonna be pretty cumbersome…"

"A regular comedian…" muttered Erik. "Just win, okay!"

Fireworks started to burst in the sky again, and Ben Fulton and Natalie Malone appeared again.

"Hello everybody!" shouted Natalie. "It's been a long and winding road, as the Beatles once said, but we have finally reached the end point…"

"And what an end point!" replied Ben. "A lot of you may not know about it, but there is significance in this final duel of the finals that cannot be denied.

"Once upon a time, there were two little duelists named Yugi Mouto and Seto Kaiba. One was the host of the legendary King of Games… The other was the most powerful man in the gaming world."

"These two little duelists defeated scores of opponents during their long careers," said Ben. "But no doubt, their greatest matches were when they faced each other."

"Eventually, the two hung up their Disks," said Natalie. "But Yugi bore a son, while a nephew took up Kaiba's legacy. When both came of age, the rivalry started again."

"Will this cycle ever end?" asked Ben. "Well, I for one hope not. It won't end today, that's for sure, because Yugi Mouto Jr.'s daughter and Siegfried Kaiba's daughter are both more than willing to take over where their fathers left off!"

More fireworks went off, and the crowd cheered.

"Introducing…" announced Ben, "the Princess of Games, who is vying for the title of Queen… Ms. Yumi Mouto!"

Half the crowd cheered, as Yumi stepped up to the center of the arena, where Sheena and Delmato were waiting.

"And her opponent, the heir to the Kaiba empire… Ms. Samantha Arachne!"

The other half of the crowd cheered, as Sam ran out, with a big smile on her face.

As she looked at her opponent, Sheena approached them.

"Okay you two…" she said, opening the Field slot on her Disk. "We've seen the depths of Hell, the Domain of the Beasts, the Realms of Law and Chaos…

"Now both of you will get a glimpse of the Blessed Realm… But only the winner of this duel will be allowed to enter…"

She placed a card in the Disk.

"The Mounting Heavens of Celestia!"

An overpowering light enveloped the arena. When everyone could see again, they were in a heavenly place, where the arena was dwarfed by a mountain of titanic size, reaching into the sky. Angelic beings hovered around them and overhead.

Their goal was behind Sheena: A pair of golden gates guarded by powerful-looking hosts with feathered wings.

"I trust no more needs to be said," said Delmato. "Now each of you, cut and shuffle each other's decks."

The two swapped decks.

"Interesting, huh Yumi?" said Sam. "Whoever wins this duel will be allowed into Heaven, while the loser will be thrown out.

"Why don't we up the stakes a little more… So the loser will be even more humiliated?"

"What do you have in mind?" asked Yumi. "I'm listening…"

"I'm suggesting that at the award ceremony tomorrow," said Sam, "whoever loses presents the novelty award check to the winner."

"I'm fine with that," said Yumi.

"…wearing a bikini," continued Sam.

Yumi paused. Sam grinned.

The audience was silenced.

Yumi frowned.

"What's the matter, Yumi?" asked Sam. "Afraid to show your goods on global TV?"

"Fine," she replied. "It's a bet. Gimme."

She took her deck back.

"Oh, for the love of…" muttered Ren. "Of all the crazy bets they could have made, that has to be the craziest!

"YUMI! You'd better win!"

_Oh, I fully intend to…_ thought Yumi.

"All right…" said Delmato. "Players…

"Guests…

"GAME ON!"

**(Yumi: 8,000) -------------------- (Sam: 8,000)**

"Let's start things out with a bang!" shouted Yumi, making her first draw.

"I summon…"

She threw a card down.

"…my Double Coston!"

A creeping shadow slipped across the field, and it formed into two black globs, with grinning faces. They were connected by a wispy tendril of ectoplasm. (1,700/1,650)

"You call THAT starting off with a bang?" asked Sam. "Please… I can see what you're planning from a mile away."

"Uh, yeah…" said Yumi, taking a card from her hand. "I'm gonna play one more card, and that will be all for now…"

A facedown card appeared.

Sam made her first draw and looked over her hand.

She looked at the Trap Card she had… Something nasty she had put in her deck especially for Yumi.

_Double Coston counts as two sacrifices when she uses it to summon a Dark Monster,_ she thought. _She might be planning to summon Dark Magician, in which case, maybe I should let her…_

_But… it could also mean Dark Magician of Chaos… That would be bad…_

_Hmm… I don't like that facedown card, but I'd better chance it…_

"I summon… Archfiend Soldier!" she shouted.

In a burst of black smoke, the infernal shocktrooper appeared, holding his sword aloft. (1,900/1,500)

"Attack her Double Coston!" she shouted.

Archfiend Soldier lifted his blade, and flew at the twin Zombies…

"Go, Trap Card!" shouted Yumi, as her facedown card lifted. "Magic Cylinder!"

Sam's eyes opened wide. Archfiend Soldier howled, as he was thrown back by a wave of energy. The backlash struck Sam, and she fell backwards on her behind.

"Let me guess…" growled Sam. "A leftover from your duel with Rasputin?"

"Uh huh," replied Yumi. "I just didn't draw it then."

**(Y: 8,000) -------------------- (S: 6,100)**

"With a well-placed Trap Card, Yumi has taken an early lead," said Ben. "She's ahead on points, and next round, she might be ahead on Monsters too."

_Okay…_ thought Sam._ So attacking wasn't the brightest idea…_

"We'll see about that," she said. "I'll set two of my cards facedown, and that will end my turn."

Two facedown cards appeared behind Archfiend Soldier.

_By all means, bring Dark Magician out,_ she thought. _You'll regret it this time…_

Yumi drew a card.

"Time to get serious!" shouted Yumi. "I sacrifice Double Coston…"

The two-in-one Monster vanished.

"And I'll bring out Dark Magician!"

In a flash of energy, the powerful sorcerer appeared, brandishing his staff. (2,500/2,100)

"That's just what I was waiting for, Yumi!" laughed Sam. "I activate my own Trap Card!"

Her facedown card lifted.

"Dora of Fate!"

A low tone sounded over the field, and then a large, bronze, ornate gong appeared behind Sam. Next to it was a nasty-looking gremlin holding a mallet.

"Dora of Fate?" asked Yumi.

"Let me explain," said Sam. "When I activate this card during your turn, I choose one of your Monsters. Now let's see… I think I'll choose… your Dark Magician.

"Your Dark Magician is Level Seven. Now, if on my next turn, I manage to summon a Monster who's exactly one Level lower than that, you get nailed for 500 points of damage for each Level of the Monster I just chose.

"Now isn't that interesting?"

Yumi looked at Dark Magician.

_She's clearly planning to summon Ha Des…_ she thought.

"There's one small problem with your plan, Sam," she said. "You need a sacrifice to summon a Level Six Monster, and I'm about to blow your only Monster to Kingdom Come.

"Dark Magician… Attack the Archfiend Soldier!

"Dark magic attack!"

Dark Magician cast his spell, and Archfiend Soldier howled before exploding into black shards.

**(Y: 8,000) -------------------- (S: 5,500)**

"I end my turn…" said Yumi, narrowing her eyes.

Sam chuckled and drew a card.

Her eyebrows raised as she saw what card it was.

_Hmm…_ she thought. _This is the card that Hoshi gave me before I went in to get those Dark World cards. It may be just what I need…_

Her other facedown card lifted.

"Call of the Haunted?" gasped Yumi.

"Uh huh," said Sam.

A stone coffin appeared on Sam's side of the field. It slowly opened, and Archfiend Soldier stepped out. (1,900/1,500)

"Now I have a sacrifice…" said Sam. "So, Archfiend Soldier, take a hike…"

Archfiend Soldier vanished…

The sky above Celestia darkened, and a bonfire of black flames appeared on Sam's side of the field.

Dark Ruler Ha Des had come again. (2,450/1,600)

"In case you didn't realize it," said Sam, "Ha Des is Level Six. So how fast can you multiply seven times five-hundred?"

The gremlin smacked the gong with its mallet, and the tone rang over the whole field. Fire erupted over Yumi's skin, and she screamed and fell to her knees.

**(Y: 4,500) -------------------- (S: 5,500)**

"This is a classic confrontation!" shouted Ben. "Both duelists have been hurt, and now, both of them have the aces of their decks out! What will be the outcome of this confrontation? It may be too tough to call!"

"Uhm, actually, Ben," said Natalie, "unless Sam has the right Spell or Trap Card in her hand right now, it might be incredibly easy to call."

"Our announcer makes a good point," snarled Yumi, as she got up. "The oldest rule in Duel Monsters is that the stronger Monster wins the battle. And in case you didn't notice, Dark Magician trumps the Dark Ruler by fifty points."

"Maybe…" said Sam. "But I'm going to play a Field Spell."

"What?" asked Yumi, almost laughing. "Yami? Mystic Plasma Zone? Both of those Fields will help Dark Magician as much as they'll help your Fiends!"

Sam placed a card in her Field Slot.

"I play… Domicile of the Dark Ruler!" she shouted.

A shadow covered the field, and when it lifted, the glory of Celestia had faded away. Now, both of them were on a broken wasteland, filled with twisted trees and lava pits bubbling out of the ground. Most remarkably, a hideous palace of bones and skulls was behind Sam.

"Where are we?" asked Yumi. "Is this the Underworld?"

"More or less," said Sam. "I end my turn."

Yumi slowly drew a card.

_Something's up…_ she thought. _This Field Spell hasn't increased the scores of her Dark Ruler or decreased those of my Magician… but it must do something…_

She played a card.

"I summon the newest member of my team," she said. "Meet the Skilled White Magician!"

In a flash of light, a new Spellcaster appeared next to Dark Magician. He looked similar to Skilled Dark Magician, but with a less bulky robe, that was pure white, radiating a soft glow. (1,700/1,900)

Yumi shook her head. She had taken one of her three Skilled Dark Magicians out of her deck to make room for this guy, and she really hoped she had made the right choice. She was cautious about "trying something out" for such an important duel, but if this guy might help her summon Buster Blader, it would be worth it.

"Dark Magician…" she ordered. "Attack Dark Ruler Ha Des!"

Dark Magician blasted the Fiend lord with his burning magic… Ha Des shielded himself with his arm as he was struck by it…

**(Y: 4,500) -------------------- (S: 5,450)**

When the smoke cleared, Ha Des was still there, chuckling evilly.

"He survived?" asked Yumi.

"That's the power Ha Des possesses in his home realm, Yumi," said Sam. "See, this Field Spell can't exist if Ha Des isn't present… However, so long as this Field stands, Fiends cannot be destroyed in battle!"

"Very clever," said Yumi. "But it's still my turn…

"I play this Spell Card…"

A Spell Card appeared on her side of the field. The image showed a bird's-eye view of the five Dark Scorpions sitting around a table that was strewn with loot.

"Share of Spoils?" asked Sam. "Never heard of that one…"

In two puffs of smoke, two treasure chests appeared in front of Yumi. One was red, and the other was blue.

"Consider this a little offering to the enemy," said Yumi. "Each of these chests has a treasure, and you get to choose one.

"The red one lets you draw two cards.

"The blue one gives you 2,000 Life Points."

"And why are you being so nice?" asked Sam. "There's a catch, right?"

"Uh huh," said Yumi. "After you choose, I get the one you didn't choose. So think hard before you choose…"

Sam paused.

She looked at her hand.

_If I'm gonna make any serious headway, I'm gonna have to take out her Dark Magician,_ thought Sam. _I know from experience how dangerous he can be. And I have to draw something that can do it before she draws something that can tear my Field Spell down._

"All right…" she said. "I choose the red one…"

The red chest opened, and two cards floated out, glowing with golden energy.

Sam drew two cards and looked at them. She smirked, and added them to her hand.

"Now I get the blue one," said Yumi, and the blue chest opened.

Golden dust flew out of the blue chest as it opened, and Yumi glowed with energy.

"I end my turn," she said.

**(Y: 6,500) -------------------- (S: 5,450)**

"All right… Watch out!" shouted Sam.

She drew a card.

"Thanks for the free cards, Yumi," she said. "One's going facedown…"

A facedown card appeared.

"And the other one I'm using. Come on out… Opticlops!"

In another burst of dark energy, the horned, one-eyed ogre appeared with a roar. (1,800/1,700)

"Ha Des… Attack the Skilled White Magician! Stygian blast!"

Ha Des put his hands together, and formed a ball of black flames. He hurled it at the Spellcaster, and he cringed before blasting into bits.

**(Y: 5,750) -------------------- (S: 5,450)**

"That's all for my turn…" she said.

Yumi looked long and hard at the facedown card. Then she drew a card.

"I'll set a Monster in Defense Mode…" she said, placing a card on her Disk.

A facedown Monster appeared.

"By the way, I noticed that when Dark Magician attacked last time, you still lost Life Points. This Field doesn't make _you_ invulnerable.

"Dark Magician… Attack Opticlops!"

Dark Magician aimed his scepter.

"You actually fell for it!" laughed Sam.

Her facedown card lifted.

"I activate… Bark of Dark Ruler!"

Dark Ruler Ha Des roared.

"I'll pay 700 Life Points, and you can kiss your Dark Magician goodbye!"

A dark aura appeared around Dark Magician, and he fell to an Attack of 1,800…

"That was just what I was expecting, Sam," said Yumi. "When push comes to shove, you're just as predictable as always…"

She threw a card into her Disk.

"I play Rush Recklessly. Now my Dark Magician gains back the 700 Attack Points that your Trap Card took from him. He won't be leaving, but 700 more of your Life Points will be."

Dark Magician fired his blast, and Opticlops shielded himself as it hit. The Fiend staggered backwards and howled in pain.

Sam cringed and started to sweat…

**(Y: 5,750) -------------------- (S: 4,050)**

"Your move…" said Yumi, crossing her arms.

Sam drew a card, and looked at it.

_Okay,_ she thought, looking at her opponent. _If I want to beat Yumi, then I'm gonna have to start thinking like I am Yumi…_

She paused, and held her forehead with her hand.

_I'm a blonde, teenage girl with a sarcastic attitude who wears a belly shirt and a gaudy pendant and goes to a hairstylist who likely flunked out of beauty school, and…_

_Okay… Yes… There… I think I got it…_

_Yumi is no idiot… She knows that Monsters with Flip-Effects are no good when Ha Des is on the field, so her facedown Monster is likely just a Monster with high defense…_

_Most likely Magician's Valkyria… If I attacked her with Opticlops, the battle would be a draw. _

_However…_

She played a card.

"I summon a second Archfiend Soldier!" she shouted.

In a burst of energy, another Archfiend appeared. (1,900/1,500)

"Attack her facedown Monster!" she shouted.

Archfiend Soldier leapt at the facedown Monster, and Magician's Valkyria appeared, kneeling on the card. She shrieked before she was cut down.

_Boy, I'm good…_ thought Sam. _No way am I gonna have to wear that bikini!_

"I end my turn," she said.

Yumi drew a card.

"Okay, Sam," she said, holding up a Spell Card. "I play… Dark Magic Attack."

"Wha?" said Sam. "Dark Magic Attack? Isn't that the name of the attack that Dark Magician uses? Why is it the name of a card?"

"It is, and here's what it does," said Yumi. "When Dark Magician is on my side of the field, it works just like Harpie's Feather Duster."

"But that means…" said Sam.

"That's right…" said Yumi. "I hope you haven't gotten too attached to this place.

"Dark Magician… Destroy the Domicile!"

Dark Magician raised his staff above his head, and chanted a mighty command. Lightning flashed in the sky, and the earth broke, and split apart. Dark Ruler Ha Des looked around in horror, as his castle… his home… was reduced to dust by the mighty spell…

Misty clouds rose from the ground. A light enveloped the area, and they were back at the foothills of Celestia again.

"Do you know what you've done?" said Sam, angrily. "You're gonna regret that, Yumi!"

"I'm not done, Sam," said Yumi. "That doesn't count as an attack, you know."

Sam looked at Ha Des in horror.

Dark Magician cast his spell, and Dark Ruler Ha Des roared before he burst into a cloud of embers and black smoke.

**(Y: 5,750) -------------------- (S: 4,000)**

Yumi's supporters in the crowd cheered.

"The standoff is over and Dark Magician is the victor!" shouted Ben. "Sam had best do something fast, or she's gonna regret making that wager in spades!"

"I'll place a Monster in Defense Mode, and let you go," said Yumi.

A facedown Monster appeared.

Sam growled, and drew a card.

"Both of you… move to Defense Mode," she said.

Opticlops and Archfiend Soldier knelt and shielded themselves.

"That's all I can do…" she muttered.

"Fine by me…" said Yumi, drawing a card.

"Dark Magician, attack her Archfiend Soldier!"

Again, the Dark Magician cast his spell, and Archfiend Soldier exploded.

"This is quickly becoming less like a duel, and more like target practice for Yumi," said Natalie. "I don't know if poor Sam will be able to make a comeback after losing her best Monster."

Sam drew a card.

"I play… Pot of Greed," she said.

She played the card, and made two draws.

Her eyes opened, as she saw what one of them was.

She made a sinister smirk.

_Ha Des may have been my star…_ she thought, _but I have a stronger Monster than him…_

_And if I can take a little pain, I can take control of this duel…_

"I pass," she said, adding them to her hand. "Your move…"

Yumi drew a card.

"I summon… Skilled Dark Magician!" she shouted.

In a flash of light, the black-robed mage appeared, brandishing his staff. (1,900/1,700)

"Skilled Dark Magician… Destroy Opticlops! Black magic blast!"

Skilled Dark Magician cast his spell, and the ogre was blown to pieces.

"Sam has nothing left!" shouted Ben. "Looks like she has nowhere to go but up in smoke!"

"You got that right!" shouted Yumi. "Dark Magician… Attack her directly!"

Dark Magician flew at Sam…

She screamed loudly as the mighty spell burned at her skin, shocking every nerve ending.

Sam doubled over, and gasped for breath…

**(Y: 5,750) -------------------- (S: 1,500)**

"Heh, heh…" chuckled Yumi. "So… How do you like that, Sam?"

Sam coughed, and took some deep breaths…

"Actually, I like it a lot, Yumi…" she said with a painful smile. "I was hoping you would attack me…"

There was silence in the arena.

"They say that what doesn't kill you can only make you stronger…" she said. "I'm not dead yet, and I'm about to become stronger that you can ever dream!

"You see, Yumi… I have a very special, incredibly rare Monster that I added to my deck just for the finals… And I'm allowed to Special Summon him when I lose Life Points when I have no cards on my side of the field…

"After all… Ha Des is King of the Underworld… He has a few incredibly powerful servants…

"Prepare yourself… I summon the Dark Ruler's right-hand man… Come forward… Messenger of Ha Des – Gors!"

A column of flames shot up in front of her, and two glowing eyes appeared inside it…

A figure stepped out of the flames. It was a fiendish man in a studded, leather outfit and cape, wearing a leather mask under red hair, with blades on his wrists, holding a huge zanbatô. A dark aura surrounded him. He growled, and slammed his blade downward, driving the point into the ground. (2,700/2,500)

"Ho… boy…" said Yumi.

"I'm not done!" snarled Sam. "Gors has two different effects. Which one I get to use depends on the type of damage I had to endure to summon him. Since it was battle damage, I get to summon his partner… Messenger of Ha Des – Kaien."

Another flame appeared on the field, and a new figure walked out of it. It was a grim-faced woman in black armor and a Spartan helmet, carrying a pair of wavy swords. If her expression wasn't so stern, she might actually have been considered attractive.

"Kaien is an angel who was thrown out of Heaven for being too violent," said Sam. "She was just the type of warrior that the Dark Ruler was looking for. And as far as her Attack and Defense go, they're equal to the amount of damage I took in order to summon Gors."

(2,500/2,500)

Yumi looked at the two cards in her hand.

"Uh… I have to end my turn…" she muttered.

Sam drew a card.

"I summon Gil Garth," she said.

In another burst of dark energy, the metal, robotic Fiend appeared. (1,800/1,200)

"I've wanted to do this for a long time," said Sam. "Gors… Attack the Dark Magician with Demonblade!"

Gors swung his huge sword as if it were as light as a feather, and slashed at Dark Magician. He grunted, and then shattered into bits.

"Gil Garth, take out her facedown Monster," continued Sam.

Gil Garth flew towards the facedown Monster. Magician of Faith appeared on the card before the Fiend slashed with his sword, and she was smashed to bits.

"Well…" muttered Yumi. "Unless Gors has the same effect as his boss, I get to take a Spell Card from my Graveyard now…"

"He doesn't!" snapped Sam. "Make it quick!"

Yumi took a card from her discard slot. She looked at the Rush Recklessly card.

"Kaien, attack that Skilled Dark Magician!" shouted Sam.

Kaien lunged at Skilled Dark Magician and slashed across his chest with the sword in her right hand. He took one step back before she followed through with her left, and then shattered.

"Okay, that was really bad…" muttered Yumi.

"I'm not done," said Sam, taking a card from her hand. "Since Kaien is still technically a Fairy, most of my cards wouldn't work on her. So I'll use her to give my Life Points a boost.

"I play Mystik Wok. Kaien, beat it."

She played a Spell Card, and Kaien dissolved into light. Sam glowed with energy.

**(Y: 4,950) -------------------- (S: 4,000)**

"And with that, my turn is over…"

"I'm surprised Gors can use that huge thing so easily…" muttered Ren.

"In theory," said Chelsea, "those swords were supposed to be used in feudal Japan by footsoldiers with the purpose of taking out a rider and his horse in one blow. But it took two footsoldiers to use one. However, there is much debate as to whether the zanbatô saw any use on the battlefield at all, since it was so hard to use. You see them in cartoons and video games more often than they were ever likely used in reality.

"But this guy… Well, if Ha Des chose him as a right-hand man, he must have super strength or something…"

Yumi looked over the field for a minute.

She drew a card.

She looked at the four cards in her hand.

_If this doesn't work…_ she thought, _this might be my last turn…_

_No way am I wearing a bikini on global television…_

_Not that I have anything to be ashamed of…_

"All right Sam," she said, "I toss down two facedowns, and summon my second Magician's Valkyria."

Two facedown cards appeared in flashes of light, and then Valkyria appeared in another flash of light. (1,600/1,800)

"I end my turn."

Sam drew a card.

_Okay, let's think about this,_ she thought. _She hasn't played that many Spell Cards during this duel, and since she didn't use whatever she got back from Magician of Faith on her turn, it was likely Rush Recklessly, and it's one of her facedown cards._

_But… Even with 700 more Attack Points, Valkyria is no match for Gors…_

"Gors, attack…"

"I activate… Call of the Haunted!" shouted Yumi.

Her facedown card lifted up, and a dark coffin appeared on her side of the field.

It opened, and Yumi's first Valkyria stepped out of it. She stood beside her twin and glared at Sam. (1,600/1,800)

Sam sighed.

"_Very_ clever, Yumi…" she muttered. "I end my turn."

"So why did she call off her attack?" asked Ben.

"Don't you know how Valkyria works?" asked Natalie. "When she's on the field, Yumi's opponent can't attack any Spellcasters except her. And since Valkyria herself is a Spellcaster…"

"Oh…" said Ben. "So, it's like Marauding Captain."

"Exactly," said Natalie. "Yumi just created a lock."

Yumi drew.

She placed a card on her Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared.

She nodded.

"Not one to talk much, are you, Yumi," said Sam, drawing a card. "Especially when you have the advantage…"

She smirked when she saw what the card was.

"I'll throw this facedown, and end my turn."

A facedown card appeared on her side of the field.

"Fine…" said Yumi. "Here goes…"

She drew a card.

"And here goes my card!" shouted Sam. "Dust Tornado!"

Her facedown card flipped up, and the Tornado tore across the field.

"Now I can take out your Call of the Haunted, and take out your Valkyria with it!"

The Trap Card shattered. Valkyria clutched her stomach, and then shattered as well.

_Nuts…_ thought Yumi. _Time to go for broke…_

"I set another card facedown," she said, placing a card in her Disk.

A facedown card appeared.

"Then, I Flip-Summon my Morphing Jar."

Her facedown card flipped up, and the Morphing Jar appeared, and let out an evil cackle.

"I'm sure you know how it works," said Yumi.

Sam growled. They each discarded their hands, and then drew five cards.

Yumi looked them over.

"I move Valkyria to Defense Mode, and then summon Gemini Elf."

Valkyria knelt in Defense, and then in a burst of light, the elf twins appeared next to her, their arms around each other's waists. (1,900/900)

"Attack her Gil Garth!" she shouted. "Dual magic!"

The two elves shot twin lighting bolts, and the robotic Fiend exploded in a fiery burst.

**(Y: 4,950) -------------------- (S: 3,900)**

"That's all for me…" she said.

"About time…" said Sam, drawing a card.

She smirked. It was her second copy of Dark Ruler Ha Des.

She looked over the other five cards in her hand.

Gors was too valuable to sacrifice, but she did have another way to get someone…

"I play… Monster Reborn!" she shouted. "I'll bring back an old friend…"

In a flash of light, Archfiend Soldier reappeared. (1,900/1,500)

"That's just what I was waiting for," said Yumi. "I activate Dark Renewal!"

The Trap Card she had just set lifted up.

A coffin appeared on the field, and the lid opened. A suction drew both Morphing Jar and Archfiend Soldier inside and the lid slammed shut.

Sam glared at Yumi in anger.

"Now I can summon a Spellcaster from my Graveyard," said Yumi. "Guess who it is…"

The coffin glowed with energy. It opened, and Dark Magician stepped out. (2,500/2,100)

"Fine!" shouted Sam, in rage. "I'll kill him again!

"I play Monster Reincarnation! I'll toss this…"

She threw her Lesser Fiend into the discard slot.

"And guess who's back…"

She took Archfiend Soldier from the slot, and held the card up.

She threw it on her Disk, and he appeared again. (1,900/1,500)

"Attack Magician's Valkyria!" she shouted. "Sword of Perdition!"

The Archfiend slashed at Valkyria, and she was cut down.

"Gors, destroy her Dark Magician! Demonblade!"

Gors lunged at Dark Magician…

"I activate Rush Recklessly!" shouted Yumi, as her last facedown card lifted.

Sam gulped. Dark Magician rose to an Attack of 3,200…

As Gors lunged at him, Dark Magician swung his staff. The sword flew from the Messenger's hand, and embedded in the ground. Then, with one dark magic attack, the Messenger of Ha Des was vanquished.

**(Y: 4,950) -------------------- (S: 3,700)**

Sam growled.

"I set one card facedown…" she said.

A facedown card appeared behind Archfiend Soldier.

"Do your worst."

Yumi drew a card.

_If that facedown card can't stop me, I can win on this turn,_ she thought.

"I summon… Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer," she said, playing a card.

The bald, scarred monk appeared in a burst of darkness. (1,800/700)

"Now I play… Premature Burial."

She fit the card in her Disk, and Valkyria appeared once again. (1,600/1,800)

"Then… I play Dedication Through Light and Darkness."

She played the Spell Card, and a group of shadowy tendrils consumed Dark Magician…

Dark Magician of Chaos emerged from the shadowy cloud. (2,800/2,600)

"That means I get a Spell Card back," she continued.

Rush Recklessly slipped out of her discard slot again.

"All right… Gemini Elf… Attack Archfiend Soldier!"

Gemini Elf cast bolts of lightning at Archfiend Soldier. He swat the blast aside with a backhand, but toppled backwards and shattered. The two elves were thrown backwards from the backlash, and they shattered as well.

"Sam!" shouted Erik. "No!"

"Dark Magician of Chaos…" ordered Yumi. "Attack her directly! Scepter strike!"

Dark Magician of Chaos twirled his staff, and slammed it to the ground, sending a shockwave towards Sam…

"Activate Draining Shield!" shouted Sam.

Her Trap Card flipped up, and a dome of energy surrounded her. The blast struck the dome, and she glowed with light.

"Oh, well…" said Yumi. "Valkyria… You attack… Light beam blast!"

Valkyria fired a burning beam of light at Sam, and she screamed.

"Kycoo, spell of banishment!" shouted Yumi.

Kycoo cast a dark bolt, and Sam screamed louder.

"Now I can remove two Monsters in your Graveyard from play," said Yumi. "And I choose Dark Ruler Ha Des and Messenger of Ha Des – Gors."

Sam grumbled as the two cards fell out of her discard slot.

**(Y: 4,150) -------------------- (S: 3,100)**

"Sam is in big trouble now," said Ben. "I don't know what she's gonna do…"

Sam panted for breath.

"My… move…" she said.

She drew a card.

"I activate… Pot of Avarice," she said, playing it.

She took five cards from her discard slot – Kuriboh, Lesser Fiend, two Archfiend Soldiers, and Opticlops, and shuffled then back into her deck. Then she drew two cards.

"All right…" she said. "I play… Silent Doom."

She played the card, and Gil Garth appeared, crouching in Defense Mode. (1,800/1,200)

"Now I'll sacrifice him… To summon, you guessed it… Dark Ruler Ha Des!"

Lightning flashed again, Gil Garth vanished, and the ruler of Fiends appeared once more. (2,450/1,600)

"Ha Des… Attack that blasted Valkyria!"

Ha Des fired his Stygian blast, and Valkyria screamed before she was eradicated again.

"I'll set two more cards facedown, and end my turn," said Sam.

She played the last two cards in her hand, and two facedown cards appeared behind Ha Des.

**(Y: 3,300) -------------------- (S: 3,100)**

Yumi's brow furrowed as she drew a card.

"I play… Pot of Greed!" she shouted.

The laughing jar appeared, and she quickly drew two cards.

She looked at them and then looked at the field.

"Dark Magician of Chaos, attack her Dark Ruler!" she shouted.

The Chaos Mage aimed his staff.

"Surprise," said Sam. "I have a Trap! Go, Shadow Spell!"

A mass of chains burst out of the ground, and seized Dark Magician of Chaos by the wrists and ankles. He struggled, but they were too tight, and his Attack Score fell to 2,100.

"I've caught one of your best Monsters, Yumi," said Sam. "Now what are you gonna do?"

"I'll show you," said Yumi. "I'll play Rush Recklessly."

She played the card, and Kycoo rose to an Attack of 2,500.

"Kycoo, you attack him!"

Kycoo started to chant…

"Surprise again, Yumi!" shouted Sam, as her other facedown card lifted up. "I have a Quickplay too, and it's gonna cut your Ghost Destroyer down to size.

"It's a little thing called Shrink, one of my uncle's favorites. Kycoo may have gained 700 Attack Points, but now he's gonna lose 900 of them."

Kycoo shank to half his size, and his Attack Score fell to 1,600. As he blasted his cursed magic, Ha Des swatted it aside. Kycoo fell back from the backlash, and shattered.

Yumi grumbled.

"I set one more Monster in Defense Mode," she said, "and end my turn."

A Defensive Monster appeared in front of her.

**(Y: 2,450) -------------------- (S: 3,100)**

Sam drew a card.

_Huh?_ she thought, looking at it. _Nuts… I was hoping for a Monster… I don't need this now…_

"Ha Des, destroy her Dark Magician of Chaos!"

Ha Des fired his blast, and the Spellcaster was vanquished in an explosion of flames and smoke that reached the sky. Yumi shielded herself with her arm...

**(Y: 2,100) -------------------- (S: 3,100)**

"With that move, Sam has moved way ahead," said Natalie, "both on points and Monsters. This duel has gone back and forth more than a tennis match, and the endpoint may not be far away."

Yumi stared at Sam.

"My move…" she said.

She drew a card.

She looked at the cards in her hand.

"I'm sure you'll remember this next young lady from my duel with Rasputin…" she said. "Crystal Seer… Show yourself!"

Her facedown Monster Card flipped up, and the mysterious fortuneteller appeared, with her glowing crystal orb floating between her hands. (100/100)

"You remember her effect, right?" asked Yumi. "If not, let me give you a refresher. I take the top two cards off of my deck. One goes to my hand, and the other goes to the bottom of my deck…"

She took two cards off of her deck and looked at them.

She took one, and placed it under her deck.

"So, Yumi…" said Sam. "Did your Seer give you a good card?"

"You tell me," replied Yumi. "I'm going to sacrifice her… To summon my ace card…"

Crystal Seer vanished, and Dark Magician Girl appeared with a fancy pirouette. (2,000/1,700) –) (2,300/1,700)

"Finally, I toss three cards facedown…" she said.

She threw three cards into her Disk, and three facedown cards appeared in flashes of light.

"It's your move, Sam," said Yumi. "I'd be careful if I were you."

She looked at the last card in her hand.

Sam drew a card.

_Yeah…_ she said, looking at it. _I would be careful… There's only a 150-point difference between Ha Des's Attack Score and Dark Magician Girl's. If one of those facedown cards could change the scores even slightly, I'd be in serious trouble…_

She took a card from her hand.

_I'll get rid of her another way._

"Okay, Yumi…" she said. "I play… Hand of Ha Des!"

Yumi's eyes opened wide.

"This is how you beat Chelsea!" she shouted.

She looked at one of her facedown cards.

_No…_ she thought, shaking her head. _I'll take my chances…_

"That's right, Yumi," said Sam, as the card appeared. "Remember how it works? We pick up cards from our decks until we pick up a Monster… And whoever's Monster is weaker… Her Monster on the field is toast."

The two rivals glared at each other.

They each took a card from their decks.

Yumi's card was Draining Shield. Sam's was Confiscation.

"Again!" said Sam.

Yumi quickly picked up another one.

Yumi showed it to her.

Blast Magician.

Sam laughed as she picked up hers.

Then she stopped short…

It was Winged Minion.

Yumi smirked.

"Sorry Sam…" she said. "But I guess your luck isn't even close to that of my grandfather Joey's…"

A gruesome hand burst out of the ground and grabbed Dark Ruler Ha Des, and then pulled him under. The crowd was silenced.

"So…" said Yumi. "Anything else?"

"It's still my turn, Yumi!" shouted Sam.

She looked at the last card in her hand.

Ring of Destruction.

She smirked.

She placed Ring of Destruction in her Disk, and a facedown card appeared in front of her.

_I'm still gonna win…_ she thought. _When I use this Trap Card to destroy Dark Magician Girl, we'll both lose 2,300 Life Points… That's more than she has left… But I'll still be standing…_

_I've waited a long time for this…_

"Your move, Yumi…"

Yumi drew a card…

"GO!" shouted Sam, as her Trap Card lifted. "Ring of Destruction!"

Dark Magician Girl cried out in terror as the ring of grenades appeared around her neck…

"It's over, Yumi!" shouted Sam.

Yumi paused.

"I couldn't agree more, Sam…" she said, slowly.

One of her three facedown cards lifted.

"Huh?" said Sam. "AHH! Your Dark Bribe Trap Card!"

"That's right, Sam," said Yumi. "Now you draw one card… But your Trap is negated."

Tears fell down Sam's face as she drew a card.

It was Seven Tools of the Bandit. She had drawn it too late…

The Ring of Destruction was blown to dust, and Dark Magician Girl breathed a sigh of relief.

"Now…" said Yumi, "I'll play the card I just drew…"

She played a Spell Card, and it appeared…

Monster Reborn.

In an aura of light, Dark Magician appeared beside his apprentice. (2,500/2,100)

"Both of you… Attack her directly! Double dark magic attack!"

Sam screamed as two blasts of black magic shot into her…

She collapsed on her back.

**(Y: 2,100) -------------------- (S: 0)**

The crowd stood up and cheered. Yumi wiped her brow. She turned, and saw the gates of Celestia open. Sheena was waiting inside them.

Sam didn't move, so Yumi simply walked towards the gates, where Sheena and a host of angels greeted her.

"Congratulations, Yumi," said Sheena. "It was a long and arduous duel… But you have now truly earned the title of Queen of Games."

The crowd cheered again.

"The prize money will be yours in whatever manner your parents wish to distribute it," she continued. "And I'll be sure that my daughter lives up to her end of the bargain tomorrow.

"As for your other prize… Think about it tonight… You don't have to make the request right away…"

"Thanks Sheena," said Yumi. "Gonna be tough to choose…"

"I hope so…" said Sheena. "And I hope everyone can make the awards ceremonies tomorrow.

"Now… Here's White Rain again!"

As White Rain begun their enchanting melody, Erik was hugging Sam and leading her off the arena.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

It was five in the afternoon. The Colosseum had cleared up, and Sheena had promised diner in an hour. Ren, Chelsea, and Yumi were sitting on a park bench outside the massive building.

"So where do you think Sam and Erik are?" asked Yumi.

"Probably in Erik's suite," replied Chelsea. "Erik is most likely trying to cheer Sam up, if you know what I mean…"

They all chuckled.

"It was a good thing you were smart enough to put that Dark Bribe facedown," thought Ren, with a shudder. "It was close…"

"Actually…" said Yumi, "Dark Bribe wasn't part of my plan at that point…

"You see, the last card in my hand was Buster Blader. My other two facedown cards were A Hero Emerges and Staunch Defender.

"If Sam had attacked Dark Magician Girl, the first Trap would have let me summon Buster Blader. If she had continued her attack, Staunch Defender would have drawn Ha Des's attack to Buster Blader, and he was stronger.

"But I had to make sure that Buster Blader was the only card in my hand, so Sam would have only one card to choose from when A Hero Emerges was activated. So I set Dark Bribe to get it out of my hand.

"Frankly, I had no idea she was intending to use Ring of Destruction…"

"Eh, serves her right," muttered Chelsea. "Ring of Destruction is one of the most unfair Trap Cards in circulation. It goes on and off the Forbidden List so often…Sooner or later, someone's gonna wise up and decide to put it on the list and _keep_ it on."

"Careful, Chelsea…" said Yumi. "You were first in line to get that Mirage of Nightmare when it came off the list…"

There was silence for a few minutes.

"Hard to believe the tournament is… over…" muttered Ren.

"Hey…" said Yumi, "we can come back during winter break. Then there won't be any dumb competition to worry about. It'll just be a vacation at this great resort with all the dueling we could ever want!

"Now, before Sheena treats us to dinner, I need a shower, and I think you two could use one too."

As they got up and left, the Pharaoh appeared next to Yumi.

"So, what's the plan?" he asked.

"Rasputin and his two henchmen can't hide from the Centurions forever," she replied. "Sooner or later, they'll be brought in.

"And if Rasputin won't give up the Rod, well, they certainly won't give him access to chemicals. He won't be able to make his serum anymore, and he'll likely be gone before his trial even starts. The Rod will become available again, and Olga and Nicholas will probably be in jail – they won't be getting it. I'm sure Sheena's lawyers can pull some strings to let us at least use it, and then bury the information if it doesn't survive the ceremony."

"Yes…" sighed the Pharaoh. "The ceremony… I know about that now… What it's going to entail…"

Yumi lifted her head. She looked at him.

He nodded.

"It's going to be another duel, Yumi… One that I'm going to have to fight without your help…"

Yumi looked at him.

"Heh, you had me worried there for a second," she laughed. "Come on! You're the original King of Games! If anything, I'm slowing you down! No matter who you duel, you'll win with no problem…"

"That is the whole problem, Yumi," he said with a sigh.

He looked away from her.

"It can't end in my victory. If it does, the ceremony will fail."

She looked at him.

"This is one duel I can't win…"

There was another long pause.

"You want to start over from the beginning?" she asked. "You kind of lost me…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In a hidden location, Rasputin held the Rod of the Ancients in front of him.

"It's time…" said a voice from a source he couldn't see.

The Charm burned with golden fire.

"Very well…" said Rasputin. "If I must, I guess I simply must…

"While Yumi is being taken care of, I'll use the power of this Rod to do the rest…

"And if Yumi prevails, there's still a way to get her two Charms…

"In fact… There are a few…"

He paused. His voice sank to a whisper as he closed his eyes…

"Children…" he said. "I'm sorry it had to come to this…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Yumi sighed as she wrapped a towel around herself.

She had to admit too. It was hard to believe that it was over.

After what the Pharaoh had told her, she was thinking that the gods must be crazy, as the tagline for an old movie went. Why did someone have to lose to prove he was worthy of moving on? To show he could take defeat?

Maybe it made a little sense, but it still sounded crazy.

The craziest part was that he had asked Yumi to choose his opponent.

She could see right through him (in more ways than one). She knew that she was the only one who could do it, and he likely knew she knew.

Well, she was certainly glad she had won the tournament… Now she knew exactly what she was going to ask for tomorrow.

Then she noticed something…

On her bed was the Crown of Souls… And it was glowing with golden energy.

Hardly knowing what she was doing, she took it, and placed it on her head…

As she did, a headache bored through her skull, unlike any she ever had before.

She almost considered throwing off the Crown. But an instinct told her that this pain wasn't trying to harm her…

It was a side effect of something the Crown was doing to protect her, from something far worse.

So, she held on to the Crown, and grit her teeth. The pain continued, and the towel slipped off, but she didn't care. She knew that the Crown was the one thing shielding her from an attack of incredible evil…

Eventually, the pain stopped with a snap. Yumi's eyes rolled into her head, and she collapsed from exhaustion.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

At her table, Cassandra looked at a single card in front of her. It was The High Priestess.

She turned to the deck. She slowly drew the top card.

She gasped and dropped it.

It was The Devil…

_Yumi has been crowned the Queen of Games, but there's no time to celebrate. A vicious attack from an assailant she cannot see has changed the situation dramatically, and the rules may have been altered to the extreme. The tournament is over, but tonight will be a night that Yumi will not soon forget…_

**0**

**0**

**0**

**SHARE OF SPOILS (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** The five Dark Scorpions sitting around a table with gold and jewelry spread out on it.

**Card Description:** When you play this card, your opponent chooses one of the following effects. That effect is activated:

- You draw two cards from your deck. Your opponent gains 2,000 Life Points.

- You gain 2,000 Life Points. Your opponent draws two cards from his/her deck.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**MESSENGER OF HA DES – GORS (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fiend/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level:** 7  
**ATK:** 2,700  
**DEF:** 2,500

**Card Description:** If you have no cards on your side of the field, and you receive damage to your Life Points from a card controlled by your opponent, you may Special Summon this card from your hand, and activate one of the following effects depending on the type of damage you received:

- Battle Damage: Special Summon one "Messenger of Ha Des – Kaien Token" (Fairy/Light/Level Seven/? ATK/? DEF). The ATK and DEF of a "Messenger of Ha Des – Kaien Token" is equal to the amount of damage taken.

- Effect Damage: Inflict damage to your opponent's Life Points equal to the amount of damage you received.

_Note: "Messenger of Ha Des – Gors" is a Japanese card that has not yet been released in the United States._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**DOMICILE OF THE DARK RULER (Spell Card)**

**Field Spell**

**Image:** A hideous palace of bones standing on a dark wasteland.

**Card Description:** This card is destroyed if there is no "Dark Ruler Ha Des" on the controller's side of the field. Fiend-Type Monsters on both sides of the field cannot be destroyed as a result of battle (damage calculation still applies).

_Note: "Domicile of the Dark Ruler" first appeared in "Dark Messiah"._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**Yumi: Oohh…**

**Ren… Chelsea… Sam… Erik?**

**Where did everybody go? I'm alone…**

**Voice: Yes, you're alone, Yumi… You have no idea how alone. You may think it's over, but you couldn't have been more wrong. Rasputin is more dangerous than ever, because now he truly has nothing left to lose.**

**Are you willing to take the challenge to a new level?**

**Anastasia: Don't despair yet, Yumi! I'm still here! I'll be here until the end…**

**I won't be caught this time like I was last time…**

**Coming up next: "A Crisis Looms; Yumi versus Samen".**

**Yumi: I'm the Queen of Games now… I guess I'll have to defend my title…**


	49. A Crisis Looms

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**A Crisis Looms**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Yumi versus Samen**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

Yumi lay on the floor of the room, unconscious, with terrible dreams going through her mind…

Finally, Anastasia's gentle voice urged her awake.

"Yumi?" said Anastasia. "Yumi…"

Yumi groaned and slowly sat up.

She shrieked as she saw that she was as naked as an infant.

"Calm down," said Anastasia. "No one has come in. Get dressed. Something terrible has happened. Just whatever you do, don't take off that Crown!"

Yumi scrambled to her feet and looked for some clean clothes.

"Oh, Anne…" she said, almost sobbing. "I had the worst nightmare… I was facing Rasputin, with his Rod…

"And all of a sudden, his hair turned into Marik's style, and his Rod turned into the Millennium Rod, and he was trying to use it on me!"

"That… that's kind of what actually happened, Yumi…" said Anastasia, with a sigh. "You escaped, but your friends… uh, they weren't so lucky…"

Yumi pulled on her pants and shirt, trembling with fright.

"Spill it, Anne!" she shouted. "What happened?"

"Rasputin discovered something the Rod of the Ancients could do," replied Anastasia. "A terrible, horrible power…

"Unus the Undying apparently had a master plan… He wanted to subjugate and enslave the other Sorcerer Kings.

"So he enchanted his Charm so it would be able to cast a powerful spell that would be focused through their Charms, bending them to his will…

"But for some reason, he was never able to cast the spell.

"Now… Rasputin has cast it. And the current owners of the Charms… Ren, Chelsea, Sam, and Erik… They have fallen victim to it."

Yumi held her head and sat down on her bed.

"But…" she said. "I have two of the Charms… How did I resist it?"

"It's only a theory on my part," said Anastasia. "But… I think that Machius the Wise was Unus's chief rival, and he was on to Unus's scheme. So he enchanted his own Charm, the Crown of Souls, to protect himself. Since it was yours, it protected you."

Yumi touched the Crown.

"Yeah…" she said. "It was protecting me from something…"

She started to cry.

"What do we do, Anne?" she said, sobbing. "We have to save them!"

"I don't know!" replied Anastasia. "I don't even know where they are now, if they are still alive…

"The most I could do is try to file an emergency petition to contact their own guardian angels, but it would take hours, and…"

Then, they were both startled by a voice that seemed to come from everywhere at once. It was soft and gentle, but had a sinister tone.

"Yumi… Yumi… Oh, Yumi…"

Yumi looked up.

"Who's there?" she asked.

"Someone you've seen before," said the voice. "Take your Duel Disk and come to the arena."

"Why?" asked Yumi, angrily.

"You want your friends back right?" asked the voice. "I can give you a better chance than you would if you took your chances alone. But you'll have to earn it…"

Yumi waited a few seconds, but the voice didn't speak again.

The Pharaoh appeared beside her. She looked at him and Anastasia.

"I've seen week-old fish that smelled better than this," she said. "Any ideas?"

"There's a dark presence here that I haven't felt in a long time," said the Pharaoh.

"I remember this aura… I could never forget it… It was the same type of aura exuded by Saurius…"

"Saurius?" shouted Yumi. "That demon that gave my dad so much trouble? He can't be back!"

"Not likely," said the Pharaoh. "He was pretty soundly defeated. But this is clearly a very similar aura."

"I swear…" said Yumi, scrambling for her Disk, "if I survive this, I'm going to give up card games and start building model ships…"

She sighed.

"Well, maybe…"

She picked up the Gale Shield, and put it on. She picked up her deck…

As she did, her pouch containing her side deck fell off the bedside table, and a single card fell out.

Yumi looked at it. It was the card Jaden had given her.

Yumi looked at the odd Trap Card…

"Okay, Jaden…" she muttered. "I'll take your word for it…"

She shuffled it into her deck.

"Hold on, everyone…" she said.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The floor of the huge Colosseum was dark. The crowds were long gone.

Yumi wandered in, knowing in her bones that whatever lurking in here meant her no good…

"All right…" she said, "I know you're here… Show yourself!"

In a multitude of fiery blasts, a group of bonfires sprouted around the place, lighting up the arena floor in a hellish glow.

Yumi saw a figure standing in front of her…

She couldn't believe it…

"Samen?" she gasped.

"In the flesh, so to speak," said the Ascender.

"But…" said Yumi. "The Princess of Chaos…"

"Could not possibly have killed me," interrupted Samen. "She was a very minor noble among the aristocracy of Chaos, while I was under the protection of one of the mightiest powers of Law.

"Had it been Graz'zt, I would have been worried… Orcus, and I would have been frightened… Demogorgon, and I likely would have tried to flee. But she was a minor player, so the only one who was truly in any danger at that point was Erik."

Yumi's eyes narrowed.

"Who the Hell are you?" she asked.

"Depends," he replied. "What Hell are you speaking of? Why don't I show you my true form, Yumi, and maybe then you'll start to understand…"

He glowed with a flaming aura, and his horns, hooves, and tail appeared, and his eyes glowed red.

Yumi stepped back in fear.

"Who am I?" he asked. "I am a tempter and a dealer in souls… Humans call my kind harvester devils, ones who have, for untold millennia, tempted mortals with promises of power. With each soul we take, the powers of the Hells grow stronger… Evil gains power with each spirit drawn into the darkness…"

"A demon…" gasped Yumi, wiping sweat off her brow. "Rasputin is in league with demons…"

"Not demon, Yumi, devil," said Samen, shaking his finger. "And a less intelligent devil would likely have gotten mad for you making that mistake, because demons are our hated enemies.

"Demons are creatures of Chaos, while we are creatures of Law. If you want to know the biggest differences, in a nutshell…

"Demons want to destroy the world… Devils want to conquer it.

"Demons want to consume you… Devils want to enslave you.

"As for me working for Rasputin… I was only pretending to do so. My true employer is a much greater power…"

"Who?" asked Yumi.

"He is known as The Lord of the Second Circle, and The Iron Duke," replied Samen. "A devil more ancient than humanity, whose power even predated the Orichalcos… Dispater, the Lord of the Iron City of Dis."

"I'm not impressed," said Yumi. "If he's such a big shot, why did he send some flunky instead of coming himself?"

Samen glared at her.

"Here's the deal, Yumi," he growled. "You want your friends back, right? Well, I'm willing to make you a little bargain…

"Even if you find your friends, how do you intend to free them? With your good looks?"

"I've got this!" shouted Yumi, lifting up her Disk.

"Won't work…" said Samen, shaking his head. "You can't free them from Rasputin's spell with your own skills. And attempts to reason and plead with them will fall on deaf ears. It won't be as easy as what Yugi did to free Joey from Marik's spell. Unus's powers were far superior to any spell cast by the Millennium Rod, and it can't be broken by the same methods.

"My master and I had nothing to do with their current situation. Rasputin did it to them independently from us. But due to our working with him, we know a little about the situation they are in.

"Here's what I'm willing to offer…

"We duel, and you ante your two Shadow Charms. If you lose, they're mine.

"But… If I lose… I'll give you something incredibly valuable: information. I'll tell you exactly how the Rod's spell can be broken. Because you can rescue them… If you know how to."

Yumi sighed.

"Seems like an uneven wager," she said.

"It's the best I'm able to offer," said Samen.

"Since when do people like you duel, anyway?" asked Yumi. "I didn't think that folks like you were much for fair fights."

Samen chuckled.

"Yumi…" he said, "since time immemorial, devils and the chaotic demons have been struggling in the horrible Blood War, a war that can not possibly end any way except with the annihilation of one side.

"Most Blood War battles are conflicts between enormous armies, in bloody skirmishes that are so huge, they'd make D-Day look like a four-year-old child's birthday party.

"But… There are times when small groups of demons and devils, or even single powerful ones from each side, fight…

"Now, mortals learned many things from us… But we learned many things from mortals as well. Duel Monsters is one of them. In the infernal planes, in very recent years, we have at times enjoyed this contest as a way of settling differences.

"Of course, the nature of the Lower Planes twists the energy. There, the duels are real, and the loser is vanquished… Forever."

"What fun…" said Yumi. "And between you and me?"

Samen just looked at her with a smirk.

"Yumi!" said the voice of the Pharaoh. "You realize that if you lose this duel, Rasputin will have all of the Charms."

"Well…" replied Yumi. "Then we'd better not lose…"

She looked at Samen nervously.

"Take your time to decide, Yumi," he said. "But Rasputin won't wait forever. Very soon, he will get your friends to relinquish their Charms. Then… Who knows what he will do to them. His hunger for power may well grow… He may find out some other things that the Rod can do…

"He might need to sacrifice a victim or two to some dark forces to get more power, and he has four available right now who are all too willing to sit still…"

"All right!" shouted Yumi. "I'll duel you!

"Happy?"

She turned to the Pharaoh.

"Here goes…" she muttered.

"You're frightened, aren't you?" asked the Pharaoh.

Yumi paused. She nodded slightly.

"Yumi, that is to be expected," he replied. "These beings emit a supernatural aura of fear around them that they use to intimidate mortals. The fear they cause has nothing to do with courage.

"But they aren't invincible. Mortals have defeated these creatures in the past. Your father did nobly. If your will is strong enough, you can overcome it, and face him as you would any other opponent."

Her Puzzle glowed like a beacon, and in a flash of light, the change overtook her.

"As if I was scared of that dumb Spirit of the Pharaoh Deck anyway…" she said.

"Not using it anymore…" replied Samen, as the Disks activated. "I'm using my real Deck."

Yumi looked at him.

"Game on!" they shouted.

**(Yumi: 8,000) -------------------- (Samen: 8,000)**

Samen heard a deep voice in his head.

"Samen, listen carefully," said the voice. "If you win, the deal between us and Rasputin will be finalized.

"If you lose, it will be rendered void, and I can stop granting him what he has already been getting.

"In other words, we come out ahead either way. However, for the sake of dignity, I'd prefer you not lose. This whole ordeal has been embarrassing enough as it is."

"I won't fail you, master," replied Samen.

"Let's begin, shall we?" he said out loud. "You make the first move."

Yumi drew her first card.

"I'll start by playing… Pot of Greed," she said.

She played the card, and then drew two cards.

She looked at them, and added them to her hand.

"I place a Monster in Defense Mode, and two cards facedown," she said.

In three flashes of light, a defensive Monster and two facedown cards appeared.

"Your move," she said.

"I will…" he replied.

He made a draw.

"I summon…"

He placed a card on his Disk.

"…Shien's Footsoldier."

In a flash of energy, a small creature appeared in front of him. It looked like a humanoid monkey or something, dressed in feudal, Japanese-style leather armor, and a conical helmet. He carried a simple spear. (700/300)

Yumi raised an eyebrow.

"What?" asked Samen. "Am I confusing you?"

_I was kind of expecting Fiends,_ thought Yumi, _and that clearly isn't one…_

"I set this facedown, and end my turn…" said Samen.

He placed a card in his Disk, and a facedown card appeared behind the Footsoldier.

"Shien's Footsoldier?" asked Yumi. "As in Tenkabito Shien?"

"Perhaps," said Samen. "I guarantee, that whoever Shien is, you'll meet him shortly."

Yumi drew a card.

"I summon Magician's Valkyria!" she shouted.

She played the card, and in a burst of light, Valkyria appeared. (1,600/1,800)

"I activate my Trap Card!" exclaimed Samen, as his facedown card lifted.

"Hallowed Life Barrier. Now, by simply sending one card in my hand to the Graveyard…"

He discarded one card, Rivalry of Warlords.

"…my Life Points are safe for this turn."

"But your Monster isn't," replied Yumi. "Valkyria… Destroy Shien's Footsoldier!"

Valkyria cast her lethal spell. The small primate shrieked, and exploded into shards.

"Thank you…" said Samen, with a sinister grin.

He took his deck from the holder.

"When Shien's Footsoldier falls in battle, he can call for backup. Case in point, I get to summon a Warrior from my deck who's Level Three or less…

"Of course, it can't be just _any_ Warrior… It has to be a special one… A member of a team of Warriors whose names are the stuff of legend…

"A team known as the Six Samurai!"

"Six Samurai?" replied Yumi. "I've… I've heard of them…"

"You're about to meet them…" said Samen. "The one I choose to summon now is Six Samurai – Yaichi! Appear!"

A column of water shot up in front of Samen, and when it receded, an armored figure stepped out. He was dressed in black armor and a crested helmet, with golden seams. He held a long, composite bow and carried a quiver of arrows by his side. (1,300/800)

Yumi paused.

"Do you know anything about these guys?" she asked her partner.

"Not a clue," he replied.

Yumi looked at her facedown card on the left.

_He's too weak to defeat Valkyria,_ she thought, _but just in case…_

"I end my turn," she said.

Samen chuckled as he drew a card.

"I summon a second member of the Six Samurai," he said, playing a card. "Come forth, Kamon!"

A bonfire of flame appeared next to Yaichi, and a new Warrior stepped out. He was dressed in leather armor and a helmet, and had soot all over his face. At first, he appeared to have no weapon… But looking closer, you could see that his armor was stocked with dozens of primitive explosives. (1,500/1,000)

"Kamon is a really fun guy," said Samen, with a chuckle. "In fact, he's a real _blast_, if you get my point.

"Now, let me explain how the Six Samurai work. Each one has his own unique ability. But he can only use it if there's another Samurai on the field with him. This is a group that truly knows the value of teamwork.

"And now I'll activate Yaichi's effect. If I forfeit his attack this round, he can destroy one facedown Spell or Trap Card."

Yaichi pulled back his bow, and shot an arrow, skewering one of Yumi's Trap Cards. Her Mirror Force lifted up and shattered.

"Now, Kamon…" he said. "Attack her facedown Monster with Greek fire grenade!"

Kamon held out his palm, and a small flame lit in it. He pulled one of his explosives from his bandoleer, and lit the fuse…

He hurled it at the facedown Monster. Magician of Faith appeared on the card before she was blown to bits.

"Thank you…" said Yumi.

Her Pot of Greed slipped out of her discard slot, and she took it.

"To end my turn…" said Samen, opening a slot on his Disk, "I'll play the Field Spell, Shien's Castle of Mist."

As he played the card, mist started to rise around the arena…

When it cleared, Yumi shivered. They were in a courtyard full of dark trees, with ravens perched in their branches, with a misty surface covering the ground. An ominous castle of Japanese design was looming behind Samen.

"This is the Six Samurai's home turf, Yumi," said Samen, "and they designed it with intimidation in mind. Here, they strike such fear in their enemies, that anyone who tries to oppose them is weakened. In simpler terms, if your Monsters try to attack them, they'll be doing so with 500 less Attack Points.

"I end my turn…"

Yumi hesitated.

She drew a card.

"I play Pot of Greed again," she said.

She played the card, and drew twice again.

_Huh?_ she thought, looking at them.

_It's the Trap Card Jaden gave me… And just when it would be useful…_

"Valkyria may not be able to attack them, but she can defend," she said.

Valkyria knelt, and held her scepter in her lap.

"I'll set another Monster in Defense Mode too…"

A facedown Monster appeared.

"And I'll set another card facedown…"

She set the card, and a facedown card appeared next to the other one.

Samen drew a new card.

"I activate Yaichi's effect again!" he said with a laugh.

Yaichi fired his bow, and Yumi's A Hero Emerges was blown to pieces.

"Now I summon… Samurai – Zanji!"

A globe of pure light formed on the field, and a new Warrior appeared in it. He wore the traditional armor of the Samurai, in gold and orange hues, and carried a glowing yari. (1,800/1,300)

"Zanji…" ordered Samen, "attack Valkyria! Rising sun strike!"

"Huh?" gasped Yumi.

Zanji charged at Valkyria, and slashed at her with his weapon. The Spellcaster screamed and shattered into bits.

"HEY!" shouted Yumi. "That should have been a draw!"

"Are you forgetting that the Samurai have special abilities?" asked Samen. "When Zanji attacks a Monster that is in a face-up position, that Monster is destroyed automatically, regardless of the battle's actual outcome.

"So… any questions?"

"One…" said Yumi. "Why the heck are you using these cards?"

Samen chuckled.

"You were expecting Fiends, right?" he said, crossing his arms.

He sighed.

"Everyone always expects us to use Fiends… You know Yumi, it's a stereotype that we don't like. You're forgetting that most of my opponents are also fiends, and if we all used the same type of deck, it would get predictable."

"But Samurai?" asked Yumi. "What gives you the right? If Jade were here, she'd have a fit…"

"I'll gladly tell you," said Samen. "According to legend, the real Six Samurai, the six brothers whom these cards were based upon, were masters in the art of warfare.

"And my master, the Iron Duke Dispater, is the patron of war and intrigue.

"All his minions who are duelists use Warriors of some form or another. The lower ones use toolbox decks. Others use more advanced Warriors… The erinyes under his command often use Amazons, while harvester devils who aren't as high in the rankings as me have decks similar to your friend Ren…

"As one of his favored servants, I command the power of the Six Samurai…"

"I hesitate to ask what sort of deck he plays himself," muttered Yumi.

"Dispater isn't one who likes to fight personally," replied Samen. "He almost never confronts an enemy directly. He exercises caution and doesn't take risks. So he wouldn't be one to duel an enemy."

"So he hides in his tower like a coward and lets his servants do his dirty work for him?" asked Yumi. "Not very dignified for the patron of war."

"Watch your mouth!" shouted Samen. "He's watching us right now!

"And by the way, it's your move…"

Yumi drew a card.

"I set one card facedown, and a Monster in Defense Mode," she said.

A facedown Monster appeared next to the other one, and a facedown card appeared next to her first one.

"I end my turn…" she said.

"Draw," said Samen, drawing a card.

"I play my own Pot of Greed," he said.

The evil jar appeared in front of him, and he drew two cards.

He smirked as he looked at them.

"To start…" he said, "I play Reinforcement of the Army."

He played the card, and took his deck from the holder.

"Now I can bring Samurai – Irou to my hand, and then summon him."

A dark shadow formed on the field. A Warrior wearing a dark kimono, with long, black hair, with a visor over his eyes, holding a katana, appeared out of the shadow. (1,700/1,200)

"Now…" he said, "since I have at least two Samurai on the field, I can Special Summon their liege… Meet Great Shogun Shien!"

A huge bonfire, even bigger than the one that appeared when Kamon was summon, erupted in the center of Samen's field. Two glowing eyes peered out of it…

Yaichi, Kamon, Zanji, and Irou bowed their heads and knelt as a hulking figure walked out of the flames. It was a huge man dressed in full plate armor of Japanese design, colored fiery red, his face covered with colorful war paint. He held a blazing katana in his right hand.

He shouted a fierce battlecry… (2,500/2,400)

"You mentioned Tenkabito Shien?" said Samen. "Once, a long time ago, this mighty Warrior was known by that name… But his skill grew, as did his power and influence. Eventually, he gained followers, who grew into an army. Eventually, the man once known as Tenkabito Shien earned the title of Shogun.

"And his powers are great, Yumi… So long as he's on the field, you are only allowed to use one Spell or Trap Card per turn."

"Only one?" gasped Yumi.

"Yes, but I'm getting rid of one of them," continued Samen. "Yaichi…"

Yaichi fired his bow. The arrow hit one of Yumi's cards…

Samen was surprised to see that it was Double Spell.

_Curses!_ he thought. _She caught on fast… She knew I was going to keep using Yaichi's effect, so she planted a decoy!_

_Well, I'll have the last laugh…_

"Irou, attack her facedown Monster on the left! _Setting_ sun strike!"

Irou slashed with his katana at the facedown card. Skilled White Magician appeared on the card, and shattered into bits.

"Let me guess…" moaned Yumi. "Irou automatically destroys any facedown Monster…"

"AND he negates their Flip-Effects," added Samen. "Shien, destroy her other Monster! Sword of burning pride!"

Shien raised his katana, and it burned with white hot flames. The flames shot towards the other facedown Monster, and Yumi's second Magician's Valkyria was incinerated.

"Kamon… Zanji… Attack her directly!"

Kamon hurled one of his explosives at Yumi, and she screamed as fire licked at her skin. She barely had time to catch her breath before Zanji slashed across her chest with his yari.

She fell to her knees.

_That… that really hurt…_ she thought.

She looked at Samen.

_I should have known…_

"That's right, Yumi," said Samen with a laugh. "We can create Shadow Games better than any Millennium Item can. Devils breathe the very essence of Shadow… In this type of game, we can dominate any mortal."

"We'll see about that…" said Yumi.

**(Y: 4,700) -------------------- (S: 8,000)**

_This is bad…_ she thought. _I'm down to almost half my Life Points, he has all of his, and I'm outnumbered five Monsters to none! I gotta do something fast…_

"My move!" she shouted.

She drew a card.

"Only one Spell Card per turn, huh?" she said. "Well here it is… I play Premature Burial."

She played the card, and Valkyria appeared in front of her. (1,600/1,800)

"Now I'll summon… Breaker the Magical Warrior!"

In a burst of darkness, Breaker appeared, holding his sword up high. (1,600/1,000) –) (1,900/1,000)

"I just have to give up 300 of his Attack Points, and Breaker can destroy one Spell or Trap Card. So…

"I'm tearing your Castle down. Breaker, destroy Shien's Castle of Mist!"

Breaker's shield glowed with powerful energy, and a virtual earthquake struck the field. Samen gasped as the Castle collapsed into a pile of rubble, and the courtyard disintegrated back into the mists that formed it.

"Now I'm getting rid of that annoying Yaichi!" shouted Yumi. "Magician's Valkyria… Take him out!"

Valkyria aimed her staff at Yaichi and prepared to fire.

"Zanji!" shouted Samen. "Defend Yaichi!"

As Valkyria fired her blast, Zanji leapt in front of Yaichi. He was blown into pixels.

"Huh?" asked Yumi. "How'd they do that?"

"Heh, heh…" chuckled Samen. "The Six Samurai will do anything to protect each other, Yumi…

"All of them share one effect in common. If one of them would be destroyed – by anything – another one can take the fall for him."

Yumi frowned.

"Breaker, you attack Yaichi!" she shouted.

Breaker leapt at Yaichi with his sword…

This time, Irou leapt in front of him. He was blown to pieces.

"A noble try, Yumi," said Samen, "but all for naught…"

Yumi paused.

"My turn is over…" she muttered.

**(Y: 3,900) -------------------- (S: 7,400)**

Samen drew a card.

He grimaced.

"Seems I have to do this…" he muttered. "I play Card of Sanctity."

He played the card, and a flash of light lit up the night sky, and coins fell from the stars.

Samen drew four cards, and Yumi drew five.

Samen looked them over.

"First thing I'm going to do…" he said, "is take out your Magician's Valkyria. And since Kamon's effect lets him destroy any face-up Spell or Trap, that's easy to do…"

Kamon hurled an explosive at the Premature Burial card…

"Go, Magical Dimension!" shouted Yumi, as one of her facedown cards lifted. "Now I can sacrifice Valkyria, meaning Kamon loses his target!"

Skilled White Magician vanished, and the explosive fell to the ground, a dud.

"Now I get to Special Summon someone new," she continued. "I summon… Dark Magician!"

In a burst of energy, Dark Magician appeared on the field, striking a pose. (2,500/2,100)

"Then I get to destroy one Monster," she said. "And I choose Shien!"

"Sorry, Yumi, but Shien is staying," replied Samen. "Like his underlings, if he would ever be destroyed, one of them can take the fall for him."

Kamon shattered into shards.

"And I'm not done!" shouted Samen. "I summon Samurai – Yariza to the field."

With a rumble, a figure dressed all in black burst out of the ground. He wore a black hood and mask over the lower half of his face, and carried a nasty-looking spear with a glowing blade, connected to a long cord which was, in turn, connected to a pack on his back. (1,000/500)

"That's a Samurai?" asked Yumi. "He looks more like a Ninja."

"According to one legend of the Ninja," replied Samen, "they were actually a special type of Samurai who specialized in covert and espionage missions. Everyone needs spies now and then, Yumi, but not everyone can broadcast it.

"Now, I'll use Yaichi's effect to destroy your last facedown card."

Once again, Yaichi fired his bow, and Yumi's Trap Card shattered…

Yumi grinned…

"Thank you…" she said. "You just destroyed a special Trap called Hero Medal. When it's destroyed, I get to shuffle it back into my deck, and then draw one card."

"No fair!" shouted Samen.

"It's totally fair," said Yumi, shuffling her deck.

_Thanks again,_ Jaden, she thought.

She drew one card.

Samen growled.

_I can take out her Dark Magician if I attack him with Shien,_ he thought, _but then, I'd lose one of my Samurai. I can't risk that yet…_

"Yariza, attack her directly!" he shouted. "Leaping dragon strike!"

Yariza leapt into the air towards Yumi, ignoring Dark Magician and Breaker completely, and jammed his spear into Yumi's torso. She screamed and fell over.

"In case it hasn't sunk in yet," said Samen, "Yariza's ability is the ability to attack directly.

"Shien… Torch her Magical Warrior!"

Shien slashed with his katana, sending a stream of flames at Breaker and burning him to a crisp.

**(Y: 2,000) -------------------- (S: 7,400)**

Samen glared at Yumi.

"Your move…" he said.

Yumi gasped for breath. She drew another card.

"Go, Monster Reborn!" shouted Yumi, as the holy ankh appeared.

Skilled White Magician appeared again. (1,700/1,900)

"Him again…" growled Samen.

"Let's see Yaichi survive now," said Yumi, with a smirk. "Dark Magician, attack Yaichi! Dark magic attack!"

Dark Magician cast his lethal spell. Yariza leapt in front of Yaichi, and was blown to bits.

"Unless Shien can do the same thing, Samen," said Yumi, "you can't protect him again…"

Samen growled…

"Skilled White Magician… finish the job…"

The white mage fired a blast of pure light. Yaichi cringed and dropped his bow before he shattered into pixels.

"Now that he's gone," said Yumi, "I'll set two cards facedown, and that will be all for my turn."

Two facedown cards appeared in flashes of light.

**(Y: 2,000) -------------------- (S: 5,800)**

Samen growled as he drew a card.

"I play… Graceful Charity," he said.

Yumi certainly did not expect an angel to come to Samen, and one didn't… But someone did come. Someone who looked like a fallen angel. It was a beautiful, but sinister-looking young woman, with blue skin and hawk-like wings, dressed in a trashy outfit that exposed way too much skin, with a sword slung to her hip.

Samen nodded to her as he drew three cards.

"Who was THAT?" shouted Yumi, as she disappeared.

"An erinyes devil," said Samen, discarding two cards. "Like my kind, they are tempters… But unlike I, who tempt mortals of power, they tempt those of passion."

"I thought Erinyes was another name for the Furies," replied Yumi.

Samen gave a nervous laugh…

"Heh, heh… Those three has-been hags?" he said. "They… uh… They likely copied the name from us…

"Uhm, anyway… Now where was I?

"Oh, yes… I play my own Premature Burial, and I'll bring back someone I just discarded. Come forth, Samurai – Nisashi!"

A whirlwind tore across the field, and a new Samurai appeared. He was muscular, wore a metal breastplate with green highlights, and held the classic paired Daisho as a weapon. (1,400/700)

"Nisashi has a powerful effect," said Samen. "He can attack twice per round."

"You need another Samurai on the field for him to do that," replied Yumi.

"Then I'll get one," said Samen, playing a card. "I play The Warrior Returning Alive."

A card slipped out of his discard slot.

"You remember Yaichi, don't you?" he asked.

Yaichi appeared on the field again. (1,300/800)

"Yes, and I'm happy to see him," replied Yumi.

"Huh?" said Samen.

One of Yumi's facedown cards lifted.

"Go, Dark Renewal!" she shouted.

The dark coffin appeared in front of her, and the lid opened. Skilled White Magician and Yaichi were both sucked inside. The lid slammed shut.

Yumi grinned. Energy flowed from the coffin…

Magician's Valkyria stepped out, and knelt in Defense Mode. (1,600/1,800)

Samen grinned.

"You're grasping at straws, Yumi," he said. "Pretty soon, your luck is going to run out.

"Shien! Attack Valkyria!"

Shien swung his fiery blade, and Valkyria was burned up.

**(Y: 2,000) -------------------- (S: 5,000)**

"My move!" shouted Yumi.

She drew a card.

"I place one Monster in Defense Mode, and a card facedown…" she said.

Two facedown cards appeared, one horizontal and one vertical.

"Then I attack with Dark Magician!"

Dark Magician cast his dark spell, and Nisashi was blown to bits. Samen cringed.

**(Y: 2,000) -------------------- (S: 3,900)**

Samen growled. Then he grinned.

"Well, Yumi…" he said. "An interesting situation we have…

"I have Shien, you have Dark Magician… A battle between them would result in a draw…

"Unless I had one of my Samurai on the field, in which case he would survive. Let's see who's luck is better…"

He made a draw.

He chuckled as he looked at it.

"Well, Yumi," he said. "It seems that mine was better after all! I summon Chamberlain of the Six Samurai!"

He played the card, and an odd figure appeared next to Shien. It was a Warrior who looked like all four of his limbs and one eye had been replaced by cybernetics, put together in a haphazard fashion. He clutched a katana in one bionic hand. (200/2,000)

"That doesn't look very impressive," said Yumi.

"True," said Samen. "He's just the Six Samurai's supporter. But he's better than nothing – since he has the words 'Six Samurai' in his name, I can use him to activate Shien's effect, and when he attacks your Dark Magician, my Chamberlain will be destroyed instead of Shien.

"Shien… Attack Dark Magician!"

Shien lifted his katana…

"Go, Draining Shield!" shouted Yumi.

Her Trap Card lifted, and as the fiery blast shot towards her side, a protective dome sprang up. Yumi glowed with energy.

Samen glared at her again.

He fit a card into his Disk, and it appeared facedown.

"My turn is over," he said.

He looked at the facedown card.

_And this duel will be soon too,_ he thought. _One way or another…_

**(Y: 4,500) -------------------- (S: 3,900)**

Yumi made a draw.

"I play… Mausoleum of the Emperor!" she shouted.

She placed the card in her Field Slot, and the arena darkened. The two temples rose, one behind each duelist, with the narrow bridge between them, and the dark basement below, where the Terracotta Army lurked.

Yumi sighed and looked at her facedown Monster. If it didn't pan out, she had wasted her one Spell Card on something that was worthless right now.

_This is my only chance to turn this duel around…_ she thought. _Come on, give me something good here…_

"Now," she continued. "I flip my Morphing Jar into Attack Mode."

Her facedown Monster flipped up, and the ceramic jar with its giggling, one-eyed occupant appeared. (700/600)

"I'm sure you know what that means," said Yumi.

The two of them discarded their hands, and then they both drew five cards.

Yumi grinned.

"I pay 2,000 Life Points for two Terracotta statues," she said.

Two statues floated up in front of her.

"Now I'll sacrifice them, to summon Dark Magician of Chaos!"

The statues shattered, and the mighty Chaos Mage appeared out of the darkness. (2,800/2,600)

"Oh… no…" muttered Samen.

"You got that," said Yumi. "That means I get a Spell Card back…"

Pot of Greed slipped out of her discard slot.

"Now… My Morphing Jar attacks your Chamberlain!"

The shadowy shape in the jar darted forward, striking the Chamberlain in the chest. He groaned, and burst into shards of metal.

"Now that he's gone…" said Yumi, "Dark Magician of Chaos… Attack Great Shogun Shien! Scepter strike!"

Dark Magician of Chaos twirled his staff, and sent a shockwave crashing towards the Shogun. Shien screamed and dropped his katana, before exploding in a burst of fire and smoke.

"Shien…" muttered Samen. "Gone…"

"And he's staying gone," said Yumi, "because Dark Magician of Chaos's effect removed him from play.

"And I'm not done with you yet… Dark Magician… Attack that soul stealer directly!"

Samen screamed as Dark Magician cast his powerful spell, hitting him in the torso.

Samen clutched his chest.

"You're no fun any more, Yumi…" he growled.

"My friends have been enslaved…" said Yumi, "I've been forced into a duel with a spawn of Hell, my head is still pounding like a drum… Can you _please_ tell me what was supposed to be fun about this in the first place?"

She stared at him for a few second.

"Since Shien is gone now," she said, "I'm free to play another Spell Card, so I'll play the Pot of Greed I just got back."

She played the card, and drew two cards. She looked at them, and added them to her hand.

She took a card from her hand.

"I'll place these facedown, and end my turn."

Two facedown cards appeared next to her other one in flashes of light.

**(Y: 2,500) -------------------- (S: 600)**

Samen drew a card.

A fiery aura started to surround him.

"Okay, young warrior," he said. "It's time to show you what I'm truly capable of…

"You may have vanquished my men once… Let's see if you can do it a second time…

"I activate the Trap Card… Backs to the Wall!"

His facedown card lifted, showing a picture of four crystal statues of four of the Six Samurai.

"This card is so powerful," he continued, "that in order to use it, I must pay all my Life Points except 100 of them. But since I only have 600 left, it's no big deal."

"Oh?" asked Yumi. "And what the heck does it do to require such a… YAAH!"

Five flashes of light appeared on his side of the field, and Irou (1,700/1,200), Yaichi (1,300/800), Kamon (1,500/1,000), Nisashi (1,400/700), and finally Zanji (1,800/1,300) appeared on his side.

Samen chuckled.

"As you can see," he said, "I get to Special Summon from my Graveyard as many Samurai as I have room for."

"That's… not good…" said Yumi.

"Next," said Samen, taking a card from his hand, "I sacrifice Irou to summon Grandmaster of the Six Samurai."

Irou vanished into grains of light, and a tall Warrior appeared. It was an old man with long, white hair and a beard, with an eyepatch over his right eye, wearing grey and blue clothing. He held a longsword that he had pointed down. (2,100/800)

"Now I'll use Yaichi's effect," said Samen. "I'm certain you remember how it works…"

Yaichi fired his bow, and Yumi's Staunch Defender card was blown to pieces.

"Of course, Yumi…" said Samen, taking two more cards from his hand, "you still have two more facedown cards, and I can't get rid of them this turn, so attacking with only 100 Life Points left would be the height of stupidity. So rather than attack, I'm going to boost my Life Points by playing Mystik Wok…

"But why sacrifice one of my Monsters, when I can combo it with Soul Exchange and take one of yours?"

The two Spell Cards appeared on his side of the field. Dark Magician of Chaos vanished into grains of light.

"You're gonna regret that, pal," growled Yumi.

"Oh, a threat," replied Samen. "I'm so scared. I'm no fool, Yumi… I don't like your Dark Magician either, so I'm not about to let him off. I play Offerings to the Doomed."

He played a Spell Card, and a gruesome claw reached out of the ground and seized Dark Magician. It pulled him under.

"Of course," continued Samen, "since I played Soul Exchange, I have no choice but to skip my Battle Phase. But… I can still play The A. Forces…"

He played another Spell Card.

"Now, for each Warrior I have on the field, each one gains 200 Attack Points."

All five of his Warriors glowed with energy. Yaichi rose to an Attack of 2,300, Kamon rose to 2,500, Nisashi to 2,400, Zanji to 2,800, and the Grandmaster to 3,100.

Samen placed his last card in his Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

"It's your move…" he said with a sinister smile.

**(Y: 2,500) -------------------- (S: 2,900)**

_She must think I'm an idiot,_ he thought, _playing Offerings to the Doomed and using every card in my hand… Little does she know how many duelists I've crushed with this very same setup… I don't need any new cards next turn… I have all I need right now._

Yumi looked at her deck. Sweat started to pour down her face. He had five powerhouses, and she didn't have much…

_It all comes down to this…_ she thought.

She snatched the card off the top of her deck.

"I summon Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer…" she said, playing a card.

Kycoo appeared in a dark aura. (1,800/700)

"I activate a Trap Card!" shouted Samen. "Go, Fuh-Rin-Ka-Zan!"

His facedown card lifted.

"Say goodbye to your Monsters!"

A blazing ball of fire shot towards Yumi's side of the field…

"GO!" screamed Yumi. "ESCAPE!"

Before the fireball hit, Morphing Jar and Kycoo vanished. The flames hit only bare ground, leaving a scorch mark.

"Huh?" said Samen. "Where did they go?"

Then he noticed that Yumi had activated a facedown card.

"Immortality Class?" he said with a look of disgust. "What does that do?"

"By activating this Trap," said Yumi, "just before your Fuh-Rin-Ka-Zan hit, I was able to sacrifice my Monsters. Since the Monsters that were on my side of the field at the time you activated that Trap were taken off the field, it became a waste.

"And now, as a result of that sacrifice, I'm able to Special Summon a Level Seven or higher Monster from my Graveyard."

Dark Magician appeared in a burst of fiery, dark energy. (2,500/2,100)

"I told you that you would regret what you did, Samen. Next, I activate Rush Recklessly."

Her last facedown card lifted, and Dark Magician's Attack Score rose to 3,200.

"Well, fine…" said Samen. "Attack if you dare… Have you forgotten the special ability that all of the Six Samurai share? No matter which one you attack, I get to choose which one dies. That means my Grandmaster will be the one taking the hit.

"And guess what, Yumi? Due his second effect, I'll be able to return him to my hand right away, and due to his first effect, I can Special Summon him next round. So all my Samurai will be here on my next turn.

"If you set a Trap, Yaichi will destroy it. If you play a Spell that you have to reveal, Kamon will destroy it. And the bonus from The A. Forces will still make my Grandmaster strong enough to defeat him.

"Bottom line, Yumi, you lose."

"No…" said Yumi, "you do… You're clearly a product of the source of evil, Samen, because you suffer from one of the classic villainous handicaps…

"You're overconfident."

She played a card in her hand, the one she had just drawn.

"I play Diffusion-Wave Motion!"

"Diffusion-Wave Motion?!" shouted Samen.

"Oh, you've heard of it?" asked Yumi, narrowing her eyes. "Since Dark Magician IS Level Seven, he can use it.

"By paying 1,000 Life Points to cast this powerful Spell, my sorcerer's attack transforms from a line, to mighty wave, and spreads across your entire army!

"And not only can he strike down every Monster on your side of the field, those Monsters are rendered powerless as far as their special effects are concerned."

Samen's eyes opened wide.

"But… if my Samurai can't use their effects…" he said.

"…then when one of them is attacked, another one can't take the fall for him," said Yumi. "And with each one that goes down, the benefit from The A. Forces will go down for the others."

She turned to Dark Magician.

"Time to end this," she said.

Dark Magician nodded.

"Attack!" shouted Yumi. "Wipe him out with fierce dark wave!"

Dark Magician raised his staff to the heavens, his eyes glowed with pure energy, and an aura of crackling, magical power surrounded him…

A volley of dark balls of burning flames shot towards Yaichi, and he was incinerated. Then Nisashi followed, then Kamon, then Zanji…

The final bolt struck the Grandmaster. He howled and fell to his knees before blowing into pixels. The impact threw the harvester devil off his feet…

"It's over, Samen!" shouted Yumi.

**(Y: 1,500) -------------------- (S: 0)**

_Yumi has defeated the insidious harvester devil… It would appear that she has won the wager. But can any information that she might gain from this honey-tongued tempter be the truth? This horrible night may only be beginning, and Rasputin may well be preparing to make a last stand, where safety will be thrown to the wind… And aside from her spiritual guide and her guardian angel, Yumi stands alone while making the final approach…_

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**IMMORTALITY CLASS (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image:** A Return Zombie and a Lizard Soldier with Zoa looming behind them.

**Card Description:** Tribute two Monsters on your side of the field. Special Summon from your Graveyard a Level Seven or greater Monster.

_Note: "Immortality Class" was first used by Marcel in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "The Awakening of the Rainbow Dragon". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**Yumi: I'm… alone…**

**Rasputin's fortress looms over the skyline, and Ren waits just inside the entrance hall…**

**Anastasia: Scared Yumi? It's okay to be scared… The end game is starting, and all we have to go on is the word of a devil.**

**We can only hope that your skills and my guidance will be enough as we start to scale this foreboding fortress… Because so much is at stake…**

**Yumi: My hands won't stop shaking…**

**Anastasia: Coming up next: "True versus False; Yumi versus Ren".**

**Yumi: Ren… I'll use the weapon of your soul to break the chains binding it…**


	50. True versus False

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**CHAPTER FORTY-NINE**

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**True versus False**

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**Yumi versus Ren**

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Samen was on his knees. He didn't say a word as Yumi stood over him.

"Well, Wormwood?" she said with a sneer. "You lost… Now pay up…"

"Wormwood?" growled Samen.

"It's a reference to a book called _The Screwtape Letters_," said Yumi, "about a…"

"I know what it's about!" shouted Samen. "You think you can insult me and get away with it?"

"Look, I don't have all night!" shouted Yumi. "Now tell me how to break the spell, or so help me, I'll…"

"My, the Mouto lineage spawned a plucky one this time," said Samen, gritting his teeth. "You have a lot to learn in the way of respect…"

"I give respect to those who deserve it," said Yumi. "Members of a race who have deceived and tempted humanity since the beginning of time are definitely not deserving of it."

"Well then…" said Samen, getting up, "until you learn some, you can figure out how to save your friends on your own!"

He got up, and fled for the exit.

"Follow him!" shouted the Pharaoh.

"You don't have to tell me twice…" said Yumi, running after him.

She ran after Samen…

Only to find that someone at the exit had apparently already caught him. A dark, looming shape was glaring at him, and Samen's attitude had suddenly changed from anger to incredible fear.

"No… no…" stammered Samen. "Please… I wasn't trying to go back on my end of the bargain, honest…

"Well, okay, maybe I was, but you have to understand, she insulted me… She insulted you! You can't just expect us to…"

A clawed hand grabbed him on the shoulder, and Samen let out an unholy scream. His body erupted in green flames…

The flames died down, and where Samen had stood was a statue made of iron, frozen in mid scream.

"Ho… boy…" muttered Yumi.

The figure walked past Samen, into the light, and a chill crept down Yumi's spine… Her blood ran cold.

Not only from fear, but from the aura of great evil that was emitting from the figure like a raging furnace. She didn't need to be a spirit like the Pharaoh or an angel like Anastasia to detect it… It was so intense, it would have been easy to detect by anyone.

He was a full seven feet tall, with skin the color and texture of metal, and jet black hair. He had short horns on his forehead, eyes that glowed like embers, and pointed ears. His clothes looked regal and expensive, yet were drab in color. He held an ornate cane in his hand, made of iron but topped with a brass knob shaped like a ram's head; but he didn't walk with any sort of limp. Yumi quickly guessed this item's purpose – it was some sort of weapon in disguise.

He glared at Yumi with a look that seemed to burn a hole in her.

"Uh…" said Yumi. "Dispater, I presume… Uhm… Kind of careless coming here, isn't it? I thought you didn't confront your enemies directly."

The Iron Duke's eyes narrowed.

"Yumi, take caution," said the fiend. "Keep in mind that I just turned Samen into a statue of iron for defying me without a second thought. And _him_ I _liked_."

There was a long pause.

_So now what?_ thought Yumi.

"I seem to recall you remarking to him that I sounded like a coward," said Dispater, turning his back to her. "One who does nothing but let his servants fight for him.

"I'm no coward, Yumi… I'm merely cautious.

"My plans are… far-reaching. I don't mind if they take years or even centuries to complete. I am immortal, after all. I have my fingers in everything. I have agents in countries on hundreds of worlds. I gain power through careful planning and strategy. If it takes years for a goal to come to fruition, no matter, because it's always worth it in the end…"

He turned back to her and smiled. He leaned slightly on the cane.

"Let me tell you something Yumi… When the Great Rebellion shook the plains of Heaven, and Lucifer fell, eight other powerful seraphims that conspired with him fell along with him. Those eight fallen angels became the original Lords of Hell.

"Today, of those eight, only two of the original ones remain. The others have all been assassinated or otherwise deposed. In some cases, the positions have been filled and refilled several times.

"One of the two original ones is Mephistopheles. An ally of mine.

"The reason he's my ally…"

He pointed to himself.

"Is because the other one… Is me…"

A lot of thoughts were racing through Yumi's mind right now. More than anything, she wanted to turn tail and run for her life.

She was about to do just that…

"Yumi!" shouted the Pharaoh. "Don't be a fool! This being has unheard of power! If you try to run, he'll catch you before you take a second step!"

"Listen to your spiritual guide, Yumi," chuckled Dispater. "He's incredibly smart…"

Yumi gave him a strange look.

"Yes, I can hear him!" said Dispater. "I see him quite clearly, too. And I can see your guardian angel as well. She doesn't frighten me in the least."

He chuckled.

He paused for a minute, and held the knob of the cane up to his face, looking at his reflection in it.

"You know," he muttered, "I was so disappointed to learn that Heaven had forgiven and accepted her… So many of us were preparing to place bids for her soul when it went up for sale on the first layer. She was worth so much…"

"Now wait just a minute!" shouted Yumi. "I don't care who you are… You can't just insult Anastasia like that…"

Dispater chuckled again. He leaned on the cane again.

"You know, you're right…" he said. "That was a rather juvenile thing for me to say… Don't confuse me with your grandfather's old enemies, Yumi. I'm not the type to goad and mock others. Not most of the time, anyway. Unlike demons, we're somewhat civilized.

"You know, Yumi, your father did most of us a big favor when he vanquished Saurius… Devils with dreams of outright invasion are few and far between… Actually conquering a material world may be among our goals, but it's more or less a symbolic goal. With a few exceptions, none of us truly believes it will ever happen…

"Most devils are content to take mortals one at a time, or a small group at a time, spreading evil through temptation and subterfuge… We don't cause evil, per se… We simply encourage it."

"How do you sleep at night?" asked Yumi, narrowing her eyes.

"On a very luxurious bed, with many beautiful harem girls," he said with a chuckle. "Anyway, as far as Saurius was concerned, most of us thought that this upstart fallen angel was some wild-child who was simply trying to make a big splash to gain the attention of the King of Hell, which he likely never would have gotten anyway. His so-called army was a bunch of outcasts and riff-raff that had either deserted or had been expelled from the armies of more respectable devils, because few were willing to fund his dreams. He hated all of us, and the feeling was mutual.

"Anyway if there's one thing I hate… It's when someone cheats me. Thus, since Samen lost the duel, I will grudgingly fulfill his end of the bargain.

"But beware… If you tell any other devil about what has transpired here tonight, especially that bastard Baalzebul, you won't live to…"

"Hold on a second…" said Yumi.

The Iron Duke paused. Yumi felt a little bravery returning. This was going to be a two-sided conversation, even if it was going to be between human and devil.

"Can you at least tell me what this is about?" she asked. "What is your beef with Rasputin, anyway?"

Dispater took a deep breath.

"Rasputin was a… bad investment…" replied Dispater.

He jabbed the cane into the ground where it stuck fast, and then crossed his arms.

"I suppose there's no harm in telling you, but once again, no talking about this to other devils."

"Hey, I don't even _know_ any other devils," said Yumi.

"Well…" said Dispater. "Here's the deal… Shortly after Rasputin decided that the powers he worshipped were… negligent, he decided to go elsewhere for power. He used a great deal of resources to contact a harvester devil in my employ. It wasn't Samen, I'll say that right away. This one's name was Kalador, curse his hide.

"Rasputin wanted the usual deal one makes with a harvester devil – power in exchange for one's soul. The standard Faustian Pact. That's what humans call them.

"Faust never existed, in case you're wondering. He was only a fictional character. But the name stuck.

"A harvester devil's first job is to weigh the value of the client's soul. If the mortal is worth a lot, the harvester is authorized to offer more. And Kalador realized at this point that Rasputin was a gold mine. Not only was he the member of a rich, influential, and respected family, he had been chosen as an emissary of Heaven to defend a powerful church. And he had vanquished a servant of a powerful demon, an enemy of Hell. A man touched by Good, an enemy of Chaos… Truly a prize for Hell."

Yumi almost fell over.

She had been right… Rasputin had been wrong…

The higher powers had indeed intervened when that succubus attempted to sacrifice Stephansdom… And had chosen Rasputin as their champion…

And Rasputin never even knew it… What had happened to make him think otherwise?

Yumi never felt sorrier for Rasputin than she did now…

"Anyway," said Dispater, "Kalador drew up a contract… But he didn't expect what Rasputin did then. Rasputin read it carefully. He actually read the fine print, and then took a red pen to it. He then shoved it back in Kalador's face, telling him to close the loopholes, or there would be no deal.

"Kalador was upset, of course. He tried to reword it, but Rasputin would not be fooled. He would settle for nothing but a straightforward contract, where he would get what the harvester promised, and he'd pay with his soul, with no clauses that Kalador could exploit. Kalador was determined to finalize this deal… Rasputin was worth so much, that he was certain he'd get a promotion when the soul was eventually delivered.

"Finally, Kalador gave Rasputin the straightforward contract that he wanted, with no extra clauses or loopholes. Had he consulted me, I likely would have told him to abandon this incredibly clever mortal. But it was too late. The contract had been signed.

"The terms were simple. Rasputin would get three boons. Anything he wanted, within reason, that were in my power to arrange.

"We expected the usual requests… Wealth, or political power… Or maybe the love of some beautiful maiden he had his eye on… You'd be surprised how often we hear that.

"But his requests were anything but usual.

"He asked for the first one right away. He wanted the ability to practice infernal alchemy, a craft that normally only devils can manage. It was an odd request, but it was delivered.

"The second request was one that gave me pause. He wanted a promise that the forces of Hell would not harm him or his interests until the terms of the contract were finalized. I didn't like it, but I figured that the contract would be finalized soon… So I granted the request…

"I figured wrong…

"Most mortals that sign these Pacts are so greedy, they want all that they are entitled to at once. But Rasputin told Kalador that he didn't want to make his third request yet. He'd wait until he needed it.

"And so, the wait began. We figured that Rasputin would have to make his third request eventually. We could wait him out…"

"But…" said Yumi. "He found a way to keep himself from aging, and never made it… So the contract was never finalized, and since it wasn't, you couldn't collect what he owed you."

"He cheated us at our own game," growled Dispater. "We don't know how he discovered that formula… Nothing in the practice of infernal alchemy could have done it…

"And since we promised not to harm him, we were helpless to do anything to force him to make the last request. We couldn't even make an idle threat…

"We've tried other methods… We've tried to… bend the rules of the contract and kidnap people he might care about in hopes of making some sort of demand… But he thought of that, and he's merciless towards any attempts at cheating. Every apprentice and student he has taken over the years has been protected with powerful wards. Nicholas and Olga wear special jewelry that he has made them promise never to remove – they are warded with incredibly powerful glyphs which would prevent any resident of Hell from getting near them…"

"Like a magical restraining order?" asked Yumi.

Dispater shook his head.

"Even stronger…" he muttered. "A mortal restraining order can't magically send the offender directly to prison if he violates it. These wards can do just that. And no devil wants to go to this prison…"

"What… prison?" asked Yumi.

"_The_ Prison," muttered Dispater. "It's a place on Mechanus where powerful individuals can send extraplanar beings who break certain fundamental laws, including devils caught violating the terms of a mortal's Faustian Pact. Again, we don't know how Rasputin found out how to use its services.

"And so we were trapped. We were forced to continue supplying him with the means to practice infernal alchemy, and granting him protection, with no promise at all that we would ever get anything in return. It isn't often that _we_ are swindled by the terms of a Pact, but Rasputin managed to do it.

"Kalador was eventually executed, of course…

"But just last night, Rasputin finally made the third request… He asked us to secure your two Shadow Charms. Samen failed to do so, and even I am forbidden from simply stealing them from you.

"Thus, the Pact with Rasputin is now void, since he will not get all of what he was promised, and while he will likely go to Hell if he ever dies, I have as much chance of winning his soul as any of Hell's other rulers.

"However…

"There is one thing I can get… And that is satisfaction.

"I'm one of the original rulers of Hell, Yumi… This deal with Rasputin has been an embarrassment and a blow to my pride. I want Rasputin taken out… He suggested I offer you access to The Garden of Delights as a wager, but I had a better idea.

"Since Samen lost, I'll tell you what you want… I know exactly what you need to do to free your friends from the wicked spell of the Rod of the Ancients. I might even enjoy seeing the results. After all, I am a being of Law, and that Rod is an artifact of Chaos…"

He pulled the cane out of the ground with a swift yank. Yumi almost jumped, it was so sudden.

But she quickly recovered.

"Tell me!" she shouted.

Dispater paused.

"First, you must duel them, and you must win," said Dispater. "I tell you right now, these will be Shadow Games… A side effect of the Rod's evil influence, that is currently tainting the very air over Duelatopia like a vile fog…

"But if you use your deck, their chances of recovering are ten percent at most.

"You see, Yumi, inside each duelist's deck is a card that represents the duelist… It lies closest to the soul. It defines the duelist. Just as Dark Magician Girl does for you.

"Rasputin knew Samen might fail. Your friends now wait to ambush you… They'll force you to wager your Charms against theirs…

"And Rasputin knew well the dangers that their special cards held. He ordered them to leave their decks behind, and gave them new ones…

"And in each new deck that each of your friends now holds, a Monster lurks that has usurped the position of his or her true soul. This pretender… is the false soul.

"What you must do to break the spell, Yumi, is prove that the true souls are superior. In each case, the true soul must face the false soul in battle, and win.

"That is what must be done…"

He turned and started to walk away.

"By the way Yumi," he said, looking over his shoulder. "As someone who employs several erinyes devils himself, I don't mind telling you that Samen was lying when he said that the Furies stole the name 'erinyes' from us. It was the other way around. No-one remembers the original name of the race of devils that serve as temptresses. As a race, they are incredibly ancient, the first ones being angels that fell along with Lucifer, and as such, the name of their race was stricken from the celestial records forever, erased from existence. Just as my true name was…

"But I do remember that many devils had admired the Furies for some time. Eventually, one of the temptresses started calling herself an erinyes to frighten mortals, and the name stuck.

"If the Furies objected, they never said anything… I guess they decided that imitation was the sincerest form of flattery…"

He started to walk away again.

"Wait!" shouted Yumi. "Can't you tell me what the false souls are?"

She ran after him, but he was gone. Nothing was there but the metal statue that had been Samen.

Yumi sighed.

"Well…" she said to the statue. "How do you like being the world's biggest paperweight, pal?"

She gave it a kick.

Then she noticed that Samen had dropped his Duel Disk.

She picked it up, and then took his cards out of the holder, and out of the discard slot.

She looked at the Six Samurai.

She shook her head sadly.

"You guys didn't deserve to work for the likes of him…" she said. "And I'm afraid you aren't my style…"

She put the deck together.

"But tell you what… As soon as I find a duelist who's interested, I'll give you a better home."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Yumi thanked the Heavens that everyone, even Sam and Erik, had given her emergency keys. With Rasputin a threat, it had been necessary.

It was easy to find their decks. All of them had been tossed into trash cans. Yumi fumed with anger as she recovered each one, her sympathy for Rasputin starting to fade quickly. Fortunately, no cards were damaged.

After making sure all the cards were there and arranging them into decks, Yumi got something from Ren's room that he had bought at a souvenir shop – a deck bandoleer. It was more a novelty than anything else – who in his right mind carried eight decks at once? But Yumi could use it now.

She placed her deck in the top slot, and the four decks she had recovered below it.

Then she had a brainstorm…

She went to her suitcase, and took out her second deck. She placed it in the sixth slot.

"So where do you suppose they are?" asked the Pharaoh.

Yumi paused.

"We'll go out, and see if Rasputin gives us a sign…" she said.

"Uhm…

"You think we can use these decks as well as they can?"

"I doubt it," he replied.

She sighed.

"I'm trying to be optimistic, here," she said.

"I'm trying very hard to be too," he replied. "But the sad fact is, we've had no practice with any of these cards, and now we have to face four duelists in Shadow Games, each of which knows the decks we'll be using against them by heart.

"Compared to us, who know absolutely nothing about their new strategies.

"We also have to keep in mind that Dispater is one of the rulers of Hell. Devils are well known for deceiving mortals. For all we know, using the method he told us to use against them…"

He paused.

"Well… For all we know, if we do what he told us to do, they might die. All to satisfy some diabolic need for entertainment."

Yumi bowed her head. He was right. That was a possibility.

Then a glowing arm went around her shoulder. Yumi looked up, and saw one around the Pharaoh's shoulder too.

"Anastasia?" she said.

"Yumi… Atemu…" she said.

The Pharaoh looked surprised.

"Atemu…" he muttered. "Yes… yes… That is my name…"

"More and more is being revealed, as more power flows into both of us," said Anastasia. "We must attempt this rescue using Dispater's advice, no matter what doubts we have. Our information may come from a very questionable source, but right now, it is the only source. Our only other alternative is going in blind.

"Besides, all four of them likely have cards in their decks meant to counter the ones in your true deck, Yumi. They may know their real decks front-to-back, but at least they aren't expecting you to use them."

Yumi nodded.

"Let's go…" she said.

She ran out of the arena, and onto the empty street.

She looked around.

Somewhere in this big city was her enemy, and her friends were waiting to ambush her…

But where?

"Yumi…" said a voice.

Yumi spun around.

Her eyes met with a familiar face.

"Maria…" she whispered.

Maria pointed to the distance.

"Clock Tower Prison," said Maria, somberly. "Rasputin has made it his lair. And poor Ren waits for you just inside the courtyard…

"I'll take you to him, but take care…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The looming clock overhead read fifteen minutes to eight as Yumi and Maria ran up to the front gate.

Yumi peered into the gate.

She took a deep breath.

She took Ren's deck out of the bandoleer.

"You sure he's in there?" she asked.

"He'll ambush you as soon as you go in," said Maria. "You'll have no choice but to duel him."

Yumi looked hard at the deck.

"Why do you hesitate?" asked Maria.

"Because I feel like a big, dirty thief!" shouted Yumi.

"Oh, that's rubbish," said Maria. "Give me that…"

She snatched the deck, and started to shuffle it.

"You go in there, and bring them home safe and sound," she said, shuffling. "And take down Rasputin once and for all. I, for one, am getting tired of this…"

As she handed the deck back, the gates swung open.

"It's time…" she said, giving her a nudge.

Yumi walked in. As Maria watched her walk in, she took a cell phone out of her pocket and hit a button.

"She's heading in," she said into it, in a voice that sounded different.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Okay…" said Descartes. "You want to tell me again where this thing came from?"

He and two other Centurions were inspecting Samen's body, which was both puzzling and frightening.

"We don't really know," said another one. "The guy in charge of security said that the cameras for the arena had been tampered with. Apparently, they had been showing a recording of some sort instead of a live image. From where, we don't know. When he discovered it, he called us, and we rushed here to find… this."

Descartes looked at the statue with a look of concern.

"This clearly wasn't always a statue…" he muttered. "And whatever it used to be, it wasn't human either…"

He thought for a minute.

"Do we still have any of the weapons used by the original Centurions? The ones who were hired when Duelatopia first opened?"

"Yeah," said the other one. "Ms. Arachne ordered them put into storage… But they're practically antiques compared to what we have now…"

"Julius, if this creature was what I think it was, they might save our lives.

"Write this down… I want those weapons taken out of storage, and one to be given to every Centurion on duty. And they are all to be set to level three. No more, no less…"

"Got it…" said Julius. "I'll get on that… But if you mind me asking…"

A communication device on Descartes belt buzzed.

"Now what?" he said, looking at it. "The brig?"

He hit a button.

"Descartes here…

"WHAT?"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Yumi walked into the large courtyard of Clock Tower Prison.

As she did, the gate behind her swung shut with a crash.

In most movies, the heroine would, at this point, struggle with the gate for a minute or two before realizing it was pointless. Yumi, however, decided not to embarrass herself. She already knew it was pointless.

She was startled as the clock hit eight, and started to toll.

Yumi looked up at the immense structure…

_This place would be creepy even in the daytime…_ she thought.

"Okay, Ren," she called out, "where are you? No playing games…"

"I'm right behind you Yumi," said a voice that was familiar in a strange way.

Yumi turned around, and saw that Ren had been waiting right inside the gate. Clearly, he wasn't himself. His skin was slightly pale, his eyes were cold, and his expression didn't fit. Clearly, he wasn't his jovial self any more.

He still had the Horn of Chance, something that worried Yumi the most… She had two Charms, but as far as she knew, neither one of hers affected probability.

"You want to duel me Ren?" she asked. "Fine… Let's duel."

"That's it?" he asked. "You're not going to plead with me? Try to get me to snap out of it?"

"Would it do any good?" asked Yumi.

"Mmm, I doubt it…" said Ren.

"Then let's can the usual clichés that occur in this situation and throw down," said Yumi. "I'm not going to try to reason with you, because I know it would be pointless. But I am going to get you away from Rasputin, even if I have to tie you up and carry you away from him."

"I'd like to see you try it," he said with a laugh.

"I'll state the rules, Yumi. My Horn of Chance against your Crown of Souls."

"Don't you want my Gale Shield too?" asked Yumi.

"No, Rasputin said you can keep that one," said Ren.

"Huh?" asked Yumi.

"Yumi!" shouted Anastasia's voice.

"What?" she replied.

"Rasputin is showing a very clever strategy," said Anastasia. "If you lose the Crown but manage to keep another Charm, Rasputin can renew the Rod's spell, and…"

"I'll have no protection from it…" muttered Yumi. "Terrific…"

Yumi looked at the deck.

"Okay guys…" she whispered. "I'm counting on you…"

She loaded it into her Disk.

_I just wish I had a chance to practice with Ren's deck,_ she thought, _before I had to bet both our lives on it!_

The Disks activated.

"GAME ON!" they shouted.

**(Yumi: 8,000) -------------------- (Ren: 8,000)**

"Let's go!" shouted Yumi.

She drew a card.

"Hey, Ren, I've got someone who wants to say hi… I summon Getsu Fuhma!"

She placed a card on her Disk, and the lovely, redheaded ronin appeared, holding her katana. (1,700/1,200)

"Huh?" said Ren.

Getsu Fuhma looked sadly at Ren. He scowled at her.

"I end my turn," said Yumi.

"Don't worry, Yumi," said Ren, drawing a card. "I promise you a completely fair duel…"

He added the card to his hand.

"And by 'fair', I mean completely stacked in my favor! I summon Motor Shell in Attack Mode!"

There was a sound like a noisy lawn mower, and an odd-looking Machine appeared in front of Ren. It looked more or less like a large engine with two large wheels and a pair of exhaust pipes. (1,300/1,800)

"Next…" said Ren, playing a card, "I play the Spell Card, Double Summon. Now I'm allowed to make a second Normal Summon this turn. So, let's see… I think I'll summon a second Motor Shell."

He played another card, and another of the noisy Machines appeared. (1,300/1,800)

"That's enough for one turn."

Yumi looked at him for a second, and then drew a card.

_He's up to something…_ she thought. _Those two things are clearly weaker than Getsu Fuhma, yet he put them in Attack Mode…_

She played a card.

"I summon… Dark Blade!" she shouted.

In a burst of darkness, the Dark Warrior appeared next to Getsu Fuhma. (1,800/1,500)

"Oh, I see now!" shouted Ren. "You're using my old cards to make fun of me, right? I never thought you could sink so low, Yumi!"

"No…" said Yumi. "I'm using them to try to snap you out of this, even if I have to hit you over the head to do it.

"Getsu Fuhma, trash his Motor Shell with whirlwind blade!"

Getsu Fuhma leapt at the Machine and slashed at it with her katana, blowing it to pieces.

"Ergh…" muttered Ren. "Motor Shell has a special ability. When it gets scrapped, it leaves behind a Motor Part Token."

A broken piece of machinery, looking like a busted muffler, appeared where the Shell had been. (0/0)

Yumi grinned.

"I don't know if you know this, Ren," she said, "but that token is in Attack Mode, and it has zero Attack Points.

"Dark Blade, destroy his Motor Part Token!"

Dark Blade walked up, and simply stepped on the Motor Part, smashing it. Ren cringed again.

**(Y: 8,000) -------------------- (R: 5,900)**

"My move…" growled Ren.

He drew a card.

"I sacrifice my Motor Shell, to summon Motor Violence."

Motor Shell vanished, and a much nastier Machine appeared. It looked like it was part robot and part beat-up car with machine guns for hands and exhaust pipes on its back. (2,100/1,200)

"Good grief, Ren," muttered Yumi. "I never knew you liked Monsters that were so… unsubtle…"

"I've changed…" said Ren. "Motor Violence, attack Getsu Fuhma with master blaster!"

Motor Violence's engines roared, exhaust poured from its pipes, and shells fired out of its guns as empty cartridges flew from the other ends. Getsu Fuhma screamed bloody murder as she was impaled by hot lead, and she exploded into shards.

**(Y: 7,600) -------------------- (R: 5,900)**

"If you ask me…" said Yumi, "this change in you is _not_ for the better."

"But I didn't ask you," said Ren. "Your move."

Yumi frowned as she drew a card.

"I summon… Pitch-Dark Dragon!" she shouted.

The smallish, Dark Dragon appeared next to Dark Blade. (900/600)

"I'm certain you know the little trick these two can do…" said Yumi.

Dark Blade nodded. He leapt up, and landed on Pitch-Dark Dragon's back. (2,200/1,900)

"Attack his Motor Violence!" she shouted. "Go!"

The Dragon spread its wings, and flew into the air with its rider. Dark Blade swooped upon Motor Violence, and the Machine exploded into a fiery blast of smoke and soot.

Ren growled…

**(Y: 7,500) -------------------- (R: 5,800)**

"I activate Motor Violence's effect!" he shouted. "When it bites the dust, I get _two_ Motor Part Tokens."

Two more of the broken machine parts appeared. (0/0 x2)

"Your move, Ren," said Yumi. "I was expecting more from you than these third-rate Machines…"

_But I've got to keep my eye out for a powerful Monster,_ she thought. _One that would unmistakably be this false soul…_

_Ren's true soul is most likely Crescent Moon Queen… I have to hope I draw her in time, and that this thing lurking in Ren's deck isn't too strong for her to take down…_

Ren drew a card and looked at it.

"Yumi!" said the Pharaoh's voice.

"What?" said Yumi, nervously.

"Beware…" he said. "When Ren drew his card just then, I felt an incredible power… Something might be coming that will push us to our limits."

"Okay, thanks for the warning…" muttered Yumi.

Ren played a card.

"I sacrifice one token to summon Motor Kaiser," he said.

One Motor Part vanished, and a new robot appeared on the field, resembling a smaller version of Motor Violence, with huge claws on its hands instead of guns. (2,000/1,400)

"Next, I place a card facedown, and move the other token to Defense Mode."

The token fell flat, and a facedown card appeared.

"Your move…"

Yumi eyed him suspiciously…

She drew a card.

She stared at him.

"I summon… Familiar Knight."

The Knight in shining armor leapt onto the field, holding his sword and shield. (1,200/1,400)

"But I'm not gonna bite, Ren," she said. "That has to be the most obvious trap I've ever seen."

Ren grinned.

"You are smart, Yumi…" he said. "Maybe a bit too smart for your own good. Is that your move?"

Yumi nodded. Ren flicked his next card off his deck.

"Hey, look at this, Yumi," he said. "It's a card your grandpa was really fond of…"

He placed a card in his Disk.

"I play Swords of Revealing Light!"

The Spell Card appeared on his side of the field, and a blizzard of shimmering swords shot out of it, forming a cage around Yumi and her Monsters.

"Terrific…" she muttered.

"This card…" started Ren.

"I know what it does!" shouted Yumi. "My family used it a lot, you just said so yourself. It keeps me from attacking for three of my turns."

"But I can still attack," said Ren. "And I think I will. Motor Kaiser… Attack Dark Blade."

"HUH?" shouted Yumi.

Motor Kaiser's engines roared, and it sped towards Dark Blade and his mount. The Warrior made a swipe with his sword, and the Machine blew into scrap.

"Perfect!" said Ren. "In response to that, I activate my facedown card…"

His facedown card lifted, showing the image of a mechanic in front of a pile of car corpses.

"It's a Trap called Scrap Garage. Since a Monster with the word 'Motor' in its name on my side of the field was destroyed, all of my other Motors come back from the Graveyard."

Both Motor Shells and Motor Violence appeared, all of them crouching in Defense Mode.

"Of course…" said Ren, "they're now powerless. Their Attack and Defense Scores are now zero, and their effects are negated."

**(Y: 7,500) -------------------- (R: 5,600)**

"And just what do you plan on doing with those Monsters," asked Yumi, "now that your Scrap Garage has turned them into… scrap?"

Ren smiled an evil smile.

"You'll see soon enough," he said. "It's your move."

Yumi drew a card.

It was Sakuretsu Armor.

_He's likely going to sacrifice one or two of those useless Monsters for a very useful one,_ she thought. _Well, unless it's Ancient Gear Golem, this Trap Card will give him a big surprise._

"I throw a card facedown, and end my turn," she said.

A facedown card appeared behind her Monsters.

Ren grinned evilly as he drew a card.

"Almost time," he said. "For now, I'll play Graceful Charity."

He played the card, and his deck glowed. No angel came to him this time, but he didn't seem to care. He drew three cards.

He looked at one of them, which was a Monster. A pretty powerful one.

_Heh,_ he thought. _Who needs this?_

He discarded it and a strange Spell Card (it was called Enginetuner).

Ren took a card from his hand.

"By the way, Yumi," he said, "I know that if I attack Dark Blade right now, he can use that Dragon as a shield. So I'm getting rid of it…

"I play Heavy Storm!"

He played the card, and the hurricane tore across the field. Pitch-Dark Dragon shattered into bits, and Dark Blade fell on his rump. The Swords of Revealing Light were blown to shards, and the Sakuretsu Armor card lifted up and shattered.

"Sakuretsu Armor?" said Ren with a chuckle. "As if that would have worked…"

He took another card from his hand and turned it forward.

"This card look familiar to you, Yumi?" he asked.

Yumi gasped in horror…

"Yumi!" shouted Anastasia. "It's… It's one of the cards I mentioned… One of the duplicates my father made!"

"Ren, stop!" shouted Yumi. "You don't know what you're doing!"

"I know exactly what I'm doing…" said Ren. "I'm about to win…

"I sacrifice my Motor Part Token and my two Motor Shells…"

As the three Monsters vanished, the sky darkened, lightning flashed, and wind howled…

"Come forth almighty titan of power!" shouted Ren. "Come forth and walk the earth once again…

"I summon you… Obelisk the Tormentor!"

Fear struck Yumi as the titanic form of the Egyptian God Monster rose out of the ground. She had seen this Monster in videos, and in pictures… But it seemed that no secondhand description could prepare one for the terror of facing one of these creatures personally, because its mere presence made her almost too scared to move…

Obelisk the Tormentor lifted its arms to the heavens and roared with fury… (4,000/4,000)

_No… _thought Yumi. _I told Ren I wasn't going to try to reason with him, but the situation just changed…_

_Big time…_

"Ren, I get that you've been brainwashed…" she shouted.

Obelisk roared again.

"…but I know that there's GOT to be a small of part of you in there that can still hear me!"

The great beast roared a third time.

"So, I'm wondering if I can try to ask that small part…"

She struggled to keep her footing as it roared again.

"…stop this before it's too late! Replica or not, only a select few duelists can control these beasts! As much as I admire your skills as a duelist, you do NOT fit the profile!"

"I'm well aware of that, Yumi," said Ren, calmly, "and Rasputin wasn't so cruel as to give me a card that might kill me without some added protection. You see, this replica wasn't the only card he had someone steal from Industrial Illusions' vaults…"

He opened his Field Slot, and placed a card in it.

"I play… The Mounds of the Bound Creator!"

The winds died down, turning dead calm…

Then the sky turned blood-red, and four stone monoliths burst out of the ground. Four thick chains shot from them, seizing Obelisk by the waist and ankles. It bellowed with anger, and tried to struggle, but they held.

"What is going on?" asked Yumi, in disbelief.

"This card was made by the designer who stole the replica of The Winged Dragon of Ra in the first place…" said Anastasia. "He somehow figured out a way to make a card that would protect him from a God Card's wrath…

"We're in trouble, Yumi… If that card could hold Ra, it can certainly hold Obelisk. Ren can indeed control that Monster now…"

"Obelisk…" ordered Ren, "flatten her Dark Blade! God Hand Crusher!"

Obelisk the Tormentor's fist glowed with fiery energy, and it threw a punch at Dark Blade, blowing him to nothing.

"And my Field Spell has an added effect," said Ren. "When a Level Ten or higher Monster destroys one of your Monsters, you lose an additional 400 Life Points."

Yumi cringed as a fiery aura surrounded her.

**(Y: 4,900) -------------------- (R: 5,600)**

"You beginning to see why you beat Rasputin, Yumi?" asked Ren. "He could have beaten you within an inch of your life if he had used this card… But in an official tournament duel, he would have been disqualified for using something that was absolutely forbidden, for obvious reasons.

"But now that we're away from the crowds and the cameras, there's no referee to stop this, and we don't care about any rules.

"So let's see how long you last against me now… Your move…"

Yumi drew a card.

_Well, I've certainly found the false soul,_ she thought. _Fat lot of good it will do me… Even if I manage to draw Crescent Moon Queen, I don't know how she's gonna take this thing down…_

"I move Familiar Knight to Defense Mode…" she said.

Familiar Knight knelt, and lifted his shield.

"Then I summon Dark Squire."

In a burst of energy, the young page appeared. She knelt in Defense Mode, and shielded herself. (300/300)

"That's all for me…" she said.

Ren drew a card.

"Obelisk..." he said, "smash her Dark Squire!"

Obelisk reached forward with its mighty claw, and squashed the young Warrior flat.

Yumi cringed again…

**(Y: 4,500) -------------------- (R: 5,600)**

"I know her effect, Yumi…" chuckled Ren. "We both get to draw two cards. Good luck…"

They both drew twice.

"I end my turn."

Yumi made another draw.

_Think, Yumi, think!_ she thought. _How did your grandfather beat this thing?_

She bowed her head.

_Grandpa had Slifer…_ she thought. _Ren's deck has nothing that comes close…_

_Is this the end?_

She paused.

_NO! I won't give up… There must be a way…_

_I have to stall for now…_

"I set a Monster in Defense Mode, and set two cards facedown," she said.

A facedown Monster appeared, and then two facedown cards appeared.

"I end my turn…"

Ren drew a card.

"Ren!" said a voice in his ear.

Ren touched his ear, where he had placed a small microphone.

"Ren," said Rasputin's voice, "I'm getting tired of this… Use Obelisk's abilities to their full potential, and show Yumi the true meaning of power."

"Yes master…" whispered Ren.

He placed a card on his Disk.

"I summon Battle Footballer," he said.

An android in a football jersey and helmet appeared underneath Obelisk. (1,000/2,100)

"Let's look at the situation, Yumi…" he said. "I now have Obelisk and two other Monsters on my side of the field…"

"So?" asked Yumi. "One of those other Monsters has zero Attack Points, and the other…"

She stopped as she caught herself.

"That's right, Yumi…" he said. "I'm activating Obelisk's special ability, which I can do by sacrificing Motor Violence and Battle Footballer."

Obelisk grabbed the two Machines…

"And if you think those two facedown cards will stop this attack, think again! Obelisk is invincible!"

Obelisk's eyes glowed, and the two Monsters were sucked dry.

"Obelisk," shouted Ren, "wipe out her pathetic Monsters with your mighty Fist of Fate!"

Obelisk let out the loudest roar yet. His fist crashed down, and Familiar Knight and Yumi's facedown Mataza the Zapper were blown to bits.

Then the fist thundered towards Yumi…

Whether there was a scream at the point of impact, it was hard to say, seeing as it was hard to hear anything over the titan's rage. But Obelisk's target was thrown back about fifteen feet and left a long skid-mark in the gravel surface.

"Heh, heh, heh," chuckled Ren. "Well, that should be enough to…"

He paused.

"HUH?"

**(Y: 4,500) -------------------- (R: 5,600)**

"No way…" gasped Ren, as he looked at the scores. "That's… that's not possible…"

Then he noticed that one of Yumi's Trap Cards had been activated.

"Nutrient Z?" shouted Ren.

Yumi slowly pulled herself to her feet.

She glared at Ren.

"I'll admit, Ren…" she said, as she started to pick up her cards, "that was… excruciating… More pain than I've ever felt in a long time…

"But, you know, there's a big problem with thinking you're invincible… You start to get… careless… That was the same stupid mistake that Marik made, and it cost him dearly.

"True, Trap Cards don't work on God Cards. But my Trap Card affected me personally, so it still worked, granting me 4,000 Life Points right before your attack hit. So Obelisk's mighty Fist of Fate turned into a mighty Fist of Waste."

"I'll teach you to mock Obelisk!" shouted Ren.

He looked at the cards in his hand.

"Uhm, I'll teach you to mock Obelisk on my next turn… I have to end this one…"

"I draw!" shouted Yumi.

She drew a card.

"I play… Pot of Greed!" she shouted.

The jar appeared, and she drew two cards.

Her eyes opened when she saw one of them. It was Crescent Moon Queen.

But that didn't surprise her as much as the other one did…

It was Maria's card… Divine Mallet Mjölnir.

_How the heck did this get in this deck?_ she thought.

She paused for a minute.

_Maria… She shuffled this deck before I came in here…_

_If this card can truly do what she said it could, Crescent Moon Queen might be able to defeat Obelisk… I can turn this duel around…_

She looked at the other cards in her hand.

_But in order to summon her, I have to take a risk…_

Her other facedown card lifted.

"I activate… Call of the Haunted," she said.

A coffin rose out of the ground on her side of the field. It opened, and Dark Blade stepped out. (1,800/1,500)

"Now…" said Yumi. "I remove Dark Squire from play… To summon La Sombra!"

In a burst of shadowy energy, the sexy, masked heroine with her whip appeared. She grinned at Ren. (1,800/1,000)

"Clever," said Ren with a grin. "I have to draw a card now, and if it's a Spell, she can destroy one Monster…

"Yumi, do you honestly believe that her effect will work on Obelisk? If you do, there's clearly some truth about what people say about blondes."

"Cut the comedy and draw a card!" shouted Yumi.

_This is it…_ thought Yumi._ If he draws a Monster, we're both doomed. Anything else, and we've got a chance…_

Ren drew a card.

He frowned and turned it forward.

It was Magic Jammer.

"That's a Trap Card, Ren!" shouted Yumi. "That means she gets to attack you directly!

"La Sombra, go!"

La Sombra bowed her head…

Then she leapt at Ren, and lashed at him with her whip. Ren gasped and fell over.

**(Y: 4,500) -------------------- (R: 3,800)**

La Sombra bowed her head again.

"Continuing…" said Yumi. "I sacrifice both my Monsters…"

Dark Blade and La Sombra both burst into shards of light…

"…to summon Crescent Moon Queen!"

From out of the darkness, the mighty Queen appeared, holding aloft her blades. (2,600/1,700)

Ren's eyes opened wide…

"Finally…" said Yumi, "I Equip her with Divine Mallet Mjölnir."

The Queen sheathed her swords, and lightning flashed. She lifted her hand, and lightning fell to it. The enchanted hammer appeared in her hand.

"I end my turn…" said Yumi.

"I… I…" muttered Ren. "I draw one card…"

He drew a card and looked at it.

"Ren!" shouted Rasputin's voice in his ear.

"What?" he whispered.

"Ren, crush that harlot now!" shouted Rasputin. "Yumi is bluffing!"

"But…" muttered Ren.

"I'm not going to tell you again, Ren," said Rasputin. "If the Queen doesn't die on this turn, you will get such a punishment once this duel ends.

"Are you afraid of that Equip Spell? How could it possibly threaten Obelisk? It hasn't raised her Attack Score by even one point!

"Do it!"

Ren closed his eyes.

"Obelisk…" he shouted, "attack the Crescent Moon Queen!"

Obelisk raised its fist…

"I activate the effect of Divine Mallet Mjölnir!" screamed Yumi.

"When the Warrior holding it battles a Monster that's Level Ten or higher, I can pay half my Life Points to increase the Attack Score of the Equipped Monster, until it equals exactly 500 points more than the Monster it's battling!"

"WHAT?" shouted Ren.

Yumi's Life Points dove, as Crescent Moon Queen spun the hammer around in circles…

Then she hurled it forward, and flew at Obelisk the Tormentor, mallet first. (4,500/1,700)

"GO!" yelled Yumi. "Topple that titan!"

Ren screamed and covered his head…

As the blow struck, Obelisk roared again, but this time it was in agony. Cracks appeared all over its rocky skin… The chains binding it snapped, one by one…

Finally, the titan exploded into pieces of rocky debris, which scattered all over the field.

**(Y: 2,250) -------------------- (R: 3,300)**

Crescent Moon Queen landed back on Yumi's side of the field, gasping for breath, with sweat pouring down her forehead.

"Of course…" gasped Yumi, "now that I've done that, the Mallet is destroyed…"

The hammer burst into shards. The Queen held her chest as her Attack Score fell back to 2,600.

"So… What do you have to say to that?"

"I uhm, I…" muttered Ren.

He placed two cards on his Disk, and a defensive Monster and a facedown card appeared.

"I end my turn…" he said quickly.

"Yumi!" said Anastasia's voice. "I think it's working… The Rod's hold is starting to loosen… We simply have to follow this duel to the conclusion…"

"Right…" said Yumi, drawing a card.

_The facedown card is most likely Magic Jammer,_ she thought. _So it can't stop this next attack… Boy… It's a good thing he didn't draw it one round sooner._

"Crescent Moon Queen, attack his facedown Monster!"

The Queen lunged at the Monster, and with one swipe of her blade, Mechanicalchaser was blown to bits.

"Now, attack him directly!"

The Queen looked Ren in the eye for a minute.

Then she lifted her foot, and gave him a solid kick in the chest with her boot, and he fell over on his behind.

**(Y: 2,250) -------------------- (R: 700)**

The Queen turned away from Ren, and then knelt in Defense Mode.

"She didn't use her blade on you Ren," said Yumi, as Ren got up. "Know why? Because she cares! She wants you back!"

She fit two cards into her Disk.

"I'll end with these and let you take your turn. Try to come to your senses or next round, she might have to hurt you badly."

Ren held his head. He was sweating badly.

He drew a card.

"Activate Trap!" shouted Yumi. "Final Attack Orders!"

Her facedown card lifted up.

"Now my Queen moves into Attack Mode!"

Crescent Moon Queen stood up.

Ren played a card, and Pot of Greed appeared in front of him. He drew two cards.

"Well…" he muttered, "let's see if she can handle this…

"I play the Ritual Spell Card, Revival of Dokurorider. And I'll sacrifice two Mighty Guards to do so."

Two soldiers with gears for joints appeared on the field, and then lightning flashed. The Mighty Guards vanished, and another engine roared…

A masked biker on a motorcycle, dressed in leather and chains, with skulls and spikes decorating the bike thundered into the arena. He skidded to a halt in front of Ren. (1,900/1,850)

"You're gonna attack my Queen with that motorcycle bully?" asked Yumi, doubtfully.

"Nope," said Ren. "He's gonna attack you once I'm done with her. Next, I play the Spell Card, Nikoichi."

He played another card.

"This lets me Special Summon a Monster with the word 'Motor' in its name from my Graveyard. And I put a good one there with Graceful Charity…

"Meet my Demonic Motor Omega!"

An explosion erupted on Ren's side of the field, and the most horrible Machine yet burst out of the ground. It was tall, and broad, with exhaust pipes coming out of every angle, and two wicked blades on its arms. (2,800/2,000)

"Of course…" said Ren, "now I have to remove all the other Motors in my Graveyard from play…"

Four cards fell out of his discard slot, and he placed them inside his jacket.

"Now I activate my Omega's effect," said Ren. "I can increase its Attack Score by 1,000 points. Of course, if I do that, it will self destruct when I end my turn, but that really won't matter…

"Time to end this, Yumi. It's been a long night, and I'm exhausted…

"Or rather… You're the one who's about to be _exhausted_!"

Demonic Motor Omega's engines roared, and black exhaust poured from its pipes… (3,800/2,000)

"Attack!" shouted Ren. "Maximum overdrive!"

It sped towards Crescent Moon Queen…

"I activate Rising Energy!" screamed Yumi, as her last facedown card lifted.

She quickly discarded her Double Spell, and Crescent Moon Queen glowed with burning energy, and her Attack Score rose to 4,100. She made a swipe with her sword, cleaving Demonic Motor Omega down the middle. It shuddered, and exploded into scrap and soot.

**(Y: 2,250) -------------------- (R: 400)**

Ren hung his head.

He took the microphone out of his ear, and tossed it aside.

"Just… just finish it..." he muttered.

Yumi drew a card.

She looked to the sky.

_Please… Don't let me be wrong…_ she thought.

"Crescent Moon Queen…" she said. "You heard him…"

Crescent Moon Queen leapt at Dokurorider, and with one slash, the biker and its motorcycle was blown to pieces.

Ren screamed and held his head…

He collapsed on his back.

**(Y: 2,250) -------------------- (R: 0)**

Yumi didn't see the security camera behind her, as it focused on her…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

At the summit of Clock Tower Prison, Rasputin crossed his arms in a sulk.

"You told me it would work," he said to someone who wasn't apparently there.

"You were too headstrong, Rasputin," said a voice. "It was your own fault. You're the one who insisted he attack the Queen."

"And you're the one who told me that the Queen was the biggest danger as far as Ren was concerned!" shouted Rasputin. "I expected Yumi to use her own deck, but the narc apparently has struck again…

"No matter… I'll make certain that the same thing doesn't happen with Chelsea… I gave her a special card…

"If she plays it in time, Yumi will never get a chance to use the key card…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Commander Descartes ran into the brig.

"What the hell is going on?" he shouted.

"We have a problem, sir," said another Centurion. "Ten members of the League of Ascension have glued up the locks to their cells, and are refusing to answer when we call to them."

Descartes looked at the video screens.

"That's because they aren't in there," he said with a scowl, typing in a code.

As he hit the Enter button, the inmates, or rather the decoys, vanished from the cells.

"Spiritual duplicates," growled Descartes. "Siegfried told me about this a long time ago…

"We've got ten criminals on the loose…

"And I have a feeling that they may have gotten out with help from… unorthodox forces…"

He paused for a minute before picking up a radio.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The Horn of Chance appeared around Yumi's hip.

She walked up to Ren.

She felt his neck for a pulse, and was relieved to find one.

"Ren?" she said, shaking him. "Ren? Wake up…"

Ren slowly opened his eyes…

Then he woke up with a violent start.

"Yumi!" he said, quickly sitting up. "Where's Chelsea? Where is she…"

"I suppose she's…" started Yumi.

"No… No!" shouted Ren. "We have to save her, Yumi! We have to…"

"Calm down, Ren, calm down!" shouted Yumi.

She slapped her hand across his face.

Ren gasped for breath.

She was a little relieved, she had to admit. Ren appeared to be back to normal. Well, as normal as he usually was.

"Ren, listen to me…" said Yumi, holding his shoulders. "I know you've been through a lot, but… Did you see what kind of cards Rasputin gave Chelsea?"

Ren paused.

He shook his head.

"He told us not to tell each other…" he muttered. "In case one of us was shaken down for information…"

"Perfect…" muttered Yumi. "Then it could be anything… For all we know she might have the replica of Slifer…"

"Not likely," muttered Ren, looking at the cards in the deck he had. "There's only one copy of this, as far as I know…"

He held up the copy of The Mounds of the Bound Creator.

"Give me that," said Yumi.

Ren handed her the card.

"The Obelisk replica is likely protected by the will of the gods," she said. "Trying to destroy it is a sure way to invoke divine wrath. We'll call up I2 when this is over and have them pick it up.

"This card, however…"

She tore the Field Spell into four pieces with two swift strokes.

"Never again," she said, throwing the pieces away. "Without that card, would-be thieves will think twice about trying to harness the power of the gods for their own use. There are some powers that mankind was simply not meant to use."

The front door of Clock Tower Prison opened with a creaking noise.

"The ground floor…" muttered Ren. "The wax museum… She's in there…"

"Well, we can't go back…" said Yumi. "We can only go onward…

"I suppose you want this back…"

She handed Ren back his deck.

"I got you out of that mess, Ren…" she said, "and with God as my witness, I'm gonna get everyone out…"

They ran towards the doors.

The Pharaoh appeared beside Yumi.

"You know," she said to him. "Dispater may be one of the greatest forces of evil in the universe, but we lucked out… His pride was so great, and he was so angry at being tricked by Rasputin, he decided to help us."

"It is said, Yumi," he replied, "that if the forces of Evil succeeded in conquering the world, it would take less than a year for a civil war to break out. Evil is its own worst enemy."

_The Rod of the Ancients' hold on Ren has been broken, so it seems that Dispater's advice was sound. Yumi now ventures into the grim Tower hoping to continue, not stopping for rest, with only the welfare of her friends in mind. Unfortunately, while her energy has been spent in her struggles with Samen and Ren, Chelsea is fresh and strong. Can the newly crowned Queen of Games face the unknown yet again?_

**0**

**0**

**0**

**MOTOR SHELL (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Machine/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,300  
**DEF:** 1,800

**Card Description:** When this card is destroyed, Special Summon one ''Motor Part Token'' (Machine/Dark/Level 1/ATK0/DEF 0) in Attack Position.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**MOTOR VIOLENCE (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Machine/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level:** 6  
**ATK:** 2,100  
**DEF:** 1,200

**Card Description:** When this card is destroyed, Special Summon two ''Motor Part Tokens'' (Machine/Dark/Level 1/ATK 0/DEF 0) in Attack Position.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**MOTOR KAISER (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Machine/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 2,000  
**DEF:** 1,400

**Flavor Text:** _This infernal device was once a common automobile that was modified using Dark World technology._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**DEMONIC MOTOR ****OMEGA**** (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Machine/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level:** 8  
**ATK:** 2,800  
**DEF:** 2,000

**Card Description:** During your End Phase, Special Summon one ''Motor Token'' (Machine-Type/Earth/Level 1/ATK 200/DEF 200) in Attack Position. Once per turn, you may increase the ATK of this card by 1,000. When this effect is activated, destroy this card during the End Phase of that turn.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**SCRAP GARAGE (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image:** A mechanic in front of a large stack of car corpses.

**Card Description:** You may activate this card when a "Motor" Monster on your side of the field is destroyed. Special Summon all "Motor" Monsters in your Graveyard that you can. The ATK and DEF of the Special Summoned Monsters become zero, and their effects are negated.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**NIKOICHI (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** Two mechanics working on an intimidating machine.

**Card Description:** Special Summon one "Motor" Monster from your Graveyard. Then, remove all other "Motor" Monsters in your Graveyard from play.

_Note: "Motor Shell", "Motor Violence", "Motor Kaiser", "Demonic Motor Omega", "Scrap Garage", and "Nikoichi" were all used by Bandit Keith in the "Yu-Gi-Oh R" Manga. "Demonic Motor Omega" has since been made into a real card in Japan._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**THE MOUNDS OF THE BOUND CREATOR (Spell Card)**

**Field Spell**

**Image:** Several stone monoliths with chains attached to them, connected together in the sky. Lightning crashes overhead.

**Card Description:** When a Monster that is Level Ten or greater destroys an opposing Monster as a result of battle, the owner of the destroyed Monster loses an additional 400 Life Points. The controller of this card is not affected by physical, mental, or supernatural side effects that normally result from using such Monsters.

_Note: "The Mounds of the Bound Creator" was first used by Franz in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Rah, Rah, Ra!". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**DIVINE MALLET MJOLNIR (Spell Card)**

**Equip Spell**

**Image:** A muscular arm holding an iron hammer sparking with lightning.

**Card Description:** This card may only be Equipped to a Warrior-Type Monster. You may activate the effect of this card when the Equipped Monster battles a Monster that is Level Ten or higher. Pay half your Life Points. Increase the ATK of the Equipped Monster until it is 500 points more than the current ATK of the Monster it is battling until the end of the Battle Phase. At the end of the Battle Phase in which this effect is activated, destroy this card.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**Ren: Yumi, we have to get Chelsea out of here… We can't leave her at Rasputin's mercy…**

**Yumi: I don't intend to Ren… I got you out… Hopefully I can do the same for her…**

**Ren: Why is Rasputin doing this? Why has suddenly turned even more evil than normal?**

**Rasputin: I've gone too far to turn back now… If I must become a demon to achieve my goals, if I must abandon all the decency I have left, I have no choice but to do so… I must either surrender to evil… Or embrace oblivion…**

**Ren: Coming up next, "Vampiric Technology; Yumi versus Chelsea".**

**Yumi: Rasputin, for the love of all that's holy, stop what you're doing! **

**You were once chosen by Heaven as a champion… Find the spark of light inside yourself…**


	51. Vampiric Technology

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CHAPTER FIFTY**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Vampiric Technology**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Yumi versus Chelsea**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

As Descartes rallied his troops, Aisha breathed the fresh night air at the beach.

The sea air blowing across the island invigorated her so much…

She was about to cast her clothes aside and dive into the surf, when she heard a chuckling behind her.

"Who's there?" she said nervously, turning around.

Behind her was Icarus, and he clearly wasn't himself. The cloak he had worn as an Ascender had been traded in for the prison jumpsuit they had given him in the brig, but he had stolen back his deck and his Disk when he had escaped.

"Well, look at this," he said with a chuckle. "A young, innocent maiden with a pretty face… Just what our group is looking for…"

Aisha was even more nervous now. Did he mean as a member or as a sacrifice?

"I don't want anything to do with your group," she said.

Icarus raised his Disk.

"It won't matter," he said. "Once I defeat you, you'll come with me via your free will."

Aisha shivered. She didn't think she could outrun him…

She picked her Disk up.

"Okay…" she said. "I've held my own against Yumi, after all…"

"I hate to be the bearer of bad news," said Icarus, "but so have I…"

"Game on!" they shouted.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In the first floor of Clock Tower Prison…

At the end of the dark hallway past the foyer was a large sign over an archway.

**DUELATOPIA WAX MUSEUM**

"Yumi!" said Ren with a shudder.

"What?" she asked.

"Uh…" he stammered. "Remember last October when the three of us went to that American horror classics film festival?"

"Vaguely," she said.

"I remember it," he muttered. "Most of those old black and white films were rather tame by today's standards…

"But one that really creeped me out was _House of Wax_. Boy, Vincent Price sure was a guy who could scare you…"

Yumi sighed. Just fifteen minutes ago, this guy was commanding an Egyptian God Card, and now he was scared of a wax museum…

"And I'm sure Mr. Price would appreciate you for saying that," she said. "Posthumously…

"Look… If that film scares you so much, think of him in his less scary roles. Let me see… you ever watch the old, campy, 60's _Batman_ series?"

Ren nodded.

"Okay," said Yumi. "Price played the villain Egghead on that series. Just think of that, and you won't be so scared of _House of Wax_.

"Now let's go get Chelsea out of there…"

They walked in…

They were shocked by the sight of the three giant demonic forms that stood to greet them.

Standing in the entrance hall were wax statues of three famous Monsters, not nearly life-size, but very life like. About ten feet tall, they depicted the three Sacred Beasts: Uria, Lord of Searing Flames, Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder, and Raviel, Lord of Phantasms.

Ren got nervous again.

"Rasputin managed to steal the duplicate of a God Card," he muttered. "You don't suppose…"

"Calm down…" said Yumi. "The Sacred Beasts were lost in some other dimension. I doubt Chelsea has one of them."

"Nope, I don't," said Chelsea's voice.

Ren and Yumi looked up.

"Where are you, Chelsea?" asked Yumi.

"I'm hiding," said Chelsea. "Come and find me, Yumi. Give you a little hint… Find the statue in this museum that's wrong."

The two of them walked past the Sacred Beasts, down a hallway flanked by frightening dioramas containing statues of famous duelists – most of them ones that had meant bad news in the past.

There was Taniya with her pet tiger. Titan the Shadow Duelist. Abidos the Third.

Yumi stopped short at one statue.

It was a statue of a lady vampire in a brown dress and green hair, with a sinister smile, holding a golden Duel Disk.

"Camula…" muttered Yumi, shaking her head. "Far too obvious…"

They moved towards another wing.

The sign above them said "Universal Studio's Monsters".

Yumi shrugged. What wax museum would be complete without them?

They walked down the hallway, past statues of Lon Chaney's Phantom of the Opera, Bela Lugosi's Dracula, Boris Karloff's Frankenstein, Lon Chaney Jr.'s Wolfman, and the Creature From the Black Lagoon…

Yumi and Ren walked into a large, circular room, where a statue of Maximillion Pegasus was standing on a pedestal. A very large mural painting of Toon World with the various Toon Monsters flying out of it was on the wall behind him.

"It's like trying to find a needle in a haystack," said Ren.

Yumi looked at the statue.

"No…" she said. "Ren, look! This statue is wrong!"

She pointed to it.

"This statue's hair is covering the right half of his face… The real Pegasus had it covering the left half.

"Come out here right now, Chelsea! I'm tired of this hide and seek!"

With a whir, the statue retracted into the floor…

Then, with another whir, a platform rose, and Chelsea appeared on the pedestal.

Yumi didn't like the look of her at all. Like Ren had been, her skin was pale, and her eyes were cold. In fact, she almost looked like a vampire herself now.

"Good job," she said with an evil smile. "For the record, that flawed statue was holding the spot until a much better statue of Pegasus could be made."

"Chelsea, please!" shouted Ren. "It doesn't have to go down like this… Can't you see I…"

"Shut up, Ren!" shouted Chelsea. "Once I take out Yumi, I'm taking you out too!

"I'll admit that you were… Enjoyable… But once you finish a treat, you throw away the wrapper."

This was apparently too much for Ren to take. He fell down and started to cry.

"Chelsea, I know you don't mean that," said Yumi.

"And what if I do?" asked Chelsea. "Think you can prove that I don't?"

"I can," said Yumi, placing a deck in her Disk.

"Let's duel then," said Chelsea. "My Sword of Tsunami against your Crown of Souls."

She wiggled her hip a little, where the Sword was strapped to.

"I've been waiting a long time for this, Yumi…"

"Oh, I'll just bet you have…" said Yumi.

Chelsea heard Rasputin's voice in the microphone in her ear.

"Chelsea, listen closely," he said. "The rightful owner of the special cards I gave you for your deck wouldn't sell them… Not for any price. We had to steal them. And he's currently got both Interpol and a private investigator looking for them.

"So for pete's sake, try not to lose!

"And don't forget that card I told you to add at the last minute."

"It's as good as done… master…" whispered Chelsea.

"Game on!" shouted both of them.

**(Yumi: 8,000) -------------------- (Chelsea: 8,000)**

"Let's start this, shall we?" asked Chelsea, drawing her first card.

She added it to her hand, and chose another one.

"I'll have this defend me for now."

A facedown Monster appeared in front of her.

_I can already see a difference,_ thought Yumi, as she made her first draw. _Chels never defends on her first move…_

She looked over her cards… Chelsea's true cards…

"I play this," she said, placing a card in her Disk. "Call of the Mummy."

The Continuous Spell Card appeared.

"And I'll use it to summon Vampire Lord!"

In a burst of energy, the powerful vampire appeared in front of her. He looked somberly at Chelsea. (2,000/1,500)

"Next…" she said, "I'll Normal Summon Vampire Lady!"

She played another card, and Vampire Lady appeared next to the stronger vampire. (1,550/1,550)

"Now I'm gonna knock some sense into you! Vampire Lady, attack her facedown Monster!"

Vampire Lady flew at the facedown card. A small Dragon with a metallic, red and bronze hide, wearing a mask over its face appeared, and was smashed to pieces under her claw.

"A Masked Dragon?" asked Yumi.

"Yep," said Chelsea. "And now I get to Special Summon another weak Dragon. So I'll bring out a second Masked Dragon in Defense Mode."

In a burst of flames, a second of the small Dragons appeared. (1,400/1,100)

_Okay…_ thought Yumi. _It's a Dragon Deck… I can handle a Dragon Deck…_

"Vampire Lord, attack the second one."

Vampire Lord lifted his cape, and a swarm of bats flew at the Masked Dragon, blowing it to bits.

"Nice try," said Chelsea. "But no-one ever uses Masked Dragon in a deck without packing three of them."

Yet another Masked Dragon appeared. (1,400/1,100)

Yumi sighed.

"I have to end my turn…" she said.

Chelsea drew a card.

She placed a card on her Disk, and another defensive Monster appeared.

She nodded.

"That all?" asked Yumi, drawing a card.

She looked at it.

"I throw one card facedown, and then summon Zombie Werewolf!"

A facedown card appeared, and then the vicious Werewolf appeared, and howled. (1,200/1,200)

"Zombie Werewolf, destroy the Masked Dragon! Terror claw!"

The Werewolf lunged at the Dragon, and with one slash, it shattered into pieces.

"Well…" said Yumi. "That was your last Masked Dragon…"

"Then I'll use its effect to summon Troop Dragon in Defense Mode," said Chelsea.

A short, stocky lizard man holding an axe appeared, and knelt in Defense Mode. (700/800)

_Crud…_ thought Yumi.

"Vampire Lady!" she shouted.

Vampire Lady leapt at the Troop Dragon, and she slashed with her claw, smashing it to pieces.

A second Troop Dragon appeared in a burst of energy.

"Vampire Lord!" screamed Yumi.

The swarm of bats flew at the second Troop Dragon, and it exploded into pixels.

As Yumi expected, a third Troop Dragon appeared.

"All right…" growled Yumi. "I have to end my turn…"

Chelsea drew a card.

"I set another Monster in Defense Mode, and end my turn," she said.

Another set Monster appeared next to the other one.

"Chelsea," said Yumi, "if you expect to win this duel, you're going to have to make an offensive move eventually. So what are you waiting for?"

Chelsea just glared at her.

"Have it your way," said Yumi, drawing a card.

"I summon… Blood Sucker!"

In a burst of darkness, Blood Sucker appeared. (1,300/1,500)

"Yumi, please!" shouted Ren. "Be easy on her…"

"I don't need your pity, Ren," said Chelsea with a scowl.

"Blood Sucker, attack!" shouted Yumi.

Blood Sucker lunged at the final Troop Dragon, and it shattered to bits.

"Vampire Lady, you next."

Vampire Lady flew towards the facedown card. A Grey Wing appeared on the card, and was blasted to pieces.

"Zombie Werewolf!"

Zombie Werewolf flew towards the card. The Dragon that appeared this time was a smallish Dragon with blades on its limbs and jaw, with a toothy mouth. The Werewolf's claw slashed it to pieces.

"A Hunter Dragon?" asked Yumi, putting her hand on her hip. "Not exactly the type of Dragon one uses in most Dragon Decks, Chelsea."

"Maybe my strategy is too complex for your feeble mind to comprehend," said Chelsea.

"Yeah?" said Yumi. "Well comprehend this… You have no more Monsters to protect you! Vampire Lord… Attack her directly!"

Chelsea shielded herself with her arm as the swarm of bats plowed into her, and she took a step backwards.

She panted for breath…

**(Y: 8,000) -------------------- (C: 6,000)**

"Don't forget Vampire Lord's effect, Chels," said Yumi. "Since you taught me that Spell Cards were the safest option, that's what I'm going to declare."

Chelsea looked at her with a wicked grin.

She took her deck and looked through it.

"Actually, Yumi," she said, "it would be my pleasure!

"Because the Spell Card I choose to discard is a special one, called Hound of Hecate!"

She tossed it in her discard slot.

"That fool Edan was a misogynist and a pervert, but he had some good ideas when it came to cards. When this Spell Card goes to the Graveyard from my hand or deck, I get to take any Dark Monster from my deck and add it to my hand."

She got what she wanted, and slowly reshuffled.

"So, is that your turn?"

"Uh…" said Yumi, looking at her hand.

"Yeah, I guess so…"

_Does she have the false soul right now?_ she thought.

Chelsea drew a card, and quickly added it to her hand.

"I summon Cyberdark Keel!" she shouted.

She played the card, and in a burst of dark shadow, a large Machine made of black metal appeared. It looked like a large, mechanical, segmented serpent with a robotic dragon's head, and a blade on its tail. (800/800)

"Yumi!" shouted Anastasia. "I remember the Cyberdark Monsters… They were the headliners of the dreaded Cyber Tails Deck…

"They were last used by Zane Truesdale after he descended into a state where he wanted to win at all costs…

"But these cards come with a string attached. They're like an addictive drug, and they slowly sap the health and strength of the user, eventually endangering his life if he continues to use them.

"Poor Zane… He was strong at first, but these cards slowly weakened him. He thought he was in control, but his health deteriorated badly. He was lucky to survive.

"Trust me… Those cards are evil."

Yumi paused. She looked at Chelsea.

Chelsea was a strong duelist, but she doubted that she had either the stamina or willpower that Truesdale had…

Finally, she spoke up.

"It doesn't look so tough," she said.

"Appearances can deceive," said Chelsea. "Cyberdark Keel has the ability to dig up a Dragon-Type Monster from my Graveyard that's Level Three or less. Then it can feed on that Dragon's energy, taking every Attack Point.

"I'll demonstrate…"

The Hunter Dragon appeared in front of Cyberdark Keel. It screeched as it was bound by metal ribbons, and then wires were driven into it. Cyberdark Keel rose to (2,500/800)

"Good lord…" muttered Yumi.

"Get the picture?" said Chelsea. "This creature is a vampire too, and it's much better than my old ones.

"And I'm going to prove it right now! Cyberdark Keel, attack Vampire Lord with dark pierce!"

Cyberdark Keel lashed its tail forward, and Vampire Lord groaned before exploding into shards.

"And Cyberdark Keel has another ability," continued Chelsea. "When it destroys a Monster, you lose an extra 300 Life Points."

Yumi strained as a dark aura surrounded her…

**(Y: 7,200) -------------------- (C: 6,000)**

"I'm not done," said Chelsea. "Next I'll play… Card Destruction. You know what that means."

She played the card. Yumi frowned, and they both discarded their hands. Yumi drew two new cards, and Chelsea drew five.

"I'll end my turn there."

Yumi drew a third card.

_Hmm,_ she thought, _Widespread Ruin…_

"I set one Monster in Defense Mode, and move everyone else to Defense Mode," she said.

A facedown Monster appeared, and Vampire Lady, Blood Sucker, and Zombie Werewolf all knelt in defense.

"Now I place a card facedown, and activate Mirage of Nightmare.

A facedown card appeared next to her other one, and Mirage of Nightmare appeared.

_Let's hope I can do this trick as easy as Chelsea can,_ she thought.

"I end my turn."

"Then I draw!" shouted Chelsea.

"And I get to draw four cards," said Yumi.

She drew four cards.

"Now I activate… Emergency Provisions!"

Her first facedown card lifted, and Mirage of Nightmare and Call of the Mummy were consumed.

"You like that, Chelsea?" said Yumi. "I did your trick perfectly!"

Chelsea blinked. Her eyes opened wide.

"Yeah…" she said. "That was pretty good… I…"

"Chelsea!" shouted Rasputin's voice in her ear. "She's trying to trick you. Concentrate on the duel, or you will be punished severely once it is over."

Chelsea shook her head.

"Yes, master…" she said.

She played another card.

"I play Mystical Space Typhoon!" she shouted. "There goes your Trap Card."

The cyclone tore across the field, blowing Widespread Ruin to shards.

"Now I summon… Cyberdark Horn."

She played the card, and another terrible Machine appeared. This one was hard to describe. It sort of resembled a cross between a dragon and a wasp, with blade-like wings and a head like a demonic skull. (800/800)

"Like its brother, Horn can feed off the energy of a Dragon in my Graveyard. Good thing you destroyed so many of them when this duel started, huh?"

A Masked Dragon appeared in front of Cyberdark Horn. It was grabbed by metal claws, and wires were driven into it. (2,200/800)

"This is sick…" muttered Yumi.

"And Cyberdark Horn has an impressive ability too," said Chelsea. "When it attacks a Monster in Defense Mode, the difference between its Attack Points and that Monster's Defense Points are taken out of your Life Points.

"Cyberdark Horn, attack Blood Sucker with dark wind!"

Cyberdark Horn threw its wings forward, and a gust of foul wind blew towards Blood Sucker. The Zombie strained, and was blasted apart. Yumi groaned.

"Cyberdark Keel, attack her Vampire Lady!"

Keel lashed with its tail, again, and Vampire Lady screamed as she was impaled, and then blown to bits.

"And once again, you lose 300 more Life Points."

**(Y: 8,200) -------------------- (C: 6,000)**

Yumi bowed her head.

Then she looked at Chelsea.

"Bring it," she said.

She drew a card.

She placed a card on her Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared next to her other one.

"That's all," she muttered.

"Really?" asked Chelsea, drawing a card. "I expected more from you, Yumi…

"I summon Cyberdark Edge!"

"Just how many of these Cyberdark things are there?" shouted Ren.

A new Machine appeared. This one was neither more nor less a bug, with huge wings that looked like swords. (800/800)

"I'm guessing this one can Equip itself with a Dragon from your Graveyard too," said Yumi.

Another Masked Dragon appeared, and it screamed as it was grabbed by the infernal device. (2,200/800)

"And wait until you hear about Edge's ability," said Chelsea. "If I cut its Attack Score in half, it can attack you directly.

"And that's just what I'm gonna do…

"Cyberdark Edge, attack Yumi directly with dark spear!"

Cyberdark Edge folded its wings. Its Attack Score fell to 1,100, and a burst of shadowy energy shot towards Yumi. Yumi screamed as it felt like the moisture was being leeched from her skin.

Chelsea pointed, and Cyberdark Horn blasted its dark wind at one of the facedown Monsters. Sangan appeared on the card, and was blown to bits.

Yumi started to sweat even more as she looked through her deck. She got what she wanted, and put it back.

Chelsea grinned, and Cyberdark Keel shot its tail towards the other facedown Monster…

A second Zombie Werewolf appeared on the card, and was blown to pieces.

"I use its effect," said Yumi. "I'm sure you know how it works.

A third Zombie Werewolf appeared, also crouching in Defense Mode. (1,700/1,200)

**(Y: 5,200) -------------------- (C: 6,000)**

"That's all, Yumi," said Chelsea. "So what will you pull out your hat next?"

Yumi drew a card.

"I play Pot of Greed!" she shouted.

The jar appeared, and she drew two cards.

She smirked as she looked at one of them.

"Your Cyberdark Monsters may be powerful, Chelsea," she said, "But I think I know their weakness…"

Chelsea's eyebrow lifted.

"Take away those Dragons that are powering them up, and they'd be weaklings…

"And since those Dragons are Equipped to them like Equip Spells, any card that would destroy Spells would render them powerless.

"Let's see if I'm right… I play Heavy Storm!"

Chelsea cursed as a storm blew over the field, and the three Dragons bonded to the Cyberdark Machines were blown into pixels. Each one fell to its base Attack Score of 800.

"Yeah, you were right," muttered Chelsea. "Congratulations…"

"I'm far from done…" said Yumi, taking another card. "I play Monster Reincarnation."

She tossed her Rush Recklessly, and Vampire Lord slipped out of her discard slot.

"Now, I'll sacrifice my weaker Zombie Werewolf, to summon Vampire Lord again."

The 1,200-point Werewolf vanished, and Vampire Lord appeared, now somewhat angry. (2,000/1,500)

"Next, I remove him from play, to summon Vampire Genesis!"

Vampire Lord vanished into grains of light, and in a burst of energy, the mighty vampire deity appeared. (3,000/2,100)

"Now, I'll move my other Zombie Werewolf to Attack Mode…"

Zombie Werewolf stood up.

"Vampire Genesis, attack Cyberdark Edge! Crimson Shroud!"

Genesis's eyes glowed with fiery embers. It burst into the blood-red cloud, and flew at the infernal Machine. Chelsea cringed as it exploded into slag.

"Zombie Werewolf, attack Cyberdark Horn!"

Zombie Werewolf leapt at the much bigger Monster, and slashed at it with his claw. Sparks flew from Cyberdark Horn's torso, and it exploded into scrap.

**(Y: 5,200) -------------------- (C: 2,900)**

_I've managed to take control of this duel,_ thought Yumi. _Chelsea will have no choice but to bring out the false soul… I only hope I can summon Penelope in time, and bring it down…_

"I end my turn," she said.

Chelsea drew a card.

"I play my own Pot of Greed…" she said.

She played the card, and drew twice.

She shuddered when she saw what one of the cards was.

_I… I don't want to…_ she thought. _But Rasputin insisted…_

She placed a card in her Disk.

"I play, Level Bane," she said.

A Continuous Spell Card appeared on her side of the field.

"It works like this. This Spell Card costs me 300 Life Points for each round that I want to keep it. However, I get to name one number. Then, if either of us draws a Monster of a Level equal to that number, that Monster is removed from play.

"I name… Seven."

_No!_ thought Ren, sitting up. _She's trying to get rid of Penelope before Yumi can even try to play her! What's Yumi gonna do?_

"Next…" said Chelsea, "I sacrifice Cyberdark Keel to summon Luster Dragon."

The last Cyberdark Monster vanished, and the beautiful emerald Dragon appeared. (2,400/1,400)

"Giving up on your Cyberdarks so soon?" asked Yumi.

"Not by a long shot," said Chelsea, playing a Spell Card. "I play… Cyberdark Impact!

"To play this card, I have to take from my hand, field, and Graveyard, one Cyberdark Keel, one Cyberdark Horn, and one Cyberdark Edge, and shuffle all three back into my deck…"

The three Monsters slipped out of her discard slot. She quickly shuffled them into her deck.

"What's the point, you may ask?" she continued. "I now get to Fusion Summon my ultimate Monster…

"Presenting… The Cyberdark Dragon!"

A monstrous shape loomed over Chelsea. It looked like a machine that a demon would have designed. Clearly, this was indeed a combination of all three Cyberdark Monsters… It looked like someone had wielded them together in a chaotic jumble that vaguely resembled a dragon, with vast wings that looked like huge swords. (1,000/1,000)

"I'm guessing this thing also has the ability to assimilate one of your Dragons," said Yumi.

"You guessed right," replied Chelsea. "But there's one major difference. In this case, it can be a Dragon of any Level. Including the Level Eight Tyrant Dragon that I tossed when I played Card Destruction."

Tyrant Dragon appeared in front of Cyberdark Dragon. It roared as huge metal clamps grabbed it, and secured it to the metal monstrosity.

"And my Cyberdark Dragon has one other ability," said Chelsea. "For every Monster remaining in my Graveyard, it gains 100 more Attack Points. In addition to what you've seen so far, I tossed a Cave Dragon, an Exploder Dragon, and a Sangan when I played Card Destruction, giving this guy a total of… Well, see for yourself…"

(5,000/1,000)

There was a long pause.

"So what do you think, Yumi?" asked Chelsea, with a laugh. "Now I have the greatest predator! The ultimate vampire is now mine!"

There was a long pause.

"It isn't a vampire, Chelsea," said Yumi, shaking her head. "What it is really is a graverobbing ghoul. Vampires are true predators… That thing is nothing more than a scavenger."

Chelsea glared at her.

"I'll teach you to call my Monster a scavenger!" she shouted. "Cyberdark Dragon… Destroy Vampire Genesis with Ultimate Darkness Burst!"

The whole room seemed to turn black as midnight, as the horrible Machine fired a blast of negative energy, and Vampire Genesis exploded into gibbets. Yumi fell down on her behind.

"Could a scavenger have done that?" asked Chelsea.

"Sure," gasped Yumi, trying to sound more confident than she really was. "Tyrannosaurus Rex was more than likely a scavenger, but it was still able to hold its own in a fight."

Chelsea glared at her in rage.

"Luster Dragon, take out Zombie Werewolf!" she shouted. "Emerald flame!"

Luster Dragon shot a blast of green fire, and Zombie Werewolf screamed as he was burned to a cinder.

**(Y: 2,400) -------------------- (C: 2,900)**

"I end my turn, Yumi," said Chelsea, with a smug smile. "Next round, it's all over…"

Yumi paused. She looked at her hand.

_She might be right…_ she thought. _Unless I draw what I need right now, I won't be able to avoid a direct attack from that thing…_

_Oh, why couldn't Chelsea have included a Spirit Reaper in this deck?_

She paused, and touched the Horn of Chance at her hip. She hoped that it had gotten adjusted to a new owner in the forty minutes since she had won it…

She drew a card.

"Hold it, Yumi," said Chelsea. "With Level Bane on the field, I get to check what you draw for Level Seven Monsters."

"Take a look," said Yumi, turning the card around. "A Polymerization card is certainly not a Level Seven Monster.

"And since I have it, I'm gonna use it. You like triple-fusions, huh?

"Well, I'm gonna fuse together Soul-Absorbing Bone Tower, Castle of Dark Illusions, and Pumpking the King of Ghosts…"

The two Zombies and one Fiend appeared on the field, and were consumed in dark energy. Lightning flashed…

Nosferatu the Lich Lord had come again. (1,900/2,000)

"HA!" laughed Chelsea. "He's not even a match for my Luster Dragon!"

"I know," said Yumi. "That's why I summoned him in Defense Mode."

"Defense Mode?" shouted Chelsea.

Chelsea looked. Nosferatu was indeed kneeling, and holding its staff in its lap in a defensive position.

"Don't you remember how your own Monsters work?" asked Yumi. "This guy can't be destroyed in battle. So unless Cyberdark Dragon also has a trampling effect, he'll be an effective shield."

Chelsea growled.

"It doesn't…" she muttered.

"Then it's your move…" said Yumi.

_I'm safe for now,_ she thought. _But I used up every card in my hand. Now, it's all a matter of fate…_

"I draw…" said Chelsea, drawing. "And I pay 300 Life Points to keep Level Bane…"

"Slow down, Chelsea!" snapped Yumi. "That Level Bane card works both ways, you know. I get to check the cards you draw."

Chelsea growled, and turned the card around. It was Spear Dragon.

"Think I'll summon it while I'm at it…" she said.

She played the card, and the small Dragon that looked vaguely like a pterodactyl appeared in front of her. (1,900/0)

_If I can wait her out, I can win,_ she thought. _Once I draw my De-Fusion, I can send Nosferatu back to her Fusion Deck, and it will be all over for Yumi…_

"I end my turn…"

**(Y: 2,400) -------------------- (C: 2,600)**

Yumi drew a card.

She showed it to Chelsea. It was Red Ghost Moon.

_Darn it…_ thought Chelsea. _I can't keep paying for this card forever…_

Yumi looked at the Trap Card. It was a powerful Trap, but unfortunately, it was the only card in her hand. With no Zombies to discard, it was worthless right now.

"I have to pass…" she muttered.

"Then I draw…" muttered Chelsea. "And I pay 300 more Life Points for Level Bane…"

She showed Yumi the card, which was her own Polymerization.

She chose another one from her hand.

"I play Dragon's Heart," she said, as a Spell Card appeared on her side of the field. "When I play this card, I'm not allowed to summon a Monster during the same round…"

She took her deck from the holder.

"…but I am allowed to toss three Dragons from my deck, in order to increase the Attack Score of one on the field by 1,000."

She threw two Hunter Dragons and an Attachment Dragon into her Graveyard, and Spear Dragon rose to an Attack of 2,900. Cyberdark Dragon rose to 5,300.

"Nosferatu may not be destroyed by this attack, but due to Spear Dragon's effect, your Life Points will still take a hit.

"Spear Dragon, attack Nosferatu with cyclone blast!"

Spear Dragon opened its beak, and exhaled a forceful gust of wind at the Lich Lord. Yumi held her chest in pain…

**(Y: 1,500) -------------------- (C: 2,300)**

Chelsea sighed.

"Spear Dragon moves into Defense Mode…" she muttered.

The Dragon folded its wings and landed.

"…and I end my turn…"

_Is she getting tired?_ thought Yumi.

She looked at her deck – Chelsea's deck.

_I hope she is, because I'm not exactly springtime fresh myself. I'd best draw the card I need now…_

She drew a card.

It shone in the dim light.

"I drew Book of Life, Chelsea!" she shouted, showing it to her. "And it's time to use it!"

The card appeared on her side of the field.

"I'll remove the Exploder Dragon in your grave from play…"

The card slipped out of Chelsea's discard slot, and Cyberdark Dragon fell slightly, to 5,200 Attack Points.

"And I'll summon back your old friend…

"Come back, Penelope!"

In a burst of light, Penelope, Lady of the Night appeared on Yumi's side of the field. (1,000/200)

"What?" shouted Chelsea. "No fair! She was never in your Graveyard!"

"Do you remember something called Card Destruction?" asked Yumi. "I wasn't about to tell you this, but your Level Bane was worthless.

"You should have known more than anyone, Chelsea… With the Monsters in your deck, they don't die so easily.

"But your Cyberdark Dragon is more mortal than ever now, because now all Spells and Traps on the field are destroyed, including the Tyrant Dragon that's Equipped to it."

The Level Bane card burst, and then the Tyrant Dragon exploded into shards. Cyberdark Dragon started to spark and sputter, as its Attack Score plummeted to 2,300.

"And let's not forget Penelope's other effect," said Yumi. "For every Zombie in my Graveyard, eight, she gains 400 more Attack Points."

(4,200/200)

"Now, I'll switch Nosferatu to Attack Mode…"

The Lich Lord stood up.

"Nosferatu, wipe out Spear Dragon with unholy blight!"

The Lich Lord raised its staff, and fired a blast of dark lightning, eradicating the small Dragon.

"Penelope… destroy her Cyberdark Dragon with Light of Vengeance!"

Penelope's staff glowed with golden fire. Chelsea covered her eyes, as explosions rocked over the hide of the infernal Machine, and it shattered into pieces of broken metal.

Chelsea hung her head…

**(Y: 1,400) -------------------- (C: 400)**

"Humph…" muttered Yumi. "One more Zombie, and I would have won right there… 

"Due to Nosferatu's ability, Spear Dragon is Special Summoned to my side of the field, although its Type becomes Zombie and it loses its effect. Although in its case, that may be somewhat of a benefit."

Spear Dragon appeared on Yumi's side of the field, a decaying, rotting undead version of its former self, with exposed bones in its chest and glowing red eyes. (1,900/0)

"And I end my turn," said Yumi.

Chelsea's hand trembled. She drew a card.

She looked at it…

Then she dropped it.

She slowly turned the card on her Disk, and Luster Dragon moved to Defense Mode.

"Penelope…" she said, with tears forming in her eyes. "Finish it… Please…"

_She moved her Dragon to Defense Mode…_ thought Yumi, drawing a card. _That means she wants me to…_

_Well, okay Chelsea…_

"Nosferatu, wipe out her Dragon!"

The Lich Lord cast his blight, and Luster Dragon was blown to atoms.

"Penelope, take this home!"

Penelope flew towards Chelsea, glowing with a blinding light. Chelsea closed her eyes as the blast hit her.

**(Y: 1,500) -------------------- (C: 0)**

Chelsea started to collapse. Then, to everyone's surprise, Penelope caught her before she fell over. The Lady of the Night gently set her down.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Chelsea was in darkness.

She shivered in cold, and in fear…

Then, she felt two warm arms reach from behind and embrace her. She closed her eyes.

Penelope was hugging her as a mother would a child, trying hard to comfort her.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Chelsea didn't know it, but the one who was really holding her was Ren.

Yumi took some deep breaths. She noticed that the Sword of Tsunami was strapped to her waist, on the opposite side from the Horn of Chance.

She was amassing an impressive collection, but how much further could she go on?

Ren turned his head, and noticed the card that Chelsea had dropped. The last card she had drawn.

He picked it up and looked at it.

Premature Burial.

He grinned.

"Hey, Rasputin, you listening?" he said to the ceiling. "This was the card Chelsea drew on her last turn. If she had played it, she'd have won…

"All she'd have had to do was sacrifice Luster Dragon to summon Tyrant Dragon from her Graveyard. Then it could have attacked Spear Dragon and Nosferatu, Yumi would have lost 2,000 Life Points, and game over.

"But she couldn't have played it. Know why?

"Because… Since she had paid her Life Points to keep Level Bane, she didn't have enough Life Points to play it.

"Ironic, isn't it? Your strategy to keep Yumi from summoning Penelope didn't even work, and it cost you… Big time."

Chelsea's eyes slowly opened.

"Yumi… Ren?" she muttered.

"Welcome back," said Yumi.

"Oh, Yumi…" muttered Chelsea.

"You want this back?" asked Yumi, holding her deck forward.

Chelsea slowly took back her deck.

She shook her head.

"Yumi…" she said. "I strongly suggest we try to save ourselves and leave Sam and Erik to their fates."

"Heh," chuckled Yumi. "I'll admit, it is tempting. But getting them out of here is the right thing to do, Chelsea.

"Besides…

"There is no way in Hell I'm going to let Sam weasel out of the wager she lost earlier today!"

Chelsea giggled and got up.

"And there is no way Erik is going to get out of paying me that twenty dollars he owes me," said Ren.

"Then we have to get to the fifth floor," said Chelsea. "Supernatural history exhibit."

"Then let's go!" shouted Yumi. "Uhm, I don't suppose the elevator is working?"

"Uhm…" said Chelsea.

"What am I saying, of course it isn't…" muttered Yumi. "That would be too easy…"

As she opened the door, Chelsea looked at the three normal Cyberdark Monsters and the Cyberdark Dragon.

_I wonder if anyone is offering a reward for the return of these cards?_ she thought.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Back at the duel between Icarus and Aisha, it was pretty much a standoff.

Icarus now had Candellado, the Beast of Light (with 8,000 Attack Points) on his side of the field, along with Gaea the Agent of Plenty (0/3,000), both in Attack Mode, plus Chain Energy, Infinite Cards, Solemn Wishes, Vow of Peace, and a facedown card. He had 7,300 Life Points remaining. Aisha, on the other hand, had three Cloudian – Nimbusman, each with four Fog Counters (2,000/1,000 x2), a Continuous Spell called Cloudian Squall, Spirit Barrier, and one facedown card. She had only 2,000 Life Points remaining.

"You're only delaying the inevitable," said Icarus.

"We'll soon see…" she said, drawing a card.

"First…" she said, "my Cloudian Squall adds a Fog Counter to every Cloudian on my side of the field."

The three Nimbusman rose to Attacks of 2,500.

"Then, I summon Cloudian – Acid Cloud."

She groaned as she was shocked by a jolt from the Chain Energy card, and a Cloudian made of green gas with a halo around its head appeared next to the others. (500/0)

"Since I have four Cloudians, it gains four Fog Counters. And I can remove two of them to destroy one of your Spell Cards. Like your Chain Energy."

Acid Cloud breathed a spray of corrosive mist, and Chain Energy dissolved into sludge.

"Now I'll remove the other two, to destroy your Vow of Peace."

It breathed its acid spray again, and Vow of Peace melted.

"Nimbusman, attack Gaea! Gale blast!"

"Wait a minute…" said Icarus.

The Nimbusman on the right breathed a chilling wind. Gaea screamed before she was frozen solid, and shattered into shards. Icarus cringed in pain.

"Next…" said Aisha, as her facedown card lifted. "I activate my facedown card, Updraft. Now I can remove all the Fog Counters from my Monsters, and deal you 300 Points of damage for each one."

Icarus screamed as an arctic wind chilled him to the bones. All three Nimbusman fell to Attack Scores of 1,000, and his Life Points fell down to 300.

"I end my turn…" she said.

Icarus snarled. He went to draw a card, before remembering that he couldn't draw.

He looked at his hand.

"I activate my Trap Card," he said, as his facedown card lifted up. "Reckless Greed. I have to skip two Draw Phases now, but since I'm skipping them anyway, the point is moot.

"Now I get to draw two cards."

He drew twice. The Solemn Wishes card glowed, and his Life Points went up to 800.

Candellado grew to an Attack of 10,000, as he looked at his hand.

"I set them both facedown, and summon Shining Angel."

Two facedown cards appeared, and the radiant man in a toga with feathered wings appeared. (1,400/800) Candellado fell to an Attack of 7,000.

"I end my turn," he said.

Aisha raised an eyebrow.

She drew a card.

"Activate… Dust Tornado!" shouted Icarus.

One of his facedown cards lifted, and the Spirit Barrier card was swept up into the air. It never came down.

"Heh, heh, heh," he chuckled. "You're down to your last card, and your Cloudians can't defend…

"And, even if your last card is a Monster you can defend with, your Monsters have zero Defense Points… It will be no problem for Shining Angel to destroy it…"

Aisha looked at his other facedown card.

_And that facedown card is clearly deadly,_ she thought.

She looked at the one card in her hand. She shivered in fear.

_Looks like I have no choice… _she thought.

She played the card.

"I play Wonder Cloud," she said.

"Listen closely. When I play this card, I have to remove from play every card on my side of the field, and in my hand."

Her four Monsters and Cloudian Squall vanished.

"Then, I get to draw one card for each card on your side of the field. Then, the rest of my deck is removed from play.

"But, I do get one other advantage… The effects of any cards you might activate during this turn from this point on, are negated. So your facedown card, whatever it is, is worthless.

"You get that?"

"Yes, I got that," said Icarus, with a chuckle. "And I think it's silly. You're risking your freedom on the off-chance that the top five cards on your deck right now _might_ have the cards you need to beat me in one turn?"

"Well," said Aisha with a sigh. "When faced with a choice between taking a risk and certain defeat, I'd rather take the risk."

She closed her eyes and drew five cards.

Then she reluctantly took the rest of her deck, and placed it inside her parka.

She nervously opened her eyes and looked at her five cards.

"I play… Premature Burial!" she shouted, playing another card. "I'll bring back someone you might remember… Cloudian – Eye of the Typhoon!"

Her Life Points fell to 700, as the winds started to pick up. The huge, living storm cloud with a single eye appeared above her. (3,000/1,000)

"Ooh, 3,000 Attack Points!" laughed Icarus. "I'm so scared… That is, I would be… _If_ I didn't also remember its effect. When it attacks, my Monsters switch Modes. So my Shining Angel will move to Defense Mode, and I'll take no damage at all!"

"I'm not going to attack with it," said Aisha. "I only summoned it to sacrifice it for someone who is going to attack…

"I sacrifice my Monster…"

The huge Cloudian dissolved into formless white mist. A spooky, misty fog started to rise on the beach…

"…in order to summon… King Mist!"

A haunting laughter echoed over the beach, and a ghostly form appeared over the waves behind Aisha. It was a knight-like creature, in glowing, ghostly, white armor and a flowing cape, with pupiless, silver eyes, surrounded by wispy mist, and holding a shining, silver sword. (0/0)

"What?" said Icarus. "Your King has no points!"

"He starts out at zero," said Aisha, "but his Attack Score becomes that of the combined Attack Scores of the Monsters I sacrificed to summon him."

(3,000/0)

"King Mist… Attack Shining Angel with royal blade of mist!"

King Mist's laughter echoed over the beach again, and he flew at the Fairy. Icarus was about to activate his Mirror Force… But then he remembered the effect of Wonder Cloud…

"Oh no…" he muttered.

Shining Angel screamed, just before he was struck down by King Mist's sword. Icarus screamed too, as his Life Points fell to zero.

He collapsed, and the Beast of Light vanished.

Aisha breathed a sigh of relief…

Then she was startled, as she saw a dark shadow fly out of Icarus's body. It glared at her in anger, and then dissipated into darkness.

"Maybe…" she muttered. "Maybe I'd better… find a Centurion…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Half a mile off the cost of Duelatopia, hovering about four-thousand feet in the air, was a temple that seemed to be made entirely of glass.

None of the tracking equipment that the Centurions used could see it. The owner of this temple, like Rasputin, was no stranger to alchemy, but he was also skilled in actual magic. His spells masked the temple's presence.

Inside, in a large chamber, where everything was also apparently made of glass, he sat on a cushioned chair. He was a tall man, dressed in a tight robe, cloak, and hood, all colored midnight-blue.

As Aisha struck the final blow against Icarus, he roused from his meditation. He lowered his hood, revealing a handsome face with sky-blue eyes, and long, raven-black hair tied in a ponytail.

"Hmm…" he mused, rubbing his chin.

"The end phase has begun…"

_Chelsea has been freed from the wicked influence of the Rod of the Ancients, and Yumi continues to scale Clock Tower Prison. But a new threat is on the loose, as a group of apparently possessed Ascenders are stalking Duelatopia, looking for victims. Aisha was triumphant, but will others be as lucky? Yumi may have to stop the problem at the source… If she can find out what it is…_

**0**

**0**

**0**

**KING MIST (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Spellcaster/Effect  
**Attribute: **Water  
**Level:** 7  
**ATK:** 0  
**DEF:** 0

**Card Description:** When you Normal Summon this card, you may do so by Tributing only one Monster, or no Monsters at all. The base ATK of this card becomes equal to the combined ATK of the Monster(s) used as Tribute(s) to summon it. When this card is face-up on the field, neither player can offer any Monster as Tributes under any circumstances.

_Note: "King Mist" is a Japanese card that has not yet been released in the United States. (Note that its real effect is not the same as its anime effect.)_

**0**

**0**

**0**

**HOUND OF HECATE (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** A grim woman, dressed in furs, holding two vicious dogs by leashes, standing under the full moon.

**Card Description:** This card is activated when it is sent from your hand or deck to the Graveyard by your opponent's card effect. Search your deck for one DARK Monster and add it to your hand.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**DRAGON'S HEART (Spell Card)**

**Quickplay Spell**

**Image:** A classic-looking dragon with a glowing, red ruby over its chest where its heart would be.

**Card Description:** You may not Normal Summon a Monster during the turn in which you use this card. Select three Dragon-Type Monsters in your deck and send them to your Graveyard. Then, increase the ATK of one Dragon-Type Monster on your side of the field by 1,000 until the End Phase of the current turn.

_Note: "Dragon's Heart" was used by Atticus (as Nightshroud) in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "The Darkness Within". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**LEVEL BANE (Spell Card)**

**Continuous Spell**

**Image:** Invader of Darkness, Dark Necrofear, and Cosmo Queen falling into a dark abyss.

**Card Description:** Pay 300 Life Points during each of your Standby Phases. If you do not, this card is destroyed. State one number at the time this card is played. If either player draws a Monster of a Level matching the stated number while this card is active on the field, destroy this card and remove the drawn Monster from play.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**Chelsea: Yumi… You're tired… You can't keep this up forever…**

**Ren: And even if you manage to release Sam and Erik, then what? You'll never be in good enough shape to take down Rasputin.**

**Yumi: I know Ren… It looks bleak… I have no idea what he has waiting for us either above… Or below…**

**Anastasia: Don't lose faith Yumi. Having faith saved you before, and it may save you again. You have more allies in this struggle than you may think…**

**Coming up next: "A Beacon Lights the Night; An Ally Returns".**

**Don't fear, Yumi… On the streets of Duelatopia, help is on the way…**


	52. A Beacon Lights the Night

_I'd like to make an announcement. It seems my last chapter was released one day too early to learn the truth about the so-called curse surrounding the Cyberdark Monsters. _

_As viewers of the original anime now know, these cards are not evil. They simply resent being used by duelists who are. Their original owner had an attitude similar to Zane's, so he suffered the same fate as Zane eventually did. Thus, Sheppard believed the cards to be cursed. _

_However, the cards reacted much differently when Zane gave them to Syrus. Syrus was still an honorable duelist, so the Cyberdark cards would not harm him. He could use them with no ill effects. _

_That is the truth behind the Cyber Tails Deck. _

_Had this episode with its revelations aired sooner, I would have greatly edited the last chapter. Unfortunately, the anime is fickle, and the revelations came too late. I don't even like the fact that Syrus decided to keep the cards. I liked him much better when he was using his Roids. (Although, you have to wonder, if the cards were indeed cursed, would Syrus have experienced Roid-rage?) _

_Incidentally, the same episode came with another interesting revelation. Zane actually had _two_ copies of Cyberdark Dragon. Whether or not this meant the deck had multiple copies of Horn, Keel, and Edge, we aren't sure. Rest assured, however, Chelsea only had one of the big ones. _

_Anyway, let's hope the anime doesn't have any unexpected surprises like this in the future that lead to me starting something I can't stop. _

_On with the story. _

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**CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE **

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**A Beacon Lights the Night **

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**An Ally Returns **

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Some would think that a night where the Lord of the Second Circle had visited the Earth and supernatural activity from another source – namely, a powerful spell created ages ago by one of the Sorcerer Kings – would generate foul, inclement weather.

Actually, it was a rather beautiful night, for now. The full moon was in the sky over Duelatopia, amid thousands of stars. Not knowing there were ten escaped criminals on the loose until a Centurion passed them a warning, many guests were out admiring the beauty.

And one guest who couldn't be happier was Latin America's top duelist, Enrique Lobo.

He had gotten the good news just after Yumi's victory in the finals. His father's plea bargain had been accepted. And while his dad would have to pay a great deal of fines, and his business would be under careful scrutiny for a long time, the important part was, there would be no prison time.

At first, Enrique had considered taking the next boat home to be with his father. But he had wanted to meet with Yumi again… To say thank you, if nothing else. She had convinced him to tell his dad to get out of the deal with Rasputin… What had happened now had given him back his dignity, at least.

He didn't really know where he was going right now. For a while he had walked through the Restaurant District, where boyfriends and girlfriends were kissing over mixed drinks or sodas in outdoor cafes. Everyone knew that the vacation was almost over, and they were making the most of it.

Right now, he was in the Museum District…

He looked up, and saw Clock Tower Prison looming above him, three blocks away… It was strange… Had this monolith called him here?

He was about to walk the last few blocks towards the structure…

"Halt!" shouted a female voice.

Enrique looked up, and saw his path blocked by a young woman about his age. She looked attractive – sort of as a harlot would. She had long, dark hair, and even darker eyebrows. She was dressed entirely in black leather, and wore a Duel Disk.

"Don't go any further, handsome," she purred. "No one is allowed any closer to the Clock Tower than here."

Enrique raised his eyebrow.

"You don't seem to have that authority, Señorita," he said. "Mind telling me why that is?"

"Heh," chuckled the girl. "Do you actually think I'm going to tell you that Rasputin has Yumi Mouto trapped inside it?"

Enrique's eyes opened wide, as the girl covered her mouth.

"Damn…" she muttered. "I have got to stop doing that…"

"You'll get out of my way right now, _ramera_!" he scowled. "Or I'll…"

"The name is Cindy," she replied, "not Ramera, and you'll do what?"

She took something off of her belt, and something sparked in the dim light.

Enrique flinched. It was a stun gun…

He paused. He looked at the Duel Disk on her arm.

"I see you're a duelist…" he said. "I'll duel you to get by."

Cindy smiled evilly.

"Well…" she purred, in a seductive tone. "Hmm… This might be worth it… You are quite handsome… We could always use the type…"

_Huh?_ thought Enrique. _What is she talking about?_

Cindy put away the stun gun.

"Fine, I accept," she said. "But once you lose, you'll regret your boldness for a long time…"

She grinned, and slowly unzipped the front of her leather top, just enough to reveal most of her cleavage.

"Oh, trying to distract me by flashing skin, huh?" asked Enrique. "Think again. I have a lover back home, and your pathetic attempt can't turn me away from her."

"Then it will be all the sweeter," she replied, "when I force you to leave her."

The two Disks activated.

"Game on!" they both shouted.

**(Enrique: 8,000) -------------------- (Cindy: 8,000) **

"Comenze la violencia!" shouted Enrique, drawing his first card.

He looked at his opening hand.

"I summon my Volcanic Blaster in Attack Mode," he said.

The Monster that appeared looked like some sort of glass dome mounted on three legs, inside which a fire was burning. True to its name, a small cannon was pointing out from in front of it. (1,200/600)

"You call that a Monster?" asked Cindy. "I've seen bunny rabbits that looked more formidable."

_Little does she know,_ thought Enrique, _this is the sort of Monster that you want your opponent to destroy. _

"I'll set these two cards facedown," he said, "and take a break…"

He fit two cards in his Disk, and two facedown cards appeared.

_I've already got my Firewall on the field,_ he thought. _And as a bonus, my Fire Trap will foil any attempt she makes to destroy it. Now if she just takes the bait… _

"My draw…" said Cindy.

She drew a card, and looked at it.

"I play… Graceful Charity," she said.

As she played the card, the creature that came to her was clearly no angel. It was similar to the erinyes devil that had come to Samen – same evil expression, same trashy clothing – but there were also differences. This creature's skin was coppery, rather than blue, and her wings weren't hawk-like, there were bat-like.

Enrique pondered this, as Cindy drew three cards. She carefully considered, and then discarded two of them.

"I summon… Alien Shocktrooper!" she shouted.

With a roar, a horrid creature appeared in front of her. It was a reptilian, centurian-shaped thing, fully seven feet tall, with four legs (each of which with webbed claws), armor-plated scales, and a lizard-like face. It held a huge scimitar in its right claw, which was clearly of a design that no human culture had created. (1,900/800)

"Wonderful…" muttered Enrique. "A member of the Nineteen-Hundred Club…"

"You got it," said Cindy. "Shocktrooper, tear his Blaster to shreds."

Alien Shocktrooper roared, and made a mighty slash with its blade, slicing the Volcanic Blaster cleanly down the middle. The two pieces burst into a fiery blast. Enrique shielded himself.

"Gracious," he said with a smile, taking the deck out of its holder. "When Volcanic Blaster is extinguished, I get to take any Monster in my deck with the word 'Volcanic' in its name, and place it on the top of my deck."

He took a card from his deck, and looked at it. He placed it on top, and put the deck back.

"Well I'm not done!" said Cindy, playing a card. "I play a Spell Card… The Shallow Grave. Now we each take a Monster from out Graveyards, and Special Summon it in facedown Defense Mode.

"You have only one choice… Your Blaster. As for me… Well, you have no idea…"

Two facedown Monsters appeared, one on each side of the field.

"I end my turn…"

**(E: 7,300) -------------------- (C: 8,000) **

"Then I draw!" exclaimed Enrique.

He drew a card, and it was clearly the card he had put there.

"I'll summon my own member of the Nineteen-Hundred Club," he said. "My Volcanic Rocket!"

A stream of fire shot out of the ground behind him, like a rocket blasting off, and the Monster flew overhead, and landed on his side of the field. It looked like a cross between a missile and a pterodactyl, shrouded in flames. (1,900/1,400)

"By summoning this creature," he said, taking his deck, "I'm allowed to bring my Blaze Accelerator to my hand.

"Now I'll play it!"

In a burst of flame, the tripod-mounted flamethrower appeared on his side of the field.

"Fortunately for you, I don't have the right ammo for it right now, but that will change very soon. I end my turn…"

Cindy chuckled and drew a card.

"Now the true fun starts!" she said with a laugh. "I flip my facedown Monster into Attack Mode… Meet Alien Grey!"

Her card flipped up, and a strange creature appeared in a flash of light. It seemed to be your stereotypical little alien, with a hairless, grey-skinned body, cold, pupiless eyes, and hands whose fingers looked like small tentacles. (300/800)

"Que?" said Enrique. "You think I'm scared of that little guy?"

"You would be if you knew what he could do," said Cindy.

Alien Grey let out a loud spit, and an ugly, slug-like thing flew at Volcanic Rocket, clasping to its face.

"HEY!" shouted Enrique. "Say it, don't spray it!"

He looked at Volcanic Rocket, with the ugly vermin attached to its face.

"What did you do?" demanded Enrique.

"Ever see the old Sigourney Weaver _Alien_ movies?" asked Cindy.

Enrique glared at her.

"I'll take that as a no," said Cindy. "That slug-like thing is called an A-Counter, and you'd best get used to it, because a lot of the cards in my deck use them.

"They have a variety of effects for my cards… But as far as your Monsters are concerned, whenever one of them battles an Alien, the A-Counter weakens it, reducing its Attack and Defense Score by 300 per Counter for that battle.

"Anyway, continuing…

"I summon Alien Hunter."

In a burst of energy, a new Alien appeared. It was more humanoid than the Shocktrooper, but no more human. It looked like a humanoid lizard with blue scales and a long tail, wearing space-age armor. It carried a strange weapon that looked like a metal staff with a bladed prong at both ends. (1,600/800)

"Shocktrooper," ordered Cindy, "wipe out his Volcanic Rocket."

The Alien Shocktrooper rushed towards the Rocket, and the Rocket's Attack Score fell to 1,600. With one swipe of the Alien's scimitar, it burst into smoke and soot.

"Alien Hunter, destroy his facedown Monster! Otherworldly electrostaff!"

The tips of Alien Hunter's staff glowed with blue fire, and it twirled the weapon around. It leapt at the facedown card, and Volcanic Blaster appeared. The Pyro exploded.

"Don't you remember what happens when Volcanic Blaster goes down?" asked Enrique, taking his deck.

He chose a card, and placed it on the top of his deck.

"Sure I remember," said Cindy. "I just don't care. Alien Grey, attack him directly."

Alien Grey's eyes glowed. Enrique quickly looked at his Firewall card.

_Nada…_ he thought. _For a 300-point attack, it isn't worth it… _

Two blasts of light shot out of Alien Grey's eyes, hitting Enrique in the stomach…

**(E: 6,700) -------------------- (C: 8,000) **

Enrique started to sweat, and clutched his stomach.

"Que?" he said. "A… A 300-point direct attack shouldn't have hurt me _that_ much…"

"Mmm…" said Cindy, casually.

Her eyes glowed with pinpoints of red light.

"What did you expect from a Shadow Game, Enrique?"

He stared at her.

"Shadow Game?" he gasped. "Wait… When did I tell you my name?"

"Didn't…" said Cindy. "But your aura let me figure it out last turn."

Enrique stared at her. Her eyes started to glow even brighter.

"Beginning to see just how much danger you've put yourself in?" she asked. "I'm also well aware of what 'ramera' means in Spanish, by the way… You're going to pay dearly for that insult…"

"Rasputin…" muttered Enrique. "How is he doing this?"

"Rasputin isn't running the League of Ascension alone anymore," said Cindy. "He has a partner… Someone with… unique talents…

"I won't divulge who it is yet… But once you lose this duel, you'll be going to meet him… Whether you like it or not…"

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A Centurion cuffed Icarus's hands behind his back. Not that it was really necessary. He was far too exhausted to resist.

"Now, let's see if I've got this right," another Centurion asked Aisha. "After you beat him, he collapsed, and… A shadow came out of his body."

"Well…" said Aisha. "Sort of a ghostly shadow… Or a shadowy ghost, if that makes more sense. It had glowing eyes, and maybe claws too."

She sighed.

"You don't believe me, huh?"

"Actually," said the Centurion, taking out his communicator, "the scary part is, I completely believe you…"

He spoke into it.

"Commander Descartes, we have one of the escapees, and there may be a problem," he said. "Due to his would-be victim, they may not have left the brig via their own free will. In fact, they might have left completely against their will."

There was a pause.

"Yep, that's an affirmative. Should I sound an alarm?"

There was another pause.

"All right… I'll get this woman back to her hotel first…"

He turned it off.

"We've got to get every guest we can find off the streets," he said to Aisha. "Starting with you…"

"What happened to that guy?" she asked.

"No harm letting you know," he replied. "To make a long story short, you ever see _The Exorcist_?"

"Yeah…" replied Aisha. "I slept with the lights on for three days…"

"Then you may remember how the demon in that story possessed an innocent girl," replied the Centurion. "Now, just imagine how much more powerful a whole group of demons would be, if their chosen victims weren't children, and weren't so innocent to begin with…

"I don't have time to explain the whole thing. I'm taking you back to your hotel, and once you get there, you are going to lock your door, and not come out. Period."

"Yes sir…" she said.

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Enrique was sweating. That was odd. When you grew up in a climate as hot as Mexico's, you didn't sweat very often.

When he first expressed his desire to become a duelist, his father didn't object. His father even paid the money for his first deck, and his first Duel Disk.

But… Before he gave Enrique that Duel Disk, he gave his son a warning… Enrique remembered his father's exact words that day.

"Son, listen closely," his father had said. "I don't want to frighten you… But when a duelist picks up one of these things for the first time, doing so is making an unofficial oath, whether he wants to or not.

"That oath reads as follows: Should a Shadow Game ever threaten, you will not back down. You will attempt to win with the best of your ability.

"Also, I'm not sure if backing down is even an option. Once a Shadow Game starts, I think it must end in a decisive victory.

"If you still want this now, take it… If not, I kept the receipt…"

Enrique was no coward. He had taken it. And he supposed he had taken that oath along with it…

Now, he supposed it was time to fulfill his end of the bargain…

"Why not just give up and save yourself the embarrassment?" asked Cindy.

"Never!" shouted Enrique, drawing.

He looked at the card.

"Thanks to my Volcanic Blaster, I just drew my Volcanic Shell. So it's time to lock and load!"

The Volcanic Shell appeared on the field, and flew into the Blaze Accelerator. A burst of flame shot at the Alien Shocktrooper. It roared, and exploded into Alien guts.

"No fair!" shouted Cindy.

"Now, I'll pay 500 Life Points to activate Volcanic Shell's ability," he continued. "When it's in my Graveyard, I can add another Shell to my hand.

"So let's do this again…"

The second Shell was loaded into the Accelerator, and another burst of flame shot at Alien Hunter, incinerating it.

"Damn…" growled Cindy.

"I'm still not done!" said Enrique, taking a card from his hand. "I summon Volcanic Slicer!"

He played the card, and a flame appeared on his side of the field. A small creature stepped out. It looked like a small, two-legged dinosaur made of bronze, with two small claws, and no eyes. (1,800/1,200)

"Since I used my Blaze Accelerator, I'm not allowed to attack this round," he said. "But my Slicer can still hurt you. If I don't attack with it, it can burn off 500 of your Life Points."

Volcanic Slicer spit a ball of fire at Cindy, and she screamed as it hit her in the chest.

"That's all for my turn," said Enrique.

**(E: 6,200) -------------------- (C: 7,500) **

"Okay, Chico," she said, drawing a card. "You hurt me… I hope that made you feel good…

"I play… Pot of Greed…"

She played the card, and drew two cards.

"First I move Alien Grey to Defense Mode…"

Alien Grey knelt and shielded itself in defense.

"Then I summon this big guy in Attack Mode… My Alien Warrior!"

A new Alien appeared, one who was much more hulking and muscular than Alien Hunter. In fact, this one appeared to be more like a humanoid dinosaur than a humanoid lizard. Its claws were twice the size of its head, and were razor sharp, and again, it wore space-age armor. (1,800/1,000)

"Very scary," said Enrique. "But it has exactly the same Attack Score as my Slicer. Attacking would result in a draw."

Cindy laughed an evil laugh.

She opened her Field Slot and placed a card inside.

"Goodbye Duelatopia…" she said. "Hello Otherworld – The 'A' Zone!"

The next second, it was like they were falling through a space warp. Enrique almost screamed…

When he regained his footing, they were standing on a rocky surface, which appeared to be the surface of an asteroid. The sky was full of eerie, multicolored lights amid stars and celestial bodies, and a weird UFO was flying behind Cindy.

"Welcome to our humble abode," said Cindy. "Sorry we're such lousy hosts!"

"Que?" said Enrique. "Where are we?"

"Didn't you hear me when I said the name of the Field Spell?" asked Cindy. "This is Otherworld, the place where Aliens are from. And this place has a little rule, by the way… Visitors never leave alive.

"That rule is enforced by a little effect the place has regarding Aliens. Here, since it's their home turf, their mere presence causes so much fear in anyone who opposes them, that any Monster that battles an Alien loses 300 Attack and Defense Points.

"So anyway… Alien Warrior… Destroy his Volcanic Slicer with spacial rend!"

The Warrior roared, and lunged at the Pyro. Volcanic Slicer's Attack Score fell to 1,500, and with one swipe of its claw, it was blown into a cloud of ash and smoke.

"I'll set a card facedown, and take a break…" said Cindy.

A facedown card appeared behind Alien Grey.

**(E: 5,900) -------------------- (C: 7,500) **

Enrique's hand sweat as he drew a card.

"Trap activate," said Cindy, as her facedown card lifted.

"Huh?" said Enrique.

"Orbital Bombardment," she said. "Now I just have to sacrifice one Alien, and I can destroy one Spell or Trap Card. So I sacrifice Alien Grey, to smash your Blaze Accelerator."

Alien Grey vanished into grains of light, and then a beam of pure energy blasted from the UFO behind Cindy. Enrique was thrown off his feet as the Accelerator was atomized, leaving only a smoking crater.

Enrique slowly got up. He looked at his cards.

"I play… Fire Recovery!" he shouted.

He played a Spell Card, and it appeared on the field, showing the image of a fiery nuclear explosion.

"Now, I send one Fire Monster in my hand to the grave…"

He discarded his Infernal Flame Emperor.

"…and in return, I can raise one other Fire Monster from it."

Volcanic Blaster appeared in a burst of flames. (1,200/600)

"Now… I sacrifice it…"

The Blaster vanished in another burst of flames.

"To summon my Volcanic Hammerer!"

A bonfire appeared on his side of the field, and the huge Pyro that looked like a bipedal, flaming dinosaur, stepped out of the flames. It let out a great bellow. (2,400/1,500)

"I could attack your Warrior with this," he said, "but then I couldn't activate its effect, which lets me deal you 200 points of damage for every Volcanic Monster in my grave. And I have five of them there."

Volcanic Hammerer shot a blast of flames at Cindy, and she screamed again as it hit her, knocking her over.

She got up, holding her chest.

**(E: 5,900) -------------------- (C: 6,500) **

"That's all I can do," he said.

Cindy glared at him as she drew a card.

She placed a card on her Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared.

"End," she said.

_That's got to be another Alien Grey…_ he thought, drawing a card. _Well, I won't attack it yet… I'll wait for her to flip it herself, and then I'll attack it. Losing 300 Attack Points won't matter to my Hammerer… _

"I summon a second Volcanic Slicer," he said.

Another one of the smaller Pyros appeared. (1,800/1,200)

"You remember how its effect works, right?" he asked. "Let me refresh your memory…"

Slicer spit a ball of flame at Cindy, and she grunted and sweated.

"Now I'm getting rid of that eyesore," he said. "Hammerer, attack her Alien Warrior!"

Cindy grinned wickedly as Volcanic Hammerer breathed a blast of flame at Alien Warrior. Its Attack Score went down to 2,100, but that was still too much for the Warrior to take. It screamed, and was burned up in the inferno.

"You fell for it," laughed Cindy. "I knew you wouldn't be able to resist attacking my Warrior if I kept it in Attack Mode…

"It may be dead now, but Alien Warriors die, they get their revenge… The Monster responsible gets _two_ A-Counters!"

Two of the hideous slugs flew at Volcanic Hammerer, and latched onto its face.

"NO!" gasped Enrique.

"In case you can't do math," chuckled Cindy, "combined with the Field Spell, that will reduce its Attack Score to only 1,500 should it oppose an Alien."

"Ooh!" growled Enrique. "I end my turn!"

**(E: 5,900) -------------------- (C: 5,700) **

Cindy smiled as she drew a card.

"I throw a card facedown," she said, fitting a card into her Disk.

A facedown card appeared in a flash of light.

"Then I Flip-Summon my Alien Grey."

Her facedown Monster flipped, and another Alien Grey appeared. (300/800)

"I knew it…" grumbled Enrique.

Alien Grey spit an A-Counter at Volcanic Hammerer, and a third one latched to its face.

"Isn't this sort of overkill?" asked Enrique.

"Perhaps…" she said. "But it's fun!

"I summon a second Hunter."

She played another card, and another of the armed, humanoid lizards appeared. (1,600/800)

"I end my turn."

_Que?_ thought Enrique, as he slowly drew a card. _Why didn't she attack with that? She could have easily destroyed either of my Monsters… _

_Her problem… _

"I move Volcanic Hammerer to Defense Mode," he said, as Hammerer knelt and shielded itself in defense.

"And while it may be too weak to defeat your Alien Hunter, I can still use its effect, and I still have five Volcanic Monsters in my Graveyard."

Hammerer breathed a blast of flame at Cindy, but she didn't flinch as much this time.

"You know…" she said with a chuckle, "it doesn't hurt as much when you get used to it… I may even get a good tan out of this…

"So go ahead… Burn me with your Slicer too. I might even like it."

"Nada," said Enrique. "If I did, I couldn't do this…

"Volcanic Slicer, attack Alien Grey!"

Cindy's eyes opened wide. Volcanic Slicer's Attack Score fell to 1,500, but that was still 1,200 more than the pint-sized Alien. It breathed a scorching blast of flame, and the small Reptile was burned to a crisp.

"Ooh!" shouted Cindy, angrily. "I forgot to mention that Alien Grey has another effect… If it's destroyed after it's been Flip-Summoned, I get to draw one card…"

She made one draw.

"Then it's your move…" said Enrique.

**(E: 5,900) -------------------- (C: 3,500) **

Cindy drew another card.

Her eyes glowed again.

_Just what I needed…_ she thought.

"You know, Enrique," she said, "your Volcanic Hammerer is a wonderful Monster…"

"Si, it is," said Enrique. "Thank you."

"So wonderful that I couldn't bear to destroy it," continued Cindy. "Instead, I think I'll take it."

"QUE?" shouted Enrique.

Cindy's Trap Card lifted, showing the image of an Alien Grey with creepy, hypnotic eyes.

"I activate Brainwashing Beam!" she shouted. "Now, one of your Monsters that has one or more A-Counters on it becomes my slave."

Volcanic Hammerer's eyes glowed. It stood up, and walked over to Cindy's side of the field.

"Hammerer, no!" shouted Enrique. "Don't listen to her!"

"It can't hear you, Enrique," said Cindy. "The A-Counters are messing with its cerebral cortex. You know… It's brain? Of course, to keep this Trap Card, I have to remove one of its A-Counters at the end of each of my turns, and once it has none, you get him back…

"But I plan to finish you off before that happens. First, I move your Hammerer into Attack Mode…"

Volcanic Hammerer stood up.

"Then, I summon another Alien Warrior."

Another of the hulking, muscular Aliens appeared, bearing its claws. (1,800/1,000)

"Fortunately," she said, "your Slicer is not an Alien, so the A-Counters won't impede this attack in the least. Volcanic Hammerer, attack the Volcanic Slicer!"

Volcanic Hammerer shot a burst of flame from its jaws, and Volcanic Slicer exploded.

"Alien Warrior… Attack him directly!"

The Warrior roared, and lunged at Enrique…

"I activate… Firewall!" shouted Enrique, as his Trap Card finally lifted.

"I remove Infernal Flame Emperor from play, and your attack is deflected."

A wall of flames shot up, and Alien Warrior was thrown backwards.

Cindy glared at him.

"Hunter, you attack him!" she shouted.

Hunter charged at Enrique, swinging its electrostaff.

"I can do it more than once per turn, Cindy," said Enrique, taking Volcanic Blaster from his discard slot.

The wall of flames leapt up again, and Hunter was thrown backwards too.

"Well…" she said with a chuckle. "So you managed to survive a little longer…"

"To end my turn," she said, "I place one card facedown, and then activate Mirage of Nightmare."

Mirage of Nightmare and a facedown card appeared.

"That's all."

One of the slugs on Hammerer's face crumbled to dust.

**(E: 5,300) -------------------- (C: 3,500) **

"I draw…" said Enrique. "And I pay 500 Life Points to keep Firewall…"

"And I draw four cards," said Cindy, as her Mirage of Nightmare card glowed.

She made four draws.

"Now… Emergency Provisions!"

Her facedown card lifted, and consumed the Mirage card.

"Clever…" said Enrique. "Someone else who I dueled used the same combo…"

He looked at the two cards in his hand, which were Blasting Vein and a very unusual Monster.

_Looks like I have no choice…_ he thought.

"I play Blasting Vein," he said. "I'll destroy my Fire Trap, to draw two cards."

His facedown card lifted, and burst into flames. He made two draws.

"And even better," he continued, "when Fire Trap is destroyed, I get to draw an extra card."

He made a third draw.

He looked at the three cards.

"I play Premature Burial, to raise Volcanic Rocket from my Graveyard."

He played the card, and in a burst of energy, Volcanic Rocket appeared again. (1,900/1,400)

"That means I can recover Blaze Accelerator from my Graveyard, and play it again."

He played the card, and Blaze Accelerator appeared on the field.

"But it won't be staying long… I send it right back to the Graveyard, in order to play my Tri-Blaze Accelerator!"

The Blaze Accelerator vanished in a ripple of light, and the much deadlier three-barreled weapon appeared.

"Now…" he said, "I'll load it with my final Volcanic Shell. Sorry about this, Hammerer. Don't hold it against me…"

The cannon fired, and Volcanic Hammerer was blown to pieces. Cindy groaned.

"And that's not all," said Enrique. "You lose 500 Life Points.

"Next… I summon someone new. Meet the Royal Firestorm Guards!"

A blast of flame erupted on his side of the field, and a Monster even weirder than the Aliens appeared in it. It was a fiendish creature with rust red skin, a reptilian face with four eyes and a beak, two sets of wings, and a serpentine trunk in place of legs. (1,700/1,200)

"I'm not exactly sure why its name is a plural," said Enrique. "I mean, it's clearly only one creature. But anyway, when it's Normal Summoned, I get to take four Pyro-Type Monsters from my Graveyard, and return them to my deck.

He played the card, and took two Volcanic Shells, one Volcanic Slicer, and Volcanic Hammerer from his Graveyard, and shuffled them into his deck.

"And then I get to draw twice."

He put his deck back, and made two draws.

He looked at them for a second.

"Next…" he said, "since I now have one Shell in my Graveyard, and sent two back to my deck, I'll pay 500 Life Points to add one from my deck to my hand…"

He took a card from his deck.

"Say adios to your Warrior, and 500 more Life Points!"

The cannon blasted again, and Alien Warrior was blown to bits.

"Ergh…" muttered Cindy.

"Be thankful that I can't attack because I used the Accelerator," he said. "It's your move…"

**(E: 3,500) -------------------- (C: 3,500) **

_That's it,_ thought Cindy. _When I bring this one in, I'm going to give him to the… ambassador. He's handsome enough… And she'll teach him a few manners… _

She drew a card.

"First, I place this facedown," she said, playing a card.

A facedown card appeared.

"Then, I sacrifice Alien Hunter…"

Alien Hunter vanished in a burst of green, eerie flames…

With a roar, a much bigger, much more hideous Alien rose out of the ground. It was tall and broad, with a solid carapace, and four muscular arms ending in razor-sharp claws. Its reptilian head was topped with a flared crest of sharp spines, and its mouth was filled with teeth the size of daggers. (2,300/1,500)

"Meet the Alien Mother," said Cindy.

"Caramba…" muttered Enrique.

Alien Mother glared hungrily at Enrique and his Monsters. Drool fell from its jaws…

"As you can likely guess," said Cindy, "she doesn't need the Field Spell to strike terror into her opponents…

"Oh, and don't forget, Enrique… Since this is a Game of Shadows, she's just as real as you are! Unnerving, isn't it?

"But before she chows down, I'm going to play this…"

She played a Spell Card.

"It's called Corruption Cell 'A', and it makes putting an A-Counter on your Rocket as easy as turning on a faucet."

Another of the hideous slugs flew forward, and clamped onto Volcanic Rocket's face. Enrique cursed in Spanish.

"This is seriously getting old!" he shouted.

"Here's something new," said Cindy. "Alien Mother… Attack his Rocket! Bite from beyond!"

Alien Mother leapt at her foe. Volcanic Rocket's Attack Score fell to 1,300, just as Alien Mother sunk her teeth into it, and it exploded into slag. Enrique cringed.

**(E: 2,500) -------------------- (C: 3,500) **

"And wait until you hear the best thing about Alien Mother," said Cindy.

"Let me guess," muttered Enrique. "A special ability?"

"A potent one," replied Cindy. "After she devours an enemy Monster that has an A-Counter on it, that Monster is reborn… But it becomes her willing slave."

Volcanic Rocket reappeared on Cindy's side of the field, its flesh rotted and decayed, and its eyes glowing with feral light. Clearly, it was neither alive nor dead; Enrique had seen movies like this, how aliens could reanimate corpses with hideous chemicals and biological formulas…

"Now I'm going to play one of my most diabolical cards," she said, fitting another card into Disk. "The Continuous Spell Card, 'A' Cell Breeding Device."

As she played the card, an ominous contraption rose up behind her. It looked like a sinister, cylindrical tank full of green liquid, connected to metal hoses and pipes. Small things that Enrique couldn't quite make out were swimming around in it.

"What is that contraption?" he gasped.

"This 'contraption', as you put it," she said, "is a breeding chamber for the young Aliens that become A-Counters. And some of them are ripe and ready to come out. In fact, I can bring one of them out on every one of my Standby Phases.

"So… I'll just wait until my next turn, and take it from there."

Enrique drew a card.

"I pay 500 Life Points to keep Firewall…" he muttered. "Then I'll set one card facedown. And move Royal Guards to Defense Mode."

A facedown card appeared. Royal Firestorm Guards curled up on its coils and folded its wings in front of it.

"That's all…"

**(E: 2,000) -------------------- (C: 3,500) **

Cindy chuckled as she drew a card.

"I use my Breeding Device," she said, "to put one A-Counter on you Guards."

One of the slugs flew at the Pyro and latched onto its face.

"Now, I sacrifice your Volcanic Rocket, to summon Cosmic Horror Gangi'El."

Volcanic Rocket vanished, and the most hideous creature of all appeared. It looked nothing less like a giant brain on crustacean-like legs, and tentacles all over its sides. (2,600/2,000)

"What?" said Enrique, taking a step back. "No fair! That's a Level Seven Monster! It needs two sacrifices!"

"Not always…" said Cindy, with a smirk. "This big guy has a special ability… I can summon him with only one sacrifice, if the Monster I'm sacrificing was originally yours.

"Alien Mother, attack Royal Firestorm Guards! Bite from beyond!"

Alien Mother lunged at the Pyro. She sunk her teeth into it, and it vanished into a burst of flames.

"Cosmic Horror Gangi'El, attack directly with psionic burst!"

The huge Monster glowed, and blasted a beam of pure, mental energy at the duelist…

"I remove Volcanic Shell from play, to activate Firewall!" shouted Enrique.

The wall of flames shot up, and the Cosmic Horror cringed.

"Ah, well," said Cindy, "you can't do that forever. By the way, I've been keeping track… I know that your Graveyard only has one more Pyro in it right now. So this might be the last round you'll be able to stop me with that Firewall."

"Maybe longer," said Enrique, as his facedown card lifted. "I activate Burial from a Different Dimension. Now three Monsters that have been removed from play go back to my Graveyard."

He slipped both Volcanic Shells and Volcanic Blaster into his Graveyard.

Cindy growled.

Alien Mother glowed, and Royal Firestorm Guards appeared on her side of the field, its flesh rotting and its eyes glazed over. (1,700/1,200)

"Fine…" said Cindy. "I end my turn…"

Enrique looked at his deck.

_Come on, big guy, where are you hiding?_ he thought. _I need you more than ever now… _

He drew a card.

_There you are! _

"Don't forget," said Cindy. "You have to pay 500 Life Points to keep that Trap Card."

"I don't need it any more," he replied, "so I'll destroy it…"

Firewall shattered…

"Huh?" said Cindy.

"I destroy Tri-Blaze Accelerator…" he shouted, "to summon Volcanic Doomfire!"

The Accelerator shattered to bits, and a volcano erupted behind him on the asteroid. With a mighty roar, the enormous Pyro burst out of the lava, burning with flames that lit up the sky. (3,000/1,800)

"Three-thousand Attack Points?" screamed Cindy.

"Destroy Royal Firestorm Guards!" shouted Enrique. "Volcanic Blast!"

Volcanic Doomfire shot a burst of lava from its jaws, and the Pyro on Cindy's side of the field burst into an explosion of smoke and ash.

"And guess what?" said Enrique. "Your Cosmic Horror and Alien Mother go with it, and so do 1,000 more of your Life Points!"

Cosmic Horror Gangi'El and Alien Mother erupted into flames, and exploded into slag. Cindy hollered.

**(E: 2,000) -------------------- (C: 1,200) **

_He took out my two best Monsters in one blow…_ thought Cindy.

She paused for a few seconds.

"You'll pay for that, Enrique!" she shouted.

"Words, words…" he said. "I end my turn…"

Cindy drew a card.

"I activate the effect of my 'A' Cell Breeding Device," she said, "to put one A-Counter on your Doomfire."

The tank behind her bubbled, and one of the ugly slugs leapt out. It latched onto Doomfire's face.

"Next, I summon Alien Psychic."

She played the card, and a small Alien appeared. It looked like a metallic snake with tentacles for arms, and a bulbous head, wearing a fright wig. (200/100)

"It's not the most powerful Monster, yes," she said, "but as soon as I summon it, it moves into Defense Mode…"

The Psychic curled up, and shielded itself with its tentacles.

"My Doomfire will _eat_ it!" shouted Enrique.

"No it won't," said Cindy. "So long as Psychic is on the field, Monsters with A-Counters can't attack.

"Next, I activate my facedown card… Call of the Haunted!"

Her facedown card lifted, and a flash of light burst from the spot.

"I'll summon someone I discarded way back when I played Graceful Charity… Alien Mars!"

A new Alien appeared. This one had a sinister-looking, bulbous, bald head with a red orb in its forehead, and metallic tendrils for arms and a lower torso. (1,000/1,000)

"You made a big mistake!" laughed Enrique. "Your Alien Mars is in Attack Mode, and all Monsters on your side of the field in Attack Mode are compelled to attack my Doomfire. That means I win!"

"Guess again!" laughed Cindy. "Doomfire's effect may be powerful, but Mars has a pretty powerful effect of its own. When it's on the field, the effects of all Monsters that have A-Counters, except for Mars itself, are negated. So your Doomfire's effect means squat.

"Right now, with my combination of Alien Psychic and Alien Mars, that big, flaming monstrosity is nothing but dead weight.

"You may have killed the Mother, but her offspring will finish you off.

"I end my turn… What are you gonna do?"

Enrique looked at his hand, which consisted of Volcanic Recharge and Hino-Kagu-Tsuchi.

_All I have to do,_ he thought, _is draw a Monster that can beat her Psychic's Defense… Its Defense is only 100, so that shouldn't be hard… _

He drew a card.

Dark Room of Nightmare.

"Caramba…" he muttered, adding it to his hand.

"I have to pass…" he said.

Cindy smiled, and drew a card.

"I use my Breeding Device again," she said.

Another of the slugs leapt out of the tank, and latched to Doomfire's face.

"Now… I summon… Alien Infiltrator!"

A small, yet hulking creature burst out of the rocky surface. It was an Alien covered with a black exoskeleton, with some sort of breathing apparatus on its face, and tentacles for arms.

Enrique heard a deep breathing sound coming from the creature. He started to get nervous… It sounded just like Darth Vader's artificial breathing, one of the things that made that famous villain so intimidating… (800/500)

"Again, what Infiltrator lacks in points, it makes up for in effects," said Cindy. "So long as there are no cards on your side of the field directly in front of its space in my Monster Zone, it can attack you directly.

"So, Alien Infiltrator… Attack Enrique directly with tendril lash slash!"

The Infiltrator's tentacles started to spark. It rushed at Enrique, and lashed at him with them, and he screamed.

**(E: 1,200) -------------------- (C: 1,200) **

"That's all for now," said Cindy.

Enrique growled, and drew a card.

It was his third Volcanic Shell.

_This only has 100 Attack Points,_ he thought. _I can't destroy her Psychic with it… And if I defended myself with it, she'd destroy it quickly… _

He took Volcanic Recharge from his hand.

_But I can protect myself from that Infiltrator… _

He fit it into his Disk, carefully putting it into the slot directly in front of Alien Infiltrator. The facedown card appeared.

"There!" he said. "No more direct attacks. I end my turn."

Cindy chuckled as she drew a card.

"Let's use my Breeding Device one more time," she said.

A third A-Counter leapt out of the tank. Doomfire groaned as it clasped to it.

"Now I play my Pot of Avarice!"

The goofy jar appeared. She took both Alien Hunters, both Alien Warriors, and Alien Mother from her Graveyard, and shuffled them into her deck. She drew twice.

She looked at the cards and grinned.

"As for your assumption that my Infiltrator couldn't attack you," she said. "Wrong…"

Alien Infiltrator looked to its side, and then sidestepped five feet to the left.

"What did it just do?" asked Enrique.

"Infiltrator has another ability," said Cindy. "Once per turn, it can sidestep, meaning I can move it to the space in my Monster Zone right next to it.

"So once again, there's nothing stopping it from getting to you…"

Enrique screamed again as the Alien lashed at him with the tentacles again.

**(E: 400) -------------------- (C: 1,200) **

"Next," said Cindy, playing a Spell Card. "I set two cards facedown, and end my turn."

Two facedown cards appeared.

She looked at the last card in her hand, which was Heavy Storm.

_This duel is over,_ she thought. _My first facedown card will bring back my star, and even if he somehow manages to make his Doomfire strong enough, I can activate my Trap, Cell Explosion Virus, which will destroy all of his Monsters as soon as his infected Doomfire attacks. _

_And this Spell Card will wipe out any Traps of his own that he tries to plant. _

Enrique drew a card.

"I activate my Trap Card!" shouted Cindy.

Her first facedown card lifted.

"It's called Crop Circles," she said. "To activate this card, I sacrifice Psychic, Mars, and Infiltrator…"

All three of the Aliens vanished.

"Then I add up their Levels, which total six. Then I can Special Summon an Alien from my deck whose Level matches that total."

"You mean?" gasped Enrique.

"That's right…" said Cindy, with a smile. "My Mother is back…"

With a roar, Alien Mother burst out of the ground. She glared at Alien Doomfire and drooled. (2,300/1,500)

"She's hungry, and your Doomfire is a practical feast," said Cindy. "A little spicy, but Aliens like their food with a little kick to it.

"It's still your move… So just try to take her down."

Enrique looked at the card he had drawn.

He closed his eyes, and placed it in his Disk. A facedown card appeared.

He glared at her.

"So that was the best you could do, huh?" she asked. "You gave up… Too proud to even switch Doomfire to Defense Mode… How sad…

"Then stand back… I draw!"

She drew a card.

"Adios…" said Enrique.

"Huh?" she said.

Enrique's facedown card activated.

A young girl appeared on the field in front of him. She had red hair, wore a skirt, halter, and cape, and carried a staff topped with a glowing ruby. A fierce-looking fox was at her feet.

"Who's THAT?" shouted Cindy.

"Hiita the Fire Charmer," said Enrique. "The uncontested master of the element of Fire. I just activated a Trap Card called Spiritual Fire Art – Kurenai. This powerful incantation lets Hiita sacrifice a Fire Monster. Then, she can fire a blast of destructive energy directly at you, doing damage equal to the sacrificed Monster's base Attack Score."

"WHAT?" shouted Cindy. "But that means…"

"Si," said Enrique. "Brace yourself… Volcanic Doomfire has 3,000 Attack Points, and you're about to be hit by every one of them…"

Hiita raised her staff, and Volcanic Doomfire erupted into a blazing bonfire. The Fire Charmer's staff started to burn with white-hot flames… She aimed it at Cindy…

The most intense gout of fire yet shot towards Cindy, and a bloodcurdling scream echoed over the whole Museum District…

**(E: 400) -------------------- (C: 0) **

Enrique took some deep breaths, as Hiita and the Field Spell faded away, returning him to the city streets.

His opponent was lying on the ground in front of him, unconscious, with the cards in her deck scattered.

Before Enrique's eyes, her body started to glow with black fire…

A ghostly shadow with eyes that looked like fiery coals flew out of her body. It glared at Enrique with a look of fury, and then dissipated.

_What on Earth?_ he thought.

He heard running. He turned around and saw two Centurions rushing towards them.

He sighed. They had heard the scream. Maybe the whole duel could have been avoided if he had simply yelled for help. But even if he had thought of doing that, he probably wouldn't have… He hated accepting help from anyone.

Call it stubborn pride. He had hated himself for accepting Rasputin's help in the first place, but he had little choice…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 **

Yumi, Ren, and Chelsea paused to catch their breaths as they walked up the third flight of stairs.

"Was that a scream?" said Yumi, stopping to listen.

Then paused. She shrugged, and they continued.

"Why couldn't Rasputin have been like most villains and made his lair at the lowest point of the building instead of the highest?" asked Ren. "Most of these guys hide in big, underground subbasements."

"Well, maybe there is no subbasement, Ren," replied Chelsea. "And maybe he has a helicopter or something on the roof in case things go wrong."

"Or maybe he's a vampire and he can turn into a bat or something…" growled Ren. "I wouldn't be surprised…"

"Let's put Rasputin aside for now, and concentrate on Sam," said Yumi, shuffling a deck. "We have no idea what sort of deck she's been given."

"She's going to be tougher," muttered Ren. "She has _two_ Shadow Charms."

"Yumi…" said Chelsea, slowly. "You… don't suppose that… Rasputin gave her back the Dark World Deck? If she uses it again, we could lose her forever…"

Yumi bowed her head. She took a card out of the deck.

"I'm trying hard not to think of that possibility, Chelsea," she said, "especially since this time, this guy is clearly _not_ in her deck…"

She held up one of the Dark Ruler Ha Des cards.

_It's going to be harder,_ she thought, shuffling it back into the deck. _Ha Des is certainly Sam's true soul… But this deck has two copies, and both are from the same release! How the heck will I know which one is the true one?_

Yumi didn't know that a Duel Spirit was shadowing her and her two friends. He was very upset, but very determined.

"Don't worry, Yumi," muttered Dark Ruler Ha Des. "Should you fail to convince my consort to come to her senses…

"I will…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 **

Three blocks from the Clock Tower, one of the Centurions cuffed Cindy's hands. Again, it was hardly necessary – Cindy wouldn't be going anywhere.

"Descartes?" said the other one into a radio. "I have bad news, and terrible news.

"Okay, the bad news is, we've got another situation that matches the one on the beach, and this time it was a member of the League of Ascension who was NOT an escaped prisoner. That means that there could be dozens of these possessed duelists around.

"The terrible news is, the she clearly told the kid she dueled that it was a Shadow Game. And given what he told us, I really don't think she was lying. And… Pardon?"

He paused.

"I have no idea. She's out cold right now, so I can't question her, and we both know the regulations about handling an unconscious suspect. We can't just break them…"

He paused again.

"Look, if a lowly sergeant can make a suggestion, I'd say that you should tell them to kill the power to the Holographic Tower…

"Oh… They did… Terrific…

"Okay, we'll do our best, but we're working as fast as we can. Not every guest we spoke to even believes in this sort of thing, you know…"

He turned it off.

"Okay, Mr. Lobo, if you would kindly…"

He looked around.

Enrique was gone.

"Damn…" said the Centurion.

Enrique, meanwhile, had run up to the gates of Clock Tower Prison, only to find that it was shut with a digital combination lock.

"Darn…" he said. "That's one lock I can't pick… There's no way in…"

He looked up at the sky, where dark clouds were moving in a chaotic pattern.

"Unless… If the Disks are still working with the Tower shut down… Maybe the Shadows are covering the whole island… Maybe they'll work for anyone…"

He activated his Disk, and took a card from his deck.

"It's worth a shot!" he said, placing it on his Disk.

With a loud roar, Volcanic Doomfire appeared in front of him.

"Blast those gates down!" he shouted.

Doomfire breathed a stream of lava from its maw, and the iron gates melted into molten metal.

Enrique removed the card from his Disk, and the Monster vanished.

"Yumi's going to need all the help she can get…" said Enrique, stepping over the ruined gates, "and even if all I can do is cheer her on, she's going to get some…"

_As Yumi continues to scale Clock Tower Prison, a beacon of hope has been lit, as an ally follows to lend support. But Enrique comes from below, while danger lies above. The dark clock continues to keep time, as if keeping track of the minutes until… something happens. What ultimately awaits our heroes at the summit? _

**0 **

**0 **

**0 **

**FIRE TRAP (Trap Card) **

**Counter Trap **

**Image:** Marauding Captain walking through an inferno of flames.

**Card Description: **You can activate this card when your opponent activates a card whose effect includes an effect that would destroy a Continuous Trap Card on your side of the field. Negate that card's effect and destroy it. If this card is destroyed, draw one card from your deck.

_Note: "Fire Trap" was first used by Axel in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Hanging With Axel (Part Two)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode. _

**0 **

**0 **

**0 **

**FIRE RECOVERY (Spell Card) **

**Normal Spell **

**Image:** A huge, fiery, nuclear cloud.

**Card Description:** Discard one FIRE Monster in your hand to the Graveyard. Then, Special Summon one FIRE Monster other than one you discarded from your Graveyard.

_Note: "Fire Recovery" was first used by Axel in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Triple Play (Part Two)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode. _

**0 **

**0 **

**0 **

**Yumi: I haven't even had a chance to speak to Sam since our duel in the final round… One has to wonder… Would she have turned against me on her own? **

**Ren: I'd say that was nonsense… But Sam has already walked a fine line before… **

** Chelsea: I think it's nonsense too… Deep down, there's an honorable duelist in Sam, and we can bring it out… **

**Anastasia: For Sam's sake, I hope so, because Rasputin is not the only evil force who now has a hold on her… A wicked entity that has not yet revealed itself has special plans for Sam… **

**Coming up next, "Plain Vanilla; Yumi versus Sam Again". **

**It's going to be a whole different flavor of pain…**


	53. Plain Vanilla

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Plain Vanilla**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Yumi versus Sam Again**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

As Yumi was striking the final blow against Chelsea, Hector Dupree – Heck to his friends – was running through the streets of the Restaurant District.

A Centurion had told him to return to his hotel, but he wasn't going to do that. He was no coward, and wanted to see the commotion firsthand.

As he passed by the Sizzling Sirloin, he heard a woman's scream coming from an alley.

He knew enough not to ignore such a scream. It might mean that some poor girl was about to become the victim of rape, murder, or both.

He ran into the alley, and saw one of the escaped Ascenders. He had cornered a duelist – it was none other than Mary Jane, the waitress with the Curry Deck whom Ren had dueled. She was cowering on the ground, trying to use her Duel Disk like a shield.

"You have two choices," said the Ascender. "You can surrender peacefully, or attempt to win your way past me in a Shadow Game.

"If I were you, I'd surrender."

Mary Jane sobbed. She slowly got up, and her Disk activated…

"Too easy…" said the Ascender.

"Hey, bub!" shouted Heck.

"Huh?" said the Ascender, looking around.

Heck flinched a little when he saw the red, glowing eyes, but he regained his courage quickly.

"Why don't you step away from that appetizer…" said Heck, "an' come get the main course!"

He swung his own Disk in front of him, and it activated.

"Heh, heh…" chuckled the Ascender. "Why not… A soul so full of spirit and bravery is worth much more than that of a frightened woman…

"Prepare for defeat!"

His own Disk activated, and the Life Point counters set.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Yumi, Ren, and Chelsea climbed the last set of stairs.

"I don't suppose…" muttered Yumi, as they came to the door, "that any of you know what to expect up there?"

Ren sighed.

"Actually, when we came in," he said nervously, "Sam was ushered through a special door in order to speak to… someone. We don't know what happened to her in there. The next thing we know, Rasputin gave us our new decks, and I was told to wait for you in the courtyard."

Yumi bowed her head.

"Let's pray that it's still possible to save Sam," she said in a small whisper.

She opened the door.

A dark mist hung on the ground of the supernatural history exhibition. The opening hall held a mural depicting the great Harry Houdini in his role as a medium investigator, along with several of the tools he used to root out fraudulent fortunetellers.

They walked to another room, where occult paraphernalia was everywhere. Wax figures, swords, worry men, an iron maiden…

It looked like something out a madman's imagination.

Yumi's eyes turned to a door.

She opened it.

They walked into a large, circular room, with a huge, five-pointed star painted on the floor. At each point of the star was a sarcophagus against the wall.

Just the right size for an arena…

"All right, Sam, where are you?" said Yumi.

The sarcophagus directly in front of her slowly opened. Yumi's eyes opened wide as Sam stepped out of it.

It didn't take a genius to tell that she was clearly not herself. Not only was her skin pale, her eyes were shining, silver orbs. Even worse was her clothing. She was wearing white lingerie – a bra and panties, made more dramatic by a white, fur cape and white boots.

"Sam?" gasped Yumi.

"Yes, Yumi?" asked Sam.

"Your… your clothes…" muttered Yumi.

"I'll be wearing this from now on," said Sam. "The ambassador wants me as an apprentice, and this is the dress code.

"I only have to complete my initiation… And the first part will beating you…"

She lifted her Disk.

Then she lifted her right hand, showing the Ring of Spirits against the Cat's Cradle Comb.

"So here are the stakes, Yumi… These two Charms against the Crown and the Sword."

"Sam, please…" muttered Yumi. "What would your mother say if she saw you like this? A bikini is one thing, but this is…"

"I'm gonna take her out too!" shouted Sam. "I'll bring her in, and then we can control KaibaCorp."

"Ambassador?" said Ren. "Who the heck…"

"I'm not at liberty to discuss," replied Sam. "If your so eager to meet her, let's get this done with."

"Sam…" muttered Yumi.

She put her hand on her forehead.

"I know a duel here is inevitable, but I really don't feel comfortable with you like this… Can you please put some decent clothes on, and…"

"Sorry, Yumi," replied Sam. "I don't have them with me. I couldn't even if I wanted to. And frankly, I really don't want to."

"This is crazy…" muttered Yumi.

"Don't feel bad, Yumi…" said Sam. "Once you lose, there'll be no more pain coming your way. It will be numbed permanently."

"Pardon me if I say, in a pig's eye," muttered Yumi.

She slowly took Sam's deck out of the bandoleer.

"We're in it deep…" she muttered, as the Pharaoh appeared next to her. "Sam's worse than I thought…"

"Mmm," he said. "Rasputin's hold on her is stronger than it was on Ren and Chelsea. Possibly due to the fact that she has two Charms.

"We can only pray that her old deck will be enough…"

As Yumi placed the deck in her Disk, the spirit of Dark Ruler Ha Des appeared behind Yumi. No-one saw him, but he was there. And a look best described as a combination of anger and sadness was on his face.

He held up a Duel Monsters card that was glowing with dark flames. It vanished, and the deck Yumi had placed in her Disk briefly glowed with the same aura.

He nodded, and then vanished.

Yumi activated the Disk.

She glared at her rival.

"Okay Sam," she said, "I don't want to… But if life has taught me anything, repeatedly, it's that you can't always get you want."

They stared at each other.

"Game on!" they shouted.

**(Yumi: 8,000) -------------------- (Sam: 8,000)**

Yumi drew her first card, and looked at her opening hand.

"To start off," she said, "I'll summon Gil Garth in Attack Mode."

She placed a card on her Disk, and the armored, scimitar-wielding Fiend appeared in front of her. (1,800/1,200)

"That's all I can do for now…"

_If it is her Dark World Deck,_ she thought, _I have nothing for her to use Dark World Lightning on, and no Level Four Dark World Monster can trump Gil Garth in Attack Points… I'm reasonably safe…_

…_reasonably…_

Sam drew a card.

"You think I'm scared of that piece of tin?" she asked. "Let me show you a real Monster… I summon… Gene-Warped Warwolf!"

She played a card, and with a feral roar, a Beast-Warrior appeared in front of her. It was a wolf-like humanoid, with white fur, covered with black designs, with four arms ending in sharp claws. (2,000/100)

"Level Four with two-thousand Attack Points?" said Chelsea. "Okay, what's the catch?"

"Uh, Chelsea?" muttered Ren. "I've seen this guy before… There is no catch… That's a Normal Monster."

"You have _got_ to be kidding!" shouted Chelsea.

"Well, it's not exactly a common card…" said Ren.

"Warwolf…" shouted Sam, "disassemble Gil Garth with four-claw fury swipes!"

The Gene-Warped Warwolf leapt at Gil Garth, and made four savage slashes. The Fiend dropped his blade, and then exploded.

**(Y: 7,800) -------------------- (S: 8,000)**

"Next…" said Sam, taking two cards from her hand. "I'll play a pair of Continuous Spell Cards… Heart of the Underdog, and Non-Spellcasting Area."

Two Spell Cards appeared in front of her. One bore the image of a young man shielding himself from a blow. The second bore a picture of two Spellcasters in a void, surrounded by a bubble of energy, as a group of goblins floated around them.

"By the way," she continued, "so long as Non-Spellcasting Area is in effect, all Normal Monsters on the field are completely immune to Spell Cards. And by that, I don't mean Spell Cards that target. I mean _all_ Spell Cards.

"I'll end my turn."

Yumi drew a card.

_Well, I guess now we can rule out the Dark World Deck,_ she thought.

"So, you like Level Four beatsticks, huh?" she said.

She played a card.

"I summon… Giant Orc!" she shouted.

With a low rumble, the huge ogre appeared, hefting its club. (2,200/0)

"GO! Clobber her Warwolf! Bone basher!"

Giant Orc roared, and struck Gene-Warped Warwolf with its club, smashing the Beast-Warrior to pieces.

**(Y: 7,800) -------------------- (S: 7,800)**

Giant Orc dropped its club, and fell on its behind in a daze.

"I hope it was worth it, Yumi," said Sam, with a chuckle. "Now it has to move into defense… Not that it has any…"

Yumi growled.

"I'll set a card facedown, and that will be all," she said.

A facedown card appeared.

"Thanks," said Sam, as her hand reached for her deck.

She paused.

"By the way, thanks to Heart of the Underdog…"

"I know how it works," replied Yumi. "If the Monster you draw is a Normal Monster, you can show it to me, and then draw again. I'm not dumb, Sam."

Sam frowned, and drew a card.

"Heh, heh, I drew Mad Dog of Darkness," she said, showing it to her.

She added it to her hand, and then drew again.

"Sabersaurus," she said, showing her the next card.

She drew a third time.

"Well, this certainly isn't a Normal Monster…" she muttered.

She looked over her hand.

"I summon Vorse Raider," she said, playing a card.

In a burst of dark energy, the vicious Beast-Warrior appeared, brandishing his axe. (1,900/1,200)

"Good grief, are all of Sam's Monsters members of the Nineteen-Hundred Club?" shouted Chelsea.

"Afraid so…" said Ren. "Her deck, it seems, is a Normal Beatdown Deck. I've seen this before. It uses powerful Normal Monsters exclusively to hammer away at the opposition.

"Ren's got the right idea…" said Sam with a chuckle. "My old deck was mint chocolate chip… But my tastes have matured, and I'm content with plain vanilla now.

"Vorse Raider, attack the Giant Orc!"

Vorse Raider made a slash with his axe, and Giant Orc burst into pixels.

"Next, I'll place one card facedown," she continued, "and play a new Spell Card called Two-Man Cell Battle."

A facedown card appeared, and then a third Continuous Spell Card appeared. This one bore the image of Marauding Captain and Gagagigo fending off an attack from a Blazing Inpachi.

"What it does is let each player Special Summon a Level Four Normal Monster at the End Phase of each of their turns. I'm moving to my End Phase now, and using it to summoning Mad Dog of Darkness in Attack Mode."

She played a card, and a vicious, feral hound with brown skin and teeth like daggers appeared. (1,900/1,400)

Yumi glared at her.

"My move…" she said.

She drew a card.

"I play Silent Doom!" she shouted.

She played the card, and Gil Garth appeared, crouching in Defense Mode. (1,800/1,200)

"Now I'll set one Monster in Defense Mode, and set another card facedown…"

A facedown Monster and a second facedown card appeared.

"I'll move to my own End Phase, and use the effect of your Cell Battle to summon Opticlops in Defense Mode."

In a burst of dark energy, Opticlops appeared, crouching in Defense Mode. (1,800/1,700)

_I've got to try to stall until I can draw Ha Des…_ she thought. _He's the only one who might be able to pound some sense into her…_

_I know that Sam is somewhere in there, underneath that trashy outfit…_

"Okay…" said Sam. "Draw!"

She drew a card.

She frowned.

"Not a Normal Monster, huh?" asked Yumi.

"I'll set a card facedown," said Sam, fitting the card into the last space in her Spell/Trap Zone.

Another facedown card appeared.

"Now I'll summon… Luster Dragon!"

A huge, blue gemstone appeared on the field. Then it shattered, revealing the beautiful, sapphire Dragon. (1,900/1,600)

"Attack her Opticlops! Sapphire flash!"

Luster Dragon breathed out a blast of blue flames. Opticlops groaned before it was burned to a crisp.

"Vorse Raider, take out her facedown Monster!"

Vorse Raider charged at the facedown card…

Night Assailant appeared on the card before it was cut down.

"Tough break, Sam," said Yumi. "That means your Dog is history, which means no more attacks this round."

Mad Dog of Darkness burst into pixels. Sam snarled.

"I use the effect of Cell Battle again!" she shouted. "Come on out, Sabersaurus!"

With a bellow, the huge, herbivorous Dinosaur appeared in Attack Mode, ready to charge at something. (1,900/500)

Yumi drew a card.

She looked at the two cards in her hand.

"I sacrifice Gil Garth…" she said.

Gil Garth vanished into a burst of shadow.

"…to summon Lesser Fiend!"

With a roar, the four-armed demon appeared on the field. (2,100/1,000)

"Attack her Vorse Raider!" shouted Yumi.

Lesser Fiend lunged at Vorse Raider…

"Always look before you leap, Yumi," said Sam, as one of her facedown cards activated. "I activate a Trap… Justi-Break!

"Since you attacked, all Monsters on the field except Normal Monsters are destroyed!"

A blast of electricity flashed all over the arena, and Lesser Fiend hollered as it was electrocuted. It burst into an explosion of shards.

"HA, HA, HA!" laughed Sam. "You're defenseless! Next round, it's all over! I've got you right…"

She stopped short as one of Yumi's facedown cards lifted.

"…where I… yeah…"

The Call of the Haunted card glowed, and Lesser Fiend burst out of the floor. (2,100/1,000)

"Let's try this again, shall we?" said Yumi.

Lesser Fiend leapt at Vorse Raider, and with four slashes of claws, the Beast-Warrior was torn to shreds.

**(Y: 7,800) -------------------- (S: 7,600)**

"I end my turn, Sam," she said. "It's gonna take more than one Trap Card to do me in…"

Sam drew a card. She looked at it.

"Not a Normal Monster," she said.

"I move Sabersaurus and Luster Dragon to Defense Mode, and end my turn," she said.

The two Monsters sat in a defensive position.

"Yumi might have gained the advantage," said Ren.

"Yeah, but how long can she keep it?" asked Chelsea.

Yumi drew a card.

_It's a risk, but I need it,_ she thought.

"I set a Monster in Defense Mode," she said.

A facedown Monster appeared.

"Lesser Fiend, attack her Sabersaurus!"

Lesser Fiend leapt at the Dinosaur, and with one swipe, tore it in half.

"That's all I can do…" she said.

"My draw…" said Sam.

She drew a card.

"And since I just drew Frostosaurus, my Heart lets me draw again."

She drew again.

"Another Frostosaurus… Lucky me…"

She drew a third time.

She added the card to her hand, and then took another one.

"I play the Spell Card, Ancient Rules," she said. "Now I can Special Summon a Normal Monster from my hand, no matter how powerful it is…

"And I think I'll summon my Frostosaurus!"

The whole room seemed to be struck by an Arctic wind, and a coating of ice covered the floor, as an immense form resembling an Apatosaurus made of ice and snow appeared in front of Sam, taking up nearly her entire side of the field. (2,600/1,700)

"I'll move Luster Dragon to Attack Mode…" she continued.

Luster Dragon stood up.

"Then I'll activate my facedown card… Birthright."

Her Trap Card lifted up.

"Now I can raise one Normal Monster from my Graveyard, and I choose my Gene-Warped Warwolf. Remember him?"

In a burst of energy, the four-armed lycanthrope appeared again. (2,000/100)

"Time to clean up…" said Sam. "Frostosaurus, attack Lesser Fiend with glacial rampage!"

The huge Dinosaur roared in a voice that sounded like the North Wind, and breathed a blast of sheer cold at the Fiend…

"Go, Trap Card!" shouted Yumi. "Bark of Dark Ruler!"

Her facedown card lifted up, and Dark Ruler Ha Des appeared in a fiery burst of smoke.

"I'll pay 2,600 Life Points, and your Frostosaurus is about to experience a serious meltdown!"

"2,600 Life Points?" shouted Ren. "That will reduce Frostosaurus's Attack Score to…"

"Zero," said Chelsea. "Zip. Zilch. A big goose egg."

Frostosaurus glowed with shadowy energy, and fell to an Attack Score of zero. Lesser Fiend swatted the blast aside, and Frostosaurus exploded into shards of ice.

Sam frowned.

"Not exactly thrifty about spending your Life Points, huh Yumi?" she asked.

"Luster Dragon, attack the facedown Monster!"

Luster Dragon breathed its sapphire flame. The Morphing Jar appeared before it was blown to pieces.

"You know what that means, Sam," said Yumi.

"Oh, fine," said Sam.

She discarded two cards – the second Frostosaurus and a Dust Barrier – to her Graveyard.

_It'll just be food for my true star,_ she thought. _He's gonna be pretty hungry when he wakes up._

They both drew five cards.

Sam looked them over. She chuckled.

_Then again…_ she thought.

"Guess what, Yumi!" she laughed. "With these five cards, I can summon Frostosaurus again...

"I play Symbols of Duty. First, I have to send one Normal Monster to the Graveyard. So I'll get rid of Gene-Warped Warwolf."

The Beast-Warrior vanished.

"Why'd she choose him?" asked Chelsea.

"To get rid of Birthright too," said Ren. "Now she has a free space on her Spell Zone."

"Now I can Special Summon a Monster from my Graveyard," said Sam, "so long as I Equip it with Symbols of Duty."

She played the card, and in another blast of Arctic wind, the second Frostosaurus loomed over the field. Oddly, a set of battered military dog tags appeared around its long neck. (2,600/1,700)

"So you see, that Trap Card was a big waste.

"I'll move to my End Phase, and use the effect of my Cell Battle to summon my Twilight Bloom."

A weird Monster appeared on Sam's side of the field. It was a tall thick, plant, with thorny vines for limbs, and a head that was a large, purple, bell-shaped flower with eyes on stalks and a large jaw full of teeth. (1,900/1,400)

"Who says Plant-Type Monsters get no respect?" asked Sam. "Well… Everyone… And this guy isn't too happy about it!

"It's your move."

**(Y: 5,200) -------------------- (S: 5,400)**

Yumi drew a card.

_I'm falling behind…_ she thought. _And I can't hold out against these beatstick bullies forever…_

"I set a Monster in Defense Mode…"

A facedown Monster appeared.

"Then I move Lesser Fiend into Defense Mode as well."

Lesser Fiend knelt, and crossed its four arms.

"I'll move to my own End Phase, and use the effect of Cell Battle to summon Archfiend Soldier."

In a puff of black smoke, the infernal infantryman appeared, kneeling in Defense Mode. (1,900/1,500)

"It's a good thing Sam's real deck used so many Normal Monsters," said Ren.

"Yeah…" said Chelsea. "But Yumi is quickly running out of them…"

Sam snapped, and then drew a card.

"You know, Yumi…" she said, looking at it. "This reminds me of a joke I heard the other day…"

She played a card, and the golden ankh of Monster Reborn appeared.

"See, there were these two guys in an insane asylum named Tom and Ed. One day they decide that they don't like living in the place, and they decide to escape."

Gene-Warped Warwolf appeared again with a roar. (2,000/100)

"So anyway, they escape to the roof of the asylum, and they only have to jump across a ten-foot gap between the buildings to complete their escape."

Gene-Warped Warwolf slashed at Archfiend Soldier, and the demon was blasted into shards.

"Tom makes the jump easily, but Ed is afraid to jump. See, he's afraid of falling."

Twilight Bloom blew a blast of toxic pollen at the facedown Monster. Malice Doll of Demise appeared on the card and warped and rotted before shattering.

"Then Tom says, 'Hey, I got an idea! I have my flashlight with me. I'll shine it between the buildings, and you just have to walk along the beam and join me!"

Luster Dragon blasted its breath weapon, striking Lesser Fiend. The demon was blown out of existence.

"And then Ed says, 'Huh? What do you think I am, crazy?'"

Sam chuckled.

"'You'd turn it off when I was halfway across!'"

There was dead silence in the room.

Sam put her hand on her hip.

"What?" she asked. "You heard that one before? Frostosaurus, see if you can make her laugh! Attack her directly!"

The huge Dinosaur blasted its glacial rampage, striking Yumi dead center…

Strangely, Yumi didn't scream this time…

At least, not right away…

**(Y: 2,600) -------------------- (S: 5,400)**

As the misty haze cleared, everyone looked at Yumi, who was taking some deep breaths, with her head bowed…

And then she screamed… She screamed a cry of pure anger… It shook the whole Clock Tower and carried over the whole island. Everyone in the room was startled. Ren and Chelsea held each other, and Sam stepped back in fear…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

At the height of Clock Tower Prison, Rasputin shivered with fright…

_No…_ he thought. _We've truly pushed Yumi to her breaking point… There's no telling what will happen now…_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Yumi took some deep breaths…

Deep, low gasps of rage…

"That's it!" she shouted. "Rasputin, I hope you're listening, because here's a message… You and this ambassador, whoever she is, won't be getting any more mercy… I'm gonna send your sorry ass straight to Hell!

"And as for you Sam, since I lost Life Points when I had no cards on my side of the field, I can summon Messenger of Ha Des – Gors!"

She threw a card on her Disk, and a bonfire appeared on her side of the field. The Messenger of Ha Des appeared, holding his huge sword. He gave a grim look towards Sam and her Monsters. (2,700/2,500)

"His powers allow him to call forth Messenger of Ha Des – Kaien…"

In another bonfire, the fallen angel in black armor, holding her two swords appeared, stepping into a fighting stance next to Gors. (2,600/2,600)

"And by the way… That joke was really, _really_ bad…"

Sam trembled as she looked at the rest of her cards.

"I… I have to end my turn…" she said.

Yumi took some deep breaths again. She quickly drew a card.

She was surprised when she saw what the card was.

_What the Hell is this?_ she thought. _I never saw Sam use this before…_

She read the description.

_Man, talk about a gamble card… This is even riskier than Hand of Ha Des… I'll bet not even grandpa Joey would use this…_

_I'd have to be crazy to play it…_

She looked at it hard.

_Then again, I'm in a pretty sanity-be-damned mood right now... And with all that's been happening, it's no crazier than even getting out of bed in the morning…_

"Yumi!" said the Pharaoh's voice. "Maybe you should think this over…"

For the first time since they had met, she ignored him. She placed the card in her Disk.

"Okay, Sam…" he said. "I play… Nightmare Shuffle."

An evil, cackling laughter echoed through the room, as a very sinister-looking Continuous Spell Card appeared on Yumi's side of the field. It bore the picture of two withered, skeletal hands shuffling a deck of cards.

"Nightmare Shuffle?" asked Sam. "What the heck does that do?"

"You mean it isn't your card?" asked Yumi.

Sam looked at her. Yumi looked at the card.

_Too late now…_ she thought, sweating.

"Okay Sam, I'll explain it, because it's very complicated. So long as this card is on the field, neither of us are allowed to check the contents of my Graveyard.

"Now, a card is selected from my Graveyard, completely at random. Thing is, I'm not allowed to see what it is."

A card slipped out of Yumi's discard slot, and she closed her eyes as she took it.

"Now, I set it facedown on the field in my Spell Zone, right next to Nightmare Shuffle."

A facedown card appeared next to the Spell Card.

"If I don't activate this by my next Standby Phase, it goes to the Graveyard, and is replaced by a new one from my Graveyard, again chosen completely at random. This happens again at each of my Standby Phases.

"Now, when I finally decide to activate it, Nightmare Shuffle is destroyed. And if the timing for the activation of the card is wrong, depending on the situation, it doesn't work, and every card on my side of the field and in my hand goes to the Graveyard.

"Okay?"

Sam laughed out loud.

"Yumi," she laughed. "That has to be the stupidest move you have ever made! Come to think of it, that has to be the stupidest move that ANY duelist I have faced has ever made! You're risking this entire duel on the off chance that a random card from your Graveyard will help you?"

"I gotta agree with Sam, here," said Ren. "Yumi's gotta be outta her gourd to make a gamble that risky."

"We'll soon see," said Yumi. "For now…

"Time to break the ice! Gors, attack Frostosaurus with Demonblade!"

Gors twirled his huge sword, and leapt at the giant Monster. With a mighty slash, Frostosaurus shattered into shards of ice.

"Kaien, destroy that blasted Warwolf!"

Kaien lunged at Gene-Warped Warwolf, and made two slashes with her blades. The Beast-Warrior groaned, and shattered into shards.

Yumi held her chest and took some deep breaths.

"I end my turn…" she muttered.

**(Y: 2,600) -------------------- (S: 4,700)**

Sam slowly drew a card.

She looked at it.

She chose another card from her hand.

"I play… Emergency Provisions…" she said.

She played the card, and a large mouth appeared behind her Spell Cards. Her Heart of the Underdog, Non-Spellcasting Area, and Two-Man Cell Battle were sucked in, and she glowed with energy.

"What?" muttered Yumi. "But… Why would you get rid of them…"

"They were outliving their usefulness," she replied. "Besides, I had to get rid of Non-Spellcasting Area anyway. See, now that my Monsters can be affected by Spell Cards, I can play Rush Recklessly."

She played the card, and Luster Dragon's Attack Score rose to 2,600.

"Luster Dragon, attack Kaien!" she shouted.

Luster Dragon breathed its flame at Kaien. The Messenger tried to shield herself with her blades… Both she and the Dragon strained…

Finally, both of them were thrown backwards, and both shattered into shards.

"I move Twilight Bloom to Defense Mode, and end my turn…"

Twilight Bloom knelt, and shielded itself with its tendrils.

**(Y: 2,600) -------------------- (S: 7,700)**

Yumi drew a card.

"You know what comes next," she said.

The Nightmare Shuffle card glowed, and the two skeletal hands on it started shuffling the deck.

"The card next to Nightmare Shuffle goes to the Graveyard…"

The facedown card vanished.

"…and a new one takes its place."

She set a new card in her Disk, and it appeared facedown.

"Okay…" she said. "I play… Pot of Avarice…"

She played the card. Giant Orc, Opticlops, Malice Doll of Demise, Archfiend Soldier, and Lesser Fiend slipped out of her discard slot. She shuffled them back into her deck, and then drew two cards.

She looked at them.

"I summon The Bistro Butcher," she said, playing one of them.

She played the card, and the fiendish gourmet appeared on the field. (1,800/1,000)

"Next, up, Premature Burial," she said, playing the other.

She played the card, and Gil Garth, the last Monster in her Graveyard, appeared next to her two other Fiends. (1,800/1,200)

"Go!" she ordered. "Chop Twilight Bloom into salad!"

The Butcher lunged at the Plant, and with a swipe of his cleaver, it was cut in two. The pieces burst into shards.

"Gil Garth, you're up," said Yumi.

Gil Garth flew at Sam, and slashed at her with his katana. Sam gasped and staggered backwards.

"Gors, your turn. Attack directly with Demonblade."

Gors looked at Sam with a look of incredible anger. He rushed at her, and slammed his sword into her torso. Sam screamed and fell backwards.

**(Y: 1,800) -------------------- (S: 3,200)**

"YUMI!" screamed the voice of the Pharaoh.

"Huh?" said Yumi.

She felt a swift slap across her face.

"Ow!" she shouted.

She held her face.

"Was that really necessary?" she asked.

"Yumi, I know you're angry," he said. "But what you are doing could spell Sam's doom!

"We haven't drawn Ha Des yet… Sam's false soul has yet to appear. If you make another round of attacks like that, Sam might be lost to us forever…

"Don't forget, Yumi… Giving in to anger was how I almost lost your grandfather… I swore I wasn't going to let that happen again…"

Yumi paused. She started to take some deep breaths again.

"That's it…" said the Pharaoh. "Deep breaths… Deep, cleansing breaths… Just calm down, and we can do this…"

"All right…" she said.

"I end my turn, Sam…" she said. "So move…"

Sam picked herself up. She angrily drew a card.

She played the card, and Pot of Greed appeared in front of her. She drew two cards.

"Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh…" she chuckled.

"Oh no…" muttered Ren. "Psychotic chuckling is always a bad sign…"

"Bad for you three," said Sam, "because now I'm going to summon my ultimate Warrior…

"But first, I need a sacrifice."

She played a card, and Silent Doom appeared on the field.

"Now, Gene-Warped Warwolf appears once again. You just can't keep a good Monster down."

The four-armed Beast-Warrior appeared once again, kneeling and shielding itself. (2,000/100)

"Next, I play this…" said Sam.

"A Ritual Card?" asked Yumi, somewhat shocked.

"A powerful Ritual," said Sam. "Powerful if you use it right. It's called Emblem of the Awakening… And all I need to offer as a sacrifice for this ceremony is a Level Four Monster."

She played the card, and Gene-Warped Warwolf vanished. A marble slab with an odd symbol on the front appeared in front of Sam… Most remarkably, someone was asleep atop the slab.

"So… awaken from your long sleep to do battle again… Come forth, Cú Chulainn the Awakened!"

The sleeping figure's eyes opened, and he slowly stepped off the slab. He was a handsome young man, dressed in exotic, fancy, ceremonial armor and a cape. He gestured, and a large, glowing halberd appeared in his hand. (500/1,000)

"Big deal," said Chelsea. "He has 500 lousy Attack Points."

"Heh, heh," chuckled Sam. "Don't judge a Monster by his cover! Cú Chulainn has a very powerful ability that I can use once per round. I simply have to make a small sacrifice, in the form of one Normal Monster in my Graveyard…"

A card slipped out of her Graveyard. She held it up, revealing Frostosaurus.

"…and then, its Attack Points are added to his."

The card vanished in a burst of golden flames, and Cú Chulainn glowed with the same energy. (3,100/1,000)

"Attack her Messenger! Strike of the dreamer!"

Cú Chulainn lunged with his weapon, stabbing into Gors's torso. The Fiend dropped his sword, and exploded into pixels.

"And by the way, Yumi," said Sam, "that 2,600-Attack Point increase won't wear off until my next Standby Phase. So just try to take him down."

**(Y: 1,400) -------------------- (S: 3,200)**

Yumi sighed as she looked at the deck.

She drew a card.

The skeletal hands on Nightmare Shuffle started shuffling the deck again.

"Once again, Nightmare Shuffle replaces the card next to it," she said.

The facedown card vanished, and a new one took its place.

"Now I play… Graceful Charity."

As she played the card, the angel appeared, hovering over the field. She looked sadly at Sam as Yumi drew three cards.

Yumi's eyes lit up as she saw what they were. She slowly discarded two cards.

"I sacrifice The Bistro Butcher…"

The Butcher vanished in a dark aura…

"Come on out… Dark Ruler Ha Des!"

In an aura of dark flames, the ruler of the Underworld appeared. He looked somewhat angry, as he crossed his arms and glared at Sam. (2,450/1,600)

Sam chuckled.

"Nice try, Yumi," she said. "But his Attack Score is way too low. Seems it was a wasted effort."

Yumi bowed her head. Ha Des's appearance didn't seem to have fazed her in the slightest.

Even if she won this duel, and she didn't know if she could… Whether Sam would come back to them… It was looking more and more unlikely.

"I move Gil Garth to Defense Mode, and end my turn," said Yumi, sadly.

Gil Garth knelt, and held his sword in his lap.

Sam drew a card.

She looked at it strangely.

_What the heck?_ she thought. _What sort of a card is this?_

She read the description.

_Talk about a weird card… It doesn't fit this deck at all… Why would Rasputin want me to have it?_

Then suddenly, she stopped.

As Yumi, Ren, and Chelsea watched, Sam simply stared into space.

"Sam?" asked Yumi. "Hello?"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Sam was in darkness…

Incredible darkness…

"Where… where am I?" she said.

"So…" said a voice that was full of contempt and bile. "It seems that once again, I am the victim of an act of outright betrayal… By someone whom I accepted as my consort… Usually, humans are nothing but slaves to me… I made an exception… And got this in return."

Sam looked up, and saw Ha Des looming over her with a look of incredible anger on his face.

"Ha Des?" she said, meekly.

"I would have ordered most of my servants tortured for even being friendly with one of those Dark World beasts," growled the Dark Ruler. "They're wicked, wicked creatures of pure Chaos who would see ever member of every race besides them, other Fiends included, dead in an instant.

"They've had a bounty on my head for centuries, Samantha! The only reason they haven't succeeded is the fact that few competent assassins in the world of Fiends are crazy enough to believe they wouldn't double-cross them."

Sam cowered in fright.

"I was willing to let you off easy, though…" he muttered. "I thought that losing the tournament to Yumi and the humiliation that losing your wager with her would bring you was sufficient punishment for your first betrayal, Samantha… But it seems you were too weak-willed to learn…

"This time it isn't even by a Fiend. You've cast me aside for some Celtic warlord… Unbelievable…"

Sam looked at him. Tears started to form in her eyes.

"No, no, it wasn't like that!" she said, almost begging. "I had no choice… The ambassador told me to…"

She swallowed hard.

"She told me to… throw you away…"

Ha Des glared at her.

"And I'm to believe you truly had no choice…" he said. "Maybe a small part of you wanted revenge on Yumi, and wanted more power once again. And it was enough of a desire to cast the cards that Yumi is using now, mine included, into the trash can."

Sam fell to her knees.

"Forgive…" she said, with tears falling down her cheeks.

Ha Des looked at her.

"Hmm…" he said, pondering.

He rubbed his chin, clearly thinking it over.

She looked up at him.

"Samantha…" he said.

"Yes?" she said eagerly.

"It is still your move," he said. "Attack me with Cú Chulainn."

"What?" said Sam, in shock. "But…"

"Do not argue," he said. "Do not ask why. If you ever want any hope of my forgiveness, use Cú Chulainn's effect to his fullest, and attack me.

"Then and only then, will I possibly consider forgiveness…"

He vanished.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Sam opened her eyes. The silver glow was gone from them now, and tears were flowing from them.

"Sam?" asked Yumi.

"Still my move, Yumi!" she shouted, as Cú Chulainn dropped to an Attack of 500. "And this time, I'm removing Gene-Warped Warwolf from play."

The card fell out of her discard slot, and Cú Chulainn rose to an Attack of 2,500.

"Go!" she shouted. "Attack the Dark Ruler Ha Des!"

Cú Chulainn charged at the Dark Ruler…

"Not so fast!" shouted Yumi. "I have the card that Nightmare Shuffle gave me, and now it's time to see what it is!"

The Nightmare Shuffle card exploded into shards. Everyone tensed as the card started to lift…

The card appeared…

It was Bark of Dark Ruler.

"Yes!" shouted Yumi. "And grandpa Joey's legendary luck comes through! I'll give up all my Life Points except 100 of them, and reduce your Warrior's Attack Score to 1,200!"

Ha Des roared, and Cú Chulainn glowed with a shadowy aura. Ha Des blasted a bolt of dark flame, and Cú Chulainn the Awakened was no more.

**(Y: 100) -------------------- (S: 1,950)**

Sam bowed her head.

"There's nothing more I can do…" she muttered.

Yumi drew a card.

"Ha Des…" she ordered, "attack her directly! Stygian blast!"

Sam screamed as she was roasted by the Dark Ruler's black flames…

**(Y: 100) -------------------- (S: 0)**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Sam was back in the darkness, on her knees again. The Dark Ruler was standing over her.

"So…" she said, meekly. "Am I forgiven?"

"I don't know," said Ha Des, still with a hint of anger. "I haven't decided yet…"

"Please…" begged Sam.

"Here's the deal, Samantha," said the Dark Ruler. "I won't consider you my consort right now. Not until I make my decision.

"Once you come to, Yumi will give you your deck back, the one that holds my power.

"I foresee that you will duel again before this night is over. If I decide to grant you victory, it will mean that I've decided to grant forgiveness for what you've done.

"If I don't and you lose… Then you might as well give up dueling forever. The same curse that caused you to lose the final round of the tournament will never leave you. It will remain as a punishment for two betrayals.

"Farwell… I will only speak to you again as my consort, if you ever gain the title back."

He vanished into mist.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Yumi looked at the Nightmare Shuffle card. Then she was shocked as it caught fire, and vanished in a burst of smoke and ash.

_Someone helped me,_ she thought. _But who?_

"Sam?" she said, bending over her rival.

Sam slowly got up. She started sobbing uncontrollably.

"There, there," said Yumi, putting her arm around her. "You had us worried for a minute but…"

Then Sam noticed how she was dressed. She screamed, and grief turned to anger.

"OOH!" she shouted. "Wait until I find that ambassador… She can control my mind, but make me dress like a slut and you've crossed the line…"

"Easy, Sam, easy!" said Yumi. "I'm… I'm sorry to tell you this, but we really have no way of getting you a change of clothes unless we can find what she did with yours."

Sam bowed her head, and tried to cover herself with the cape.

"Sam, look…" asked Ren. "Who is this… ambassador anyway?"

Sam sighed.

"She didn't tell me her name yet," she muttered. "She was blonde, with… curves… Dressed like this, except all in black… And she covered her face with an iron mask.

"And her voice… Deep and husky… Very intimidating…"

"Bet she stands out in a crowd…" said Ren.

"This is getting weirder and weirder," muttered Chelsea. "Rasputin must have some sort of partner now. An ambassador is usually working for some other interest."

Sam sighed, and looked at her clothing, which still showed too much.

"Erik will probably be thrilled…" she muttered.

She stopped short.

"ERIK!" she shouted.

"Where is he, Sam?" asked Chelsea.

Sam pointed up.

"The Clock Tower's gear housing," she muttered. "We have to save him!"

"Lovely, more stairs…" sighed Ren.

"Yumi, gimme my deck," said Sam.

"Huh?" said Yumi.

"I said gimme!" shouted Sam.

Yumi handed over the deck, and Sam snatched it.

"My destiny is in this deck now…" she muttered.

"Come on… We have to save Erik…"

As she head for the stairs, she took the Normal Deck and threw it behind her, no longer caring for those cards in the least.

Yumi started to follow.

Then she fell on one knee, and panted for breath.

"Yumi?" asked Ren.

Yumi felt her hair. The Cat's Cradle Comb was there.

She looked and saw the Ring of Spirits on her finger.

"I'm okay, Ren…" she said, slowly. "I'm more than ready to take on Erik…"

_Who am I kidding?_ she thought_. I'm exhausted! Winning this duel is going to take a miracle…_

_But for Erik's sake… I have to make that miracle happen…_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

As Mary Jane cowered in fright, Heck surveyed the field. It wasn't looking good for him…

He had X-Head Cannon on his side of the field (1,800/1,500) and one facedown card. The only card in his hand was something he couldn't really use at this point…

His opponent, on the other hand, had Gravity Bind active, a facedown card, and a very strange-looking Machine. It looked like an android made for construction work, with no legs, a claw for one hand, and a grappling hook for the other. (1,000/1,000)

Heck had 3,500 Life Points remaining, while his opponent was way ahead at 5,000.

"My move," said the Ascender, drawing a card.

His facedown card lifted.

"And now my Trap Card activates… Fatal Abacus. In case you don't know what it does, it deals 500 points of damage to a player whenever a Monster goes to his Graveyard.

"Next, I play the Spell Card, Illegal Summon."

He played a card, and a Continuous Spell Card bearing a humorous image of a young man riding a giant frog appeared on his side of the field.

"Now, I get to summon a Monster to your side of the field," he continued. "And I think I'll do that with my Sacrifice Lotus."

He played a card, and a large thing that looked like a giant, pink lotus flower with humanoid features appeared on Heck's side of the field, shielding itself in Defense Mode. (0/0)

"Thanks…" muttered Heck, sarcastically. "It's just what ah always wanted…"

"Anyway…" said the Ascender. "Now you get to summon a Monster to my side of the field."

"All right, fine," scowled Heck. "Take this one…"

Y-Dragon Head appeared on the Ascender's side of the field. (1,500/1,600)

"Splendid," said the Ascender. "Now I can activate my Monster's effect. By sacrificing your Y-Dragon Head, it can attack you directly."

The Union Monster vanished in a sparkle of light, and Fatal Abacus glowed. Heck cringed.

"Transistor the Warrior, attack him directly!" shouted the Ascender.

The android flew at Heck, and fired its grappling hook. Heck grunted in pain as his Life Points fell to 2,000.

"I end my turn…" said the Ascender.

"Then ah draw…" said Heck.

He drew a card.

Then he felt like he was on fire. A burning feeling covered his whole body as his Life Points fell to 1,000.

"What happened?" he gasped.

"That would be the Sacrifice Lotus," said the Ascender. "It has a little drawback… During your Standby Phase, you lose 1,000 Life Points."

"Does it have any benefit?" asked Heck.

The Ascender chuckled.

"If it's in your Graveyard," he replied, "you can Special Summon it during your End Phase. See the genius of putting it on your side of the field? If you get rid of it, it goes to my Graveyard. So you only get its drawback.

"And this is your last move."

Heck looked at the card he had drawn.

_Oh, he couldn't have been more right…_ he thought.

"Ah play Mystical Space Typhoon!" he shouted. "Say goodbye to that Gravity Bind!"

He played the card, and the cyclone blew the Trap Card to pieces.

"Now, ah activate a Trap," he said, as his facedown card lifted. "Roll Out! This lets me Special Summon a Union Monster from my Graveyard, an' Equip it to a Monster on my field.

"So ah'll Equip Y-Dragon Head to X-Head Cannon."

Y-Dragon Head appeared on the field. The Two Machines changed shape, and bonded together in a burst of light and steam. (2,200/1,900)

"All right… Destroy Transistor the Warrior! Pulverizing plasma blast!"

The bonded Machine fired its lasers, blowing the smaller Machine into burning scrap. The Ascender groaned as his Life Points fell to 3,800.

"An' thanks to your own Fatal Abacus," said Heck, "you lose an additional 500 Life Points."

The Ascender cringed as his Life Points went down to 3,300.

"Fool!" he shouted. "You've still lost. All I have to do on my turn is end my turn without doing anything, and that Lotus will finish you off!"

Heck smiled, and held up the last card in his hand.

"Ah play the Quickplay Spell Card, Combination Attack!" he shouted, throwing it into his Disk. "This Spell separates my two Monsters, and then lets them both attack again!"

In another burst of steam, X-Head Cannon and Y-Dragon Head flew apart from each other, transforming back to their original shapes. (1,800/1,500), (1,500/1,600)

"Attack him directly!" shouted Heck. "Double de-fission lasers!"

The two Machines blasted their weapons, and the Ascender screamed as his Life Points fell to nothing.

He collapsed.

Heck ran over to Mary Jane.

"You okay, miss?" he asked.

"I… I will be…" she muttered, wiping away tears. "Thank you… I… I thought he was going to rape me…"

"There, there…" said Heck. "Yeah, that thought crossed my mind once or twice…"

"Look!" she shouted, pointing to the Ascender.

They looked, as the demonic cloud floated out of his body. It glared at the two of them angrily, and then dissipated.

"Uhm… miss…" muttered Heck. "Something tells me that his intentions went a great deal further than rape…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Unbeknownst to Yumi and her allies, another duel was going on, below them in the wax museum.

Enrique had come in to find the stairway up blocked by another Ascender who had no intention of letting him past.

But it seemed like he was going to get past whether the guy liked it or not. He was winning the duel, with 4,000 Life Points, and Volcanic Doomfire on his side of the field. His opponent had a clear side, and only 1,000 Life Points.

"Listen you wetback," shouted the Ascender, "you're dreaming if you think I'm going to let you win…"

"LET me win?" asked Enrique, almost laughing. "Heh… fine, just move…"

The Ascender angrily drew a card.

"Heh, heh…" he chuckled. "I play Monster Reborn!"

He played the card, and Jinzo appeared on the field in a flash of light. (2,400/1,500)

"Perhaps you're forgetting," said Enrique, "my Doomfire already toasted that psycho two turns ago."

"Not this time…" said the Ascender. "Because I Equip it with the Spell Card, Megamorph."

He played a card.

"Since I'm losing, this doubles its Attack Points."

Jinzo shot up to an Attack of 4,800.

"Destroy his Doomfire!" he shouted. "Cyber energy shock!"

Jinzo shot a blast of energy, and Enrique cringed as Volcanic Doomfire exploded and his Life Points fell to 2,200.

"Heh, heh…" chuckled the Ascender.

Then flames erupted around him, and he fell to his knees. His Life Points fell to zero.

"What… what happened?" he shouted.

"I simply removed a Monster from my Graveyard called a Volcanic Counter," replied Enrique, holding up a card. "Since I did that, you took the same amount of damage as I did. Which means you lose."

The Ascender's eyes glazed over, and he fell on his face.

Enrique didn't wait to see if there were any more guards. He stepped over the fallen Ascender and rushed up the stairs, two at a time.

_No thugs can get in the way of a Lobo,_ he thought. _Rasputin is going to see what happens when Latino blood boils…_

_I'm coming, Yumi…_

_Sam has recovered, even though her future is uncertain, and clues are being revealed in bits and pieces. But Yumi may have tired herself out too much to put up a fight against Erik, who waits for her in the Clock Tower's belfry. And even if by some miracle Yumi can defeat him, what chance would the weary duelist stand against Rasputin? Perhaps in this next duel, Yumi simply needs help…_

**0**

**0**

**0**

**TWILIGHT BLOOM (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Plant  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,900  
**DEF:** 1,400

**Flavor Text:** _A wise forest explorer knows well to avoid a large flower if bones and skulls litter the ground around it. It is a sure sign of the Twilight Bloom, one of the most poisonous plants in existence._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**VOLCANIC COUNTER (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Pyro/Effect  
**Attribute: **Fire  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 300  
**DEF:** 1,300

**Card Description:** When you take battle damage, if there is a FIRE Monster in your Graveyard other than "Volcanic Counter", you may remove this card in your Graveyard from play to inflict direct damage to your opponent equal to the amount of battle damage you took.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**SACRIFICE LOTUS (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Plant/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level:** 1  
**ATK:** 0  
**DEF:** 0

**Card Description:** If this card is in your Graveyard during your End Phase, and you do not have any Spell or Trap Cards on the field, you can Special Summon this card in Attack Position to your side of the field. When this card is face-up on the field, he controller of this card receives 1,000 points of damage to his/her Life Points during each of his/her Standby Phases.

_Note: "Volcanic Counter" and "Sacrifice Lotus" are real cards that will be released in "Phantom Darkness"._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**TRANSISOR THE WARRIOR (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Machine/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level:** 3  
**ATK:** 1,000  
**DEF:** 1,000

**Card Description:** If you Tribute one Monster on your side of the field (other than this one) this card may attack your opponent directly during your turn's Battle Phase.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**ILLEGAL SUMMON (Spell Card)**

**Continuous Spell**

**Image:** A youth in colorful clothes riding a giant frog. (Unmistakably, this depicts Jiraiya from _Naruto_.)

**Card Description:** Once per round, during your Main Phase, select one Level Four or lower Monster from your deck and Special Summon it to your opponent's side of the field. Your opponent selects the battle position. Then, your opponent selects one Level Four or lower Monster from his/her deck and Special Summons it to your side of the field.

_Note: "Transistor the Warrior" and "Illegal Summon" were first used by Mathematica in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Pro Dueling". Creative credit goes to __the writers of that episode._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**NIGHTMARE SHUFFLE (Spell Card)**

**Continuous Spell**

**Image:** Two skeletal hands shuffling a deck of cards.

**Card Description:** When this card is in play, neither player may check the contents of your Graveyard except via the means of a card effect you control. Select one card from your Graveyard at random and set it facedown in your Spell/Trap Zone next to this card. During each of your Standby Phases, send the set card to the Graveyard; then, select one card from your Graveyard at random and set it facedown in the same space in your Spell/Trap Zone. If the set card is activated, send "Nightmare Shuffle" to the Graveyard, and if the timing for the activation of the card is incorrect, send all cards in your hand and on your side of the field to the Graveyard.

_Note: "Nightmare Shuffle" was first used by Jesse (while possessed by Yubel) in a third-season episode of "Yu-Gi-Oh GX". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**Ren: Yumi, look at yourself! You can barely stand up! How can you beat Erik in this state?**

**Yumi: I don't know… But I have to find a way… If I can't beat him, we're all doomed…**

**Chelsea: This is not fair… She can barely see straight… She can't do this alone…**

**Voice: Enough… Yumi may be in sorry condition, but no-one ever said she would have to go it alone… When we get to the gear housing, I'm taking over.**

**Ever since you met me Yumi, you've never faced a challenge alone…**

**Coming up next, "David Deck versus Goliath Deck; Battle of Polar Opposites".**

**Three down, and one to go… Let's get Erik out of there…**


	54. Battle of Polar Opposites

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**David Deck versus Goliath Deck**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Battle of Polar Opposites**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

The air over Duelatopia was definitely not right now… People could feel it.

Strange clouds of fog hung in the air, leaving an odd feeling that stuck to the skin and wouldn't come off. It was like poison ivy, only it didn't truly itch.

Kenta could feel it quite plainly. He was on his way back to his hotel, thinking that it might be safe there.

He was wrong.

"What's going on here?" he thought, as he opened the front doors. "Is this one of those strange tropical weather patterns?"

He looked in the hotel lobby and stopped short.

Eleven duelists were lying on the floor, unconscious.

And even more shocking, their wrists and ankles were bound by glowing green chains.

Kenta looked up, and saw a duelist securing one of them with the strange bindings.

"Hey!" he shouted.

The duelist stood up and looked at him. He was wearing the same prison grays as the others, and his eyes were glowing red.

"What a coincidence…" said the duelist, or whatever was controlling him. "I just had a group of captives ready for transport… And now I get to make it an even dozen…"

"Transport?" said Kenta, shocked. "To where?"

"You'll find out soon enough," said the creature. "Are you going to give yourself up, or do I have to subdue you in a Game of Shadows?"

He raised his Disk, and the doors to the hotel slammed shut.

Kenta gulped. He placed his deck in his Disk and it activated.

"Why do they always want to do it the hard way?" said the creature with a sigh.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Ren was the first one through the door at the top of the stairs.

"Whoa…" he said, stepping out. "Surreal…"

His allies followed him, and saw what he meant. They were in a huge chamber full of giant gears and cogs; the innards of the clock itself. Each of the four walls was the back side of one of the immense clock faces, and above them was the huge set of bells that rang every hour. The gears turned in perfect synchrony, moving the giant timepiece.

Yumi took some deep, gasping breaths.

"Yumi…" said Sam. "You can't go through with this… You're too tired… Look, maybe I can duel him…"

"Afraid that's impossible," said a voice.

They all turned, and saw Erik standing in the center of the chamber. Again, he was pale, and cold-looking.

"I'm afraid dueling anyone before I dueled Yumi would be a colossal waste of time," he said. "She's the only one with anything useful to wager…"

He slowly lifted the Talisman of the Mind that was around his neck.

"So what about it, Yumi?" he said. "Care for the same wager? My Talisman against your Crown."

"Erik, baby, please!" shouted Sam. "It's me! It's me, lover! Don't you remember who I am?"

"No," he said offhand. "You look like some whore to me."

Sam burned with fury. She was going to kill that ambassador for making her dress like this…

"Erik baby, wake up!" she pleaded. "I'm begging you!"

"I'm here to duel Yumi, and nothing else," replied Erik. "But if you want to duel me once I kill her, maybe I'll consider it."

Yumi looked at Erik with a tired look. Then she stepped forward, stumbling as she did.

She took Erik's deck out of the holster, and placed it in her Disk.

Erik grinned.

"You're tired, aren't you?" he said with a chuckle. "I'm willing to bet you could barely beat a beginner right now. Why don't you just concede and spare yourself the embarrassment?"

"I can't…" muttered Yumi, weakly.

"Then prepare to lose with dishonor," said Erik.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"YUMI!" said the Pharaoh's voice.

Yumi was inside her head, and the Pharaoh was standing behind her.

"Yumi…" he said. "If Erik's deck is as strong as what we've seen so far, your chances of beating him in this state are abysmal.

"And another Shadow Game may be too much for your system… You could _die_ if you try to duel him!"

"What do I do?" groaned Yumi. "If I don't beat him, Rasputin wins… Erik will be lost… And he'll get us too…"

There was a long pause.

"Yumi…" said the Pharaoh. "Let me take over."

"Huh?" asked Yumi.

"Just close your eyes, and sleep," said the Pharaoh. "I'll duel Erik."

Yumi looked at him.

"Okay…" she muttered.

She closed her eyes.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Yumi's Puzzle glowed brighter than ever, and her features turned even sharper than they usually did…

"Let's duel, Erik," she said, in a voice that was deeper and huskier than it normally was.

"What?" asked Erik. "How did you get your second wind?"

"Yumi is resting," said the Pharaoh. "I'm dueling in her place.

"But don't worry… The stakes still stand. If you win, you still get the Crown."

Erik paused. He tilted his head slightly.

He heard Rasputin's voice from the microphone in his ear.

"This is very odd, Erik," said Rasputin. "I did kind of have the feeling that the Mouto family had a spiritual guide of some sort.

"But duel her… him, whatever… anyway… It's perfectly legitimate to win the Shadow Charms by assigning a proxy to fight for you, so it makes no difference.

"This may be even better, actually… Once we win, we can get them both."

"Fine, whoever you are," said Erik.

The Disks activated.

"So what are you?" he chuckled. "Yumi's imaginary friend? Someone she dreamed up when she was four?"

"I'm something far more than that," replied the Pharaoh. "Get ready… It's time to duel!"

**(Pharaoh: 8,000) -------------------- (Erik: 8,000)**

_Sleep peacefully, Yumi,_ thought the Pharaoh, making his first draw. _I swear that when you wake up, you won't be under Rasputin's control…_

"I throw one card facedown, and then summon Toy Wind-Up," he said.

He played two cards, and a facedown card appeared, followed by the bulky tin soldier, carrying his blunderbuss. (1,000/700)

"And that's enough to start…"

Erik laughed as he made his first draw.

"You think you can impress me by using my old cards?" he asked. "Now I use Monsters that have the right to be called Monsters…

"I play… Heavy Storm!"

He played the card, and a furious wind tore through the gear housing. The Pharaoh's facedown Mirror Force was blown apart.

"Aw, no…" muttered Chelsea. "Now Toy Wind-Up is a sitting duck…"

"Now that it's gone…" said Erik, taking a card. "I summon… Cyber Dragon!"

There was a rumble, and a huge creature burst out of the floor, resembling a huge, limbless, mechanical serpent. It was indeed a Cyber Dragon, one of the most dreaded Machines in the game. (2,100/1,600)

"NO!" screamed Sam. "Erik, baby, please wake up! You don't know what you're doing!"

"What?" asked Chelsea.

Sam started to sob.

"He's always hated Cyber Dragons…" she cried. "He called them insults to true Dragons and cards used by duelists who wanted easy ways to win…"

"I've changed," said Erik. "I've grown up. And it's like my mother is fond of saying, there's only one major difference between boys and men…

"…the price of their toys.

"And I'm not done…"

He played another card.

"Since that was a Special Summon, I'll Normal Summon Proto Cyber Dragon."

He played another card, and a much smaller, much cruder version of the true Cyber Dragon appeared next to the first one. (1,100/600)

"All right!" shouted Erik. "Proto Cyber Dragon, annihilate the Toy Wind-Up!"

The smaller Machine fired a blast of concentrated light from its mouth, and Toy Wind-Up exploded into shards.

"Cyber Dragon… Attack… Well, attack whoever she is directly! Strident blast!"

Cyber Dragon breathed a blast of white-hot flames, striking Yumi's body squarely…

**(P: 5,800) -------------------- (E: 8,000)**

When the smoke cleared, the Pharaoh was looking at him sternly, the attack not seeming to have hurt him at all.

"What are you made of?" asked Erik.

"Stronger stuff than that Dragon is," he replied. "Is that your turn?"

"Go ahead," he said, "but I have more where that came from."

The Pharaoh drew a card, and looked at it.

"I play another card facedown," he said, "and then summon Toy Soldier."

A facedown card appeared, and Toy Soldier appeared in a burst of energy. (800/300)

"That's all for now…"

Erik chuckled as he drew a card.

"Know what?" he said. "I think you're bluffing… And I'm gonna finish you off…

"I play Limiter Removal!"

He played a Spell Card, and both Machines glowed with fiery energy. Proto Cyber Dragon grew to an Attack of 2,200, while the normal Cyber Dragon grew to 4,200.

"No…" gasped Chelsea.

"It'd better not be a bluff…"

"Proto Cyber Dragon…" ordered Erik, "attack…"

"GO! Zero Gravity!" shouted the Pharaoh, as his Trap Card lifted up.

Toy Soldier crouched in Defense Mode. Then both Cyber Dragon and Proto Cyber Dragon curled up in Defense Mode.

"Ooh, you think you're so smart…" muttered Erik. "Fine… I play a facedown…"

He fit a card into his Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

"I end my turn… And that means my Limiter Removal destroys my Monsters…"

The two Machines exploded into shards.

"I draw one card," said the Pharaoh, drawing.

"And my Trap activates," said Erik, as his facedown card flipped up. "Call of the Haunted. Guess who's back…"

Cyber Dragon appeared in a flash of light. (2,100/1,600)

"Toy Soldier's effect also activates," said the Pharaoh, taking his deck. "That means two more come out."

Two more Toy Soldiers materialized. (800/300 x2)

"Now… I play Crowning of the Emperor."

The Toy Soldier in Defense Mode glowed. He vanished, and Toy Emperor galloped onto the field. (2,300/800)

The Pharaoh took another card from his hand.

"Next, I play this… Fife and Drum Corp…"

He played the card, and the parade of Toy Soldiers marched onto the field, playing their flutes and drums. The two smaller Toy Soldiers glowed, and rose to Attack Scores of 1,600 apiece.

"Time to take control of this duel!" shouted the Pharaoh. "Toy Emperor, demolish the Cyber Dragon with imperial charge!"

Toy Emperor urged his mount at the much larger Monster, and with one swipe of his saber, the metal serpent exploded.

"Don't forget his effect," said the Pharaoh, taking his deck. "I get to search for a Trap Card now."

He chose a card, and added it to his hand.

"Toy Soldiers… Attack him directly!"

Erik hollered as the two Soldiers fired their muskets and the shells stabbed into him.

**(P: 5,800) -------------------- (E: 4,600)**

"Please!" begged Sam. "Please be easy on him…"

"Hey, he started it," said Ren.

"I throw a card facedown, and end my turn," said the Pharaoh, as a facedown card appeared.

He took a deep breath.

_This is taxing,_ he thought. _Controlling Yumi's body alone is more tiring than I thought it would be. I forgot what it was like to be mortal… It hasn't been like this since…_

…_since…_

He shuddered. He started to sweat.

…_since Yugi was taken prisoner by the Seal of Orichalcos…_

_And using Erik's deck isn't the easiest thing in the world. These cards really aren't my style. I like to think I can use any cards… But whether I can succeed with a deck like this…_

_Well, I'll just have to hope…_

"My move!" shouted Erik, drawing a card.

He looked at the card he had drawn.

"I play… Pot of Greed."

He played the card, and made two draws.

"Heh, heh…" he said. "First I throw a card facedown…"

He fit the card into his Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

"Next, I play Mystical Space Typhoon. And the card I'm going to destroy is the one I just set facedown."

He played the card, and his facedown Trap Card lifted up and shattered.

"What in blazes?" asked Ren.

"Why did he just destroy his own Trap Card, you may ask?" asked Erik. "Was it Dark Coffin? No… Was it Statue of the Wicked? No…

"What it was is a special Trap called Drowsing Point, and when it's destroyed, I get to search my deck for any Monster I desire."

He took a card from his deck and then reshuffled.

"And now I'm going to use it," he said. "I play Polymerization, to fuse together the two Cyber Dragons in my hand, to form Cyber Twin Dragon!"

He played the card, and two Cyber Dragons appeared on the field. They melted into a swirl of light…

A huge creature rose up above Erik… A much bigger mechanical serpent, with two vicious heads. (2,800/2,100)

"Erik, please wake up…" sobbed Sam, sadly.

The Pharaoh tensed…

"It has two heads, and each one has its own attack," said Erik. "Here comes the first… Attack the Toy Emperor!"

The left head breathed a stream of flames at the diminutive monarch…

"Activate Draining Shield!" shouted the Pharaoh.

His Trap Card lifted, and the flames plowed into an invisible shield. Energy flowed into him.

"Big deal," said Erik. "It gets to attack twice, remember?"

The right head breathed a second stream of flames, and Toy Emperor exploded.

"Your move…" said Erik.

**(P: 8,100) -------------------- (E: 4,600)**

The Pharaoh drew a card.

"I play my own Pot of Greed, Erik," he said.

He played the card, and drew two cards.

He frowned as he looked at them.

He played a card, and a facedown Monster appeared. Then both Toy Soldiers knelt in Defense Mode.

"That's all I can do…" he said.

The door behind them opened.

Ren and Chelsea spun around.

"Who's there?" demanded Ren.

"Don't shoot!" shouted a familiar voice.

Everyone was shocked.

"Enrique?" said Chelsea.

"Si," said the young man. "I found out that Yumi was trapped in here, so I fought my way in. Is there anything I can do to help?"

Then he saw the huge Cyber Twin Dragon and stepped back.

"Madre los Dios…" he said. "Never mind…"

"If you want to help, say a good prayer for us," said Ren.

"Quiet," said Erik, drawing a card. "I'll deal with all of you, once I deal with this guy…"

He looked at the card.

"I summon Cyber Phoenix."

He played the card, and a new Machine appeared in a burst of flame. It was a big, metal bird with four large wings. (1,200/1,600)

"Guess what, pal?" he said. "So long as my Phoenix is in Attack Mode, Spells and Traps don't work on my Machines.

"But enough about that… Cyber Phoenix, toast his Toy Soldier!"

Cyber Phoenix blasted a flamethrower from its beak, burning one of the Toy Soldiers to a crisp.

"And then there's my Cyber Twin Dragon!"

The huge Machine blasted its first attack, eradicating the other Toy Soldier.

Then it fired its second attack at the facedown Monster. Giant Rat appeared on the card, and was blown to particles.

"I use Giant Rat's effect!" shouted the Pharaoh. "I summon Toy Wind-Up!"

In a burst of energy, another Toy Wind-Up appeared. (1,000/700)

"As if that worried me," said Erik. "Make your move."

"This had better be the best draw ever…" said Ren, as the Pharaoh made a draw.

The Pharaoh looked at the four cards in his hand. One of them was a Monster that could stand up to Cyber Twin…

_What am I going to do?_ he thought. _This Monster is too powerful to summon without a sacrifice… I'd need a special card or…_

He paused. He looked at a Spell Card in his hand.

_Of course…_ he thought. _Yumi and I saw Erik do this same trick in his duel with Rasputin…_

_Let me think…_

He played the card.

"I play Dark Designator," he said, playing a Spell Card. "And the Monster I name is… Proto Cyber Dragon."

Erik looked him in the eye.

"Okay, I have another one…" he said, taking the card from his deck.

"Good…" said the Pharaoh. "Now I can summon… Puppet King!"

In an explosion of energy, the mighty Puppet King appeared, glaring at the huge Machine. (2,800/2,600)

"Puppet King…" ordered the Pharaoh, "attack Cyber Twin Dragon with Judy punch!"

Puppet King leapt at the two-headed Machine, fist-first. Cyber Twin Dragon roared, and lunged to meet the strike…

Both duelists reeled from the huge explosion that resulted from the impact, blowing both Monsters to pieces.

"Caramba!" shouted Enrique. "It was a draw!"

"And I'm not done!" exclaimed the Pharaoh. "I play… Rush Recklessly!"

He played the card, and Toy Wind-Up rose to an Attack of 1,700.

"Attack Cyber Phoenix with blunderbuss blast!"

Toy Wind-Up fired his gun, and the Phoenix exploded in a conflagration of smoke and flame.

"Grrr…" growled Erik. "When Cyber Phoenix is defeated, I get to draw one card…"

He made one draw.

"And I get to summon my third Wind-Up," said the Pharaoh.

Yet another Wind-Up appeared. (1,000/700)

"Attack him directly!"

The toy fired its blunderbuss, and Erik fell over, wincing in pain.

**(P: 8,100) -------------------- (E: 3,100)**

"Your move…" he muttered.

Erik drew a card,

"Okay, who or whatever you are," he said. "I was hoping I wouldn't have to do this…

"But I play Lightning Vortex."

He played a Spell Card, and discarded Proto Cyber Dragon. Thunder clapped, and lightning struck the two Wind-Ups, blowing them to pieces.

"No…" muttered Sam.

"Now…" said Erik, taking the last card in his hand, "I'll play Card of Sanctity, and we'll see whose luck is better."

He played the card. He drew six cards, and the Pharaoh drew five.

"I summon Cyber Soldier of Darkworld," he said.

He played the card, and a robot appeared in front of him. It was an android of the type commonly found in science fiction movies, with armor, mechanical limbs, and wires all over. (1,400/1,200)

"Now, I'll play my own Rush Recklessly…"

He played the card, and the Cyber Soldier's Attack Score went up to 2,100.

"Attack her… him… them… Ho boy, this is a pronoun nightmare. Just attack directly! Cosmic cannon!"

Cyber Soldier of Darkworld pointed at its foe and fired a bolt of burning energy. The Pharaoh closed his eyes and sweat started to form.

**(P: 6,000) -------------------- (E: 3,100)**

"And that's all," said Erik.

The Pharaoh drew a card.

He played one of the cards in his hand, and Graceful Charity appeared on the field. The lovely angel appeared, looking sad again.

He drew three cards, and then looked at the cards in his hand. He thought for a minute, and then discarded Gulliver Chain and Toy Cannon.

"I summon Toy Magician," he said.

In a burst of light, the toy Spellcaster appeared, holding his scepter. (1,600/1,500)

"Destroy Cyber Soldier of Darkworld!" he ordered.

Toy Magician fired his sparkle blast at the android. Sparks flew from its armor, and then it exploded.

"I set a facedown card, and end my turn…"

A facedown card appeared behind Toy Magician.

**(P: 6,000) -------------------- (E: 2,900)**

The Pharaoh looked at his hand, and saw Toy Dragon clearly there.

_It's Erik's true soul…_ he thought._ I've never been more sure… Now I simply have to force him to bring out the false soul, and hope I can use this to beat it…_

_But if it's what I think it is… That might be very, very hard._

_Because it's likely something that can match Obelisk in terms of raw power…_

Erik drew a card.

He chuckled.

"Okay, buddy," he said. "Time to bring this duel to the endpoint…"

He turned a Spell Card in his hand around.

"Power Bond?" gasped Chelsea.

"Erik, no!" shouted Sam. "Please!"

"Shut up!" said Erik. "I know what I'm doing… I'm going to use this to bring out my strongest Monster…

"The only problem is, my three Cyber Dragons are in my Graveyard… But no matter…

"I have another Spell Card…

"I play Cybernetic Fusion Support!"

He played both Spell Cards at once.

"Now, by removing those Cyber Dragons from play, and paying half my Life Points, I can use Power Bond to Fusion Summon the ultimate beast…"

A dark shadow loomed behind him…

"Behold the Cyber End Dragon!"

With a roar that was composed of three voices, Zane Truesdale's signature Monster loomed over the field, glaring at the spirit in Yumi's body with six fiery optic sensors… (4,000/2,800) –) (8,000/2,800)

_No…_ thought the Pharaoh.

"It's been swell…" said Erik, with an evil glint in his eye. "But now…

"Cyber End Dragon… Attack Toy Magician with super strident blaze!"

Flames appeared in the Machine's three mouths…

_Heaven forgive me…_ thought the Pharaoh.

His facedown card lifted.

"I activate Gravity Bind!" he screamed.

Cyber End Dragon groaned, and bowed its head. The Pharaoh bowed his head too.

"I'm so sorry, Erik…" he said. "But it can't attack now…

"And once you end your turn, the side effect of Power Bond will activate, and you'll lose…"

"Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh," chuckled Erik.

"What?" said the Pharaoh.

"Not quite," replied Erik. "I saw that facedown card of yours perfectly clearly, and I wasn't dumb enough to use Power Bond unprepared."

He played another card.

"I summon Cyber Kirin."

A very small Machine appeared on the field. It looked like a small, metal dog with the same silvery armor as a Cyber Dragon. (300/800)

"Now, by sacrificing it," he continued, "the damage Power Bond would have done to me is reduced to zero."

Cyber Kirin vanished.

"I'm still in this duel, Yumi, and my Cyber End Dragon is still here… And it still has 8,000 Attack Points…

"And I know that deck you're using… Its ways of destroying a Monster this powerful are very limited.

"I end my turn."

**(P: 6,000) -------------------- (E: 1,450)**

The Pharaoh looked at his hand.

_The false soul has appeared,_ he thought. _And if I want to save Erik, the true soul has to defeat it…_

He paused.

_Impossible… There's no way to make Toy Dragon that strong…_

He looked at the card on top of Erik's deck…

He paused. He drew the card.

He quickly placed it in his Disk. A facedown card appeared.

"What the Hell?" shouted Sam. "Yumi didn't even look at that card!"

"Eh… Can she do that?" asked Enrique. "How'd she even know it wasn't a Monster?"

"Well, since the Disk didn't register an illegal move, I guess it isn't," said Chelsea. "But even so…"

The Pharaoh took another card from his hand.

"I summon Blockman," he said.

A strange Monster materialized next to Toy Magician. It looked like a man made entirely out of Legos. (1,000/1,500)

"Heh, heh," chuckled Ren. "Lego my Ego."

"Ren, this isn't the time for jokes…" said Chelsea, rolling her eyes.

"Go ahead, Erik," said Yumi.

Erik drew a card.

"You're up to something…" he muttered.

He played a Spell Card.

"I play Burial From a Different Dimension. Now my three Cyber Dragons go back to my Graveyard, so we may get to them again later."

He slipped three cards into his discard slot.

"I place two cards facedown, and end my turn."

Two facedown cards appeared behind Cyber End in flashes of light.

"My move!" shouted the Pharaoh, drawing a card.

"Since this is my second turn that it has been on the field, I can sacrifice Blockman to summon two Block Tokens."

Blockman vanished, and then two tokens that looked just like it appeared, crouching in Defense Mode. (1,000/1,500 x2)

"Now, I activate Emergency Provisions," he said, playing a card. "I'll dispose of Gravity Bind."

Gravity Bind disintegrated.

"WHAT?" shouted Erik.

"Is she crazy?" shouted Enrique.

"Now I activate my Trap Card…" continued the Pharaoh.

"Curse of Anubis!"

The facedown card he had set the last round lifted up, and the ghostly jackal appeared over the field. It howled, and both Toy Magician and Cyber End Dragon cowered in Defense Mode. The Defense Scores of all the Monsters on the field fell to zero.

"Now…" said the Pharaoh, "I sacrifice my two Block Tokens to summon Toy Dragon!"

The two tokens vanished, and the huge, blocky Dragon appeared. (2,300/2,000) –) (2,700/2,000)

Erik gasped.

"Toy Dragon…" ordered the Pharaoh, "attack Cyber End Dragon with shooting star shower!"

Erik screamed as a barrage of glowing motes plowed into the huge Machine, and explosions erupted all over its armor. He fell to the floor as the giant beast exploded into scrap.

"No… way…" said Sam. "How did Yumi know that the card she had drawn was Curse of Anubis?"

The Pharaoh smiled.

_Because Erik's deck was calling out to me,_ he thought. _It told me what it was._

Erik bowed his head.

There was a long silence.

"Erik!" screamed Rasputin's voice in his ear. "I will not accept this! I will not accept failure again! You will not let Yumi get that Talisman!

"Now draw your card and continue this duel! That's an order!"

Erik slowly got up. He lifted his head. Incredible anger was in his eyes.

"Why not?" he said, drawing a card. "On with the duel!"

He looked at it.

"I play Card of Demise!"

He played the card. Five candles lit up in front of him, and he quickly drew five cards.

"All right… I activate Premature Burial."

One of his facedown cards lifted.

"Now… which Monster should I bring back? Hmm…"

In an explosion of energy, Cyber End Dragon appeared again. (4,000/2,800)

The Pharaoh bowed his head…

_It's over…_ he thought.

"Yes!" shouted Rasputin's voice. "Murder that accursed Toy Dragon!"

"Now I activate this," he said, as his other facedown card lifted. "The Spell Card, Cyber Seller.

"Now, I can sacrifice one Machine on my side of the field with the word 'Cyber' in its name. So I'm trading in this big scrap heap."

Cyber Dragon End Dragon vanished into grains of light.

"Next, I take its Level – that's ten. Then I can either gain 300 Life Points for each Level, or draw one card for every four.

"I choose the Life Points."

He glowed with energy.

**(P: 7,000) -------------------- (E: 3,650)**

"ERIK, you big idiot!" screamed Rasputin's voice. "Why the Hell did you do something so stupid? Are you trying to…"

Erik didn't hear the rest. He took the device out of his ear.

"I'm sorry," he said, "the number you have reached is no longer in service. Please make sure you have dialed correctly.

"On second thought, get bent."

He dropped the device on the floor and then crushed it with his foot.

"I'm far from done, Yumi," he said. "I play another Spell Card…

"It's called Cemetery Change. I pay 1,000 Life Points, and first, every Monster on the field is destroyed."

The Pharaoh covered his head as a great flame burst over the entire arena, and Toy Dragon and Toy Magician were blown into shards.

"Then," continued Erik, "we swap the cards in our Graveyards. So come here!"

"Huh?" said the Pharaoh.

"You heard me!" he replied, walking forward.

_That card…_ thought Sam. _It was in my deck too… It was the last card I drew before Ha Des told me to attack…_

_Why did Rasputin give us these Spell Cards?_

The change was made, and Erik walked back to his position.

"Continuing…" he said. "I play Infernal Transaction!"

He played another Spell Card.

"Now I get a Spell Card from my Graveyard…"

Pot of Greed slipped out of his discard slot.

"…and in return, you get to summon a Monster from yours. But it has to have at least 2,000 Attack Points."

The Pharaoh stared at him.

"Hold on…" he said. "I have to Special Summon a Monster from my Graveyard, and it has to have at least 2,000 Attack Points?"

"Yes!" shouted Erik. "So do it already!"

"Fine…" said the Pharaoh, "but just remember, you brought this on yourself…"

In a burst of energy, Cyber End Dragon appeared on his side of the field, and roared. (4,000/2,800)

"Heh…"said Erik. "Good… I was kinda hoping you'd choose that one…

"I throw two cards facedown, and end my turn…"

Two facedown cards appeared in front of him.

**(P: 7,000) -------------------- (E: 2,650)**

_What is he up to?_ thought the Pharaoh, drawing a card.

"Cyber End Dragon… Attack Erik directly with super strident blaze!"

Cyber End's three heads breathed triple blasts of flame at Erik…

"Go, Trap Card!" shouted Erik. "Magic Cylinder!"

The Pharaoh shielded himself and staggered backwards as the flames were shot right back at him.

He fell on one knee, and gasped for breath.

**(P: 3,000) -------------------- (E: 2,650)**

"While you're picking yourself up…" said Erik.

His other facedown card lifted up.

"I activate… Exchange of the Spirits. Since I have at least fifteen cards in my Graveyard, I can pay 1,000 Life Points, and we both switch the cards in our decks with those in our Graveyards."

The Pharaoh chuckled as he got up.

"I get it, Erik," he said, making the change. "You want to finish this duel with your own cards, right?

"Well, it's your move… Go right ahead…"

**(P: 3,000) -------------------- (E: 1,650)**

Erik drew a card. The first candle in front of him went out.

"I play… Pot of Greed!" he shouted.

He played the card, and drew twice more.

He threw three of his cards into his Disk, and three facedown cards appeared.

"That's all…"

"Draw…" said the Pharaoh.

He looked at the card.

"Cyber End Dragon, attack…"

"Go, Trap Card!" shouted Erik. "Toy Cannon!"

The cannon appeared in front of him, and the team of Toy Soldiers loaded it…

It fired, and Cyber End Dragon fell into Defense Mode. The Pharaoh cringed.

"Next, Gulliver Chain!"

His second facedown card lifted, and the chains burst out of the floor, binding Cyber End Dragon.

"Finally… Zero Gravity!"

His last facedown card lifted. Cyber End Dragon roared loudly as it tried to move into Attack Mode. It pulled against the chains, until finally, it exploded into scrap, and the chains fell to the ground with a clatter.

**(P: 2,600) -------------------- (E: 1,650)**

The Pharaoh looked at Erik for a few seconds.

He placed a card on his Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared.

"Your move…" he said.

Erik sighed, and drew a card.

He looked at it.

"Look," he said. "I'm not sure who you are exactly… But whoever you are, thanks for what you did…

"I know that the wager I made with Yumi still stands, so I can't win this duel… But destroying that thing… Well, it was just something I had to do.

"So here…"

He played the card, and a Toy Soldier appeared. (800/300)

"Finish it…"

"I will…" said the Pharaoh, drawing a card.

"I sacrifice my facedown Monster to summon Cyber Dragon."

The facedown Monster disintegrated, and Cyber Dragon appeared for the last time. (2,100/1,600)

"Now… I play Limiter Removal…"

He played the card, and Cyber Dragon rose to an Attack of 4,200.

"Cyber Dragon… Attack the Toy Soldier…"

The Machine fired one final strident blast, and Toy Soldier was atomized.

**(P: 2,600) -------------------- (E: 0)**

The Pharaoh paused. The Talisman of the Mind appeared around his – their neck.

And then he collapsed.

Yumi's spirit had been asleep since the duel had started. Now her body was as well.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In his hiding place, Rasputin crossed his arms.

"I did NOT approve of putting Cemetery Change, Infernal Transaction, or Exchange of the Spirits in his deck," he said. "Where did they come from?"

"Clearly," said a voice from the shadows, "the traitor in your organization is more powerful than you thought at first.

"But don't despair yet…

"Your plan may have failed, but Yumi is now in no condition to face you… If you strike now, you may be able to regain the advantage.

"You know the other ways that thrall powder can be delivered… It works if placed on a helpless victim…

"Yumi is now clearly helpless, yes? Now's your chance…"

Rasputin sighed.

"So now I become a vulture…" he sneered. "A looming scavenger who circles above his weakened prey until she drops from exhaustion. This is going to far…"

He crossed his arms in a sulk.

"Fine… I'll try, but I'll have to clear out her allies first…"

"Easily done," said the voice. "The Rod's shadow magic is still working. Your protégés can defeat them.

"And if they can't…

"Maybe I'll do it myself…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Everyone in the room had seen sleep before, but not like this.

Yumi was lying prone, and hovering a foot off the ground, glowing with a golden light.

"What's happening to her?" asked Ren.

Anastasia appeared next to Yumi in a soft aura of light.

"It's a collective power of the seven Charms she has," she replied. "She's healing herself.

"I'm afraid we can't move her, which puts us at a quandary. Rasputin might come for the final assault at any time."

"Don't worry…" said Chelsea.

Simultaneously, four Disks activated. Enrique stood up and activated his as well.

"Anyone who wants to get to Yumi is going to have to get through us…

"We owe her that much…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In the lobby of the hotel, Kenta seemed to have the advantage. He had Exodia Necross on his side of the field. (2,800/0) and 3,500 Life Points remaining, while his opponent had a facedown Monster, the Continuous Trap Card Backfire, and 1,600 Life Points remaining.

"I draw one card," said Kenta, making a draw. "And before Necross makes its move, it gains another 500 Attack Points…"

Necross grew to an Attack Score of 3,300.

"Now attack his facedown Monster!"

Necross lunged with its mighty fist. Battle Footballer appeared on the card, and was blown to pieces.

"Forget about my Backfire?" asked the possessed Ascender. "Since you just destroyed a Fire Monster, you lose another 500 Life Points."

Kenta groaned as a fiery aura surrounded him, and his Life Points fell to 3,000.

"We'll see who laughs last," said Kenta. "It's your move."

A facedown card appeared.

The Ascender drew a card.

He chuckled wickedly.

"I just drew my best Monster!" he laughed. "And it's gonna take out your overrated behemoth.

"But in order to summon it, I have to remove one Fire and two Water Monsters from play. So I'll get rid of my Battle Footballer and my two Sea Serpent Warriors of Darkness."

Three cards fell out of his discard slot.

"Now you'll see the method to my deck's madness… I summon… Frost and Flame Dragon!"

A blast of ice and a plume of fire shot up on his side of the field, forming into a huge two-headed serpent, one head made of ice, the other burning with flames. (2,300/2,000)

"Now, I just have to toss one card, to activate its effect…"

He threw a card into his discard slot, and Frost and Flame Dragon shot blasts of intense cold and fire at the huge Spellcaster.

"You know what happens when something gets very hot, and then gets very cold an instant later?" asked the Ascender.

Exodia Necross shattered into shards of rock.

"Now you know…" chuckled the Ascender. "And I still have his normal attack to use on you… Frost and Flame, attack the mortal directly!"

The Dragon breathed its twin blasts again, and Kenta screamed.

He bent over clutching his chest, as his Life Points fell to 700.

_I've taken several direct attacks in this game…_ he thought. _I've been burned… I've been frozen… But NEVER both at once…_

"I'll play a facedown, and end my turn," said the Ascender.

A facedown card appeared, next to Backfire.

Kenta drew a card.

"Well, what do you know?" he said.

"I play, Recurring Nightmare!" he said, playing a Spell Card. "Now, I can recover two Dark Monsters from my Graveyard, so long as their Defense Scores are no higher than zero."

Two cards slipped out of his discard slot.

"Now, I'll play another Contract With Exodia to summon one of them. Exodia Necross… Welcome back!"

The room grew dark, and a pentagram formed on the floor. Exodia Necross rose up again. (1,800/0)

"Ha!" laughed the Ascender. "It's too weak to beat my Dragon, and on my turn, I'll destroy it again!"

"He's not going to attack your Dragon," said Kenta. "My other Monster will be the one doing that. I summon Mist Archfiend!"

He played another card, and a smoky mist erupted on his side of the field. A Fiend with a black and red exoskeleton, horns, black wings, and a mass of smoke in place of legs appeared out of the mist. (2,400/0)

"Mist Archfiend… Attack Frost and Flame Dragon with death fog!"

Mist Archfiend pointed its arm forward, and a stream of mist shot towards the two-headed Dragon. It screamed as the deadly mist literally melted the flesh off its bones. The remains shattered.

"Necross… Attack him directly!"

Necross lunged towards the Ascender.

"Surprise," said the Ascender. "Facedown card, activate…"

His facedown card lifted.

"Emergency Provisions. I'll send Backfire to the Graveyard, and gain 1,000 Life Points before your attack hits…"

The Trap Card disintegrated, just before Necross walloped him.

The Ascender got up, chuckling, as his Life Points fell to 700.

"Nice try, mortal…" he said with a sinister grin. "But you failed to finish me… And since you Normal Summoned Mist Archfiend without a sacrifice, you must pay the price… When you end your turn, it will self-destruct, and you lose 1,000 Life Points… Which is more than you have left…"

Kenta glared at him.

He placed a card in his Disk, and it appeared on the field.

"Not if I beat you this turn," he said, as it appeared. "I play Ectoplasmer. Now I can sacrifice a Monster, and blast you for damage equal to half of that Monster's Attack Points."

Mist Archfiend slumped over, and a hideous-looking ghost made of mist flew out of its body. It flew at the Ascender with a roar, and swiped at him with a misty claw. The Ascender groaned as his Life Points fell to zero.

"Clever…" groaned the Ascender. "I didn't expect that… I guess that means you win…

"But you won't win the war… There are more of us… This island will be ours once…"

Then he collapsed.

Kenta watched, as a smoky, fiendish creature flew out of his body. It glared at him with angry eyes, and then vanished.

The chains holding the captives crumbled into sand, and they started to wake up.

_Gotta find a phone…_ thought Kenta.

_Yumi and her spirit guide have spent the last of their energy. While the seven Shadow Charms that they now hold work to restore it, Rasputin and his strange ally plan to strike when she can't possibly defend herself. Fortunately, Yumi's rescue mission was a success, and her four friends, with the addition a young Latino, vow to guard her at all costs. The only question is… Who will try to get by them first?_

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**CYBERNETIC FUSION SUPPORT (Spell Card)**

**Quickplay Spell**

**Image:** A high-tech machine generating energy towards a central point.

**Card Description:** If the cards listed as Fusion Material Monsters for a Machine-Type Fusion Monster are in your Graveyard, you may remove those Fusion Material Monsters from play and pay half your Life Points to substitute this card for the Fusion Material Monsters.

_Note: "Cybernetic Fusion Support" was first used by Zane in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "The Graduation Match (Part Two)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**DROWSING POINT (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image:** A flowing, moss-covered waterfall.

**Card Description:** This card can only be activated if it is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard by a card effect while facedown on your side of the field. Select one Monster Card from your deck and add it to your hand.

_Note: "Drowsing Point" was first used by T-Bone in "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "J-Dawg and T-Bone". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**CEMETERY CHANGE (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** Two hands pushing handfuls of cards towards each other.

**Card Description:** Pay 1,000 Life Points. Destroy all Monsters on the field. Then, switch all the cards in your Graveyard with those in your opponent's Graveyard.

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**INFERNAL TRANSACTION (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** A huge, demonic hand reaching out of a lava pit towards a chest full of gold and jewels.

**Card Description:** Your opponent Special Summons a Monster from his/her Graveyard with a base ATK of 2,000 or more. Take one Spell Card from your Graveyard and add it to your hand.

_Note: "Cemetery Change" and "Infernal Transaction" were first used by Chazz in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Blinded By The Light (Part Two)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**CYBER SELLER (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** A man outside a used car lot, which includes a Cyber Dragon among the cars.

**Card Description:** Offer as a Tribute one Machine-Type Monster on your side of the field with the word "Cyber" in its name. Then choose one the following effects:

- Gain Life Points equal to the Level of the Tributed Monsters x 300.

- For every multiple of four in the Level of the Tributed Monster, draw one card.

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**0**

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**Ren: Come and get us, Rasputin! We're more than ready for you! Is everybody in?**

**Chelsea: Willing and able. How about you, Sam?**

**Sam?**

**Sam: I have to duel… And the duel that follows is what will decide my future… Will the Kaiba legacy continue, or will it end in shame because of what I did?**

**I'll duel using this deck, and I'll hope…**

**Ha Des: Duel with your heart behind it, Samantha… Prove that you are truly worthy of regaining your title, and I will grant you victory…**

**Coming up next, "Duel of Destiny; Sam versus the Goblin King".**

**I may be the ruler of Fiends, but I am not without mercy… Still, I won't give it to one who doesn't deserve it…**


	55. Sam versus the Goblin King

_Merry day-after-Christmas! Hope you all had a good holiday..._

_At least, I hope it was better than the day my protagonists are having..._

_On with the story._

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**CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR**

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**Duel of Destiny**

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**Sam versus the Goblin King**

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By now, the population of Duelatopia had caught on. The honest guests were fleeing to brightly lit and well-occupied areas where Centurions were guarding them diligently.

Only a few hardy souls dared the dark areas.

One of these hardy souls was Angel. He wasn't ready to retreat to safety yet. He recognized the strange air about the island, and he had a feeling that an old friend – well, someone who claimed to be his friend – would approach him before long.

He leaned against the corner of a building in the Shopping District, taking a drag on a cigarette…

Then he burst into a fit of coughing and gagging.

Angrily, he threw the cigarette on the ground and stomped on it. Then he took the whole pack of cancer sticks out of his pocket. He hardly cared about the six dollars he had spent on them three hours ago. He crushed the pack in his fist, and then threw it on the ground.

"I quit!" he shouted. "And this time, I mean it…"

He heard laughter behind him.

"You quit, huh?" said an evil voice. "You realize, Angel, that you're gonna gain weight, and be a miserable, angry wreck until the withdrawal ends, if you even succeed…"

Angel snarled.

"That's what you told me the last time I wanted to quit, Arbal," he growled. "So I didn't quit. And it makes no difference… Thanks to you, I have no friends to get angry at…"

He turned around, and saw another one of the possessed Ascenders.

"That's a bad thing to say, Angel," he replied. "I've been your friend for so long… But what happened? Ever since you lost that duel with Chelsea, you've pushed us away… We could have helped you win your duels… But you pushed us away, and you kept losing."

"Well, you see, Arbal…" muttered Angel, "that was the thing…

"I used to think I was special… I could see spirits…

"But I noticed something after that duel with Chelsea… Chelsea could see spirits too… And after I saw them all hanging around her, cheering for her and giving her support, I did some thinking, and I finally realized something…

"Her spirits were benign creatures, ones with whom she shared a mutual friendship…

"But mine… They were creatures of darkness who were leading me down a path of ruin. You've helped me win a few duels, but you've soured my attitude towards life in general. All the advice you've given me has been bad advice.

"You were only helping me because you wanted something in return. Well, tough. I'm going to be going on my own from now on. You and the other things that have been hanging around me can get lost."

He turned to walk away.

"I'm afraid it's not that easy, Angel," said Arbal, in a much more sinister voice.

Angel froze in fear as a dark aura surrounded him.

"If you don't want to accept my master's help anymore, fine," said the fiend, "but I intend to collect from what I've already given you."

Angel stared at him.

He looked at the Duel Disk on the possessed human's arm.

He activated his own.

"Oh, please!" laughed Arbal, "you don't think you can beat me, can you? With no help from us, that Slash Draw strategy doesn't stand a chance!"

Angel placed his deck in his Disk.

"Oh, very well…" laughed the fiend. "I might as well humor you…"

His own Disk activated.

"And if I beat you, we're through, you hear me?" said Angel. "Kaput!"

"Whatever," said the demon.

The Life Point counters set.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Yumi's friends could take comfort in one thing…

Yumi looked very peaceful in the sleep she was in.

"Come on, Anne," said Ren, "when is she gonna wake up?"

"I'm not sure," said Anastasia, who was kneeling beside Yumi's body. "Both she and her spiritual guide went through a lot, and…"

She paused.

"Look sharp, children," she said. "Evil draws near…"

Sam, Ren, Chelsea, Erik, and Enrique surrounded Yumi in a tight circle. As they did, a door appeared in front of them, with nothing supporting its frame and hinges.

It opened, and a hulking figure stepped out.

They couldn't believe it. It was Louis.

He was still dressed in his expensive, custom-tailored, Italian suit, but there was one major change to his ensemble: He was wearing a Duel Disk on his left arm.

"Well, well," muttered Ren. "The big boss's lapdog has decided to come face us…"

"For the last time," snarled Louis, "I ain't no lapdog! I could leave Rasputin any time I wanted to."

He frowned. He was lying when he said that, but he wanted to keep some semblance of pride.

"So what's with the Disk?" asked Chelsea. "Wouldn't it be more your style just to beat us up in order to get to Yumi?"

"You may think I'm an idiot," said Louis. "So many people have made the mistake that my brain is as weak as my body is strong.

"There are five of you and only one of me. I know from experience that odds like that are bad, even for me. I may be strong, but I know I can't force my way past all of you.

"Especially when Rasputin told me that one of you has a carry permit."

Everyone looked at Enrique. He slowly nodded.

Louis sighed.

"You guys are all the same…" he muttered. "You think I spent my childhood dreaming about being a thug? Well, I didn't! But since I was so strong and my grades weren't so hot, being a thug was what I did in school for most of my time. If some brainiac was being teased and he had money, he paid me to protect him…

"But I was too crude to ever be a real bodyguard like the kind that celebrities got. My guidance counselor told me that the only honest career I might have gotten was to be a soldier…

"And you know what? I tried to do that! I tried to enlist in His Majesty's Army…

"But I was turned down… You know why? Because of an inner ear infection… You wouldn't believe how picky they are…

"When you're a muscle-bound thug with no future, and someone offers you a job as good as the one Rasputin offered me, you take it. You know that you're never going to get a better chance."

He placed a deck of cards into his Disk.

"So who's it gonna be? I'll duel any of you…"

Before Ren or Chelsea could step forward, Sam felt a strange feeling she looked at her deck.

"Stand back, people…" she said.

She stood up to the huge duelist.

"I'll duel you…" she said.

Louis chuckled, looking at her skimpy attire.

"Fine with me…" he said. "Actually, I was kinda hoping it would be you…"

_This is it,_ thought Sam, looking at the deck. _If I win this duel, I'll be restored. If I lose, I'll have no choice but to retire in shame…_

She closed her eyes, and a single tear fell down her cheek.

"Game on!" they both shouted.

**(Sam: 8,000) -------------------- (Louis: 8,000)**

"You think Sam can beat this guy?" asked Chelsea.

"Please…" muttered Ren. "I'll wager my little sister can beat this guy…"

"Hey, I may not duel for a living like you kids," said Louis, making his first draw, "but that don't mean I'm not any good."

"That was a double negative," said Sam. "Just move already…"

Louis looked at the card he had just drawn. It wasn't exactly the right time for it, so he added it to his hand and chose another one.

"I'll have a Monster defend me to start…" he said.

A defensive Monster appeared in front of him.

"Then I'll put two cards flat on the field."

Two facedown cards appeared behind the Monster.

"And that's all for me."

Sam drew a card.

She looked at her hand. She breathed a small sigh of relief. She had four Monsters she could summon right away, and even Bark of Dark Ruler.

The Trap Card was what made her feel even better. Ha Des had given her one of his most potent weapons in her opening hand.

Of course, until his card showed up, she wouldn't truly feel sure of herself.

She took the Trap Card and placed it in her Disk. It appeared facedown.

"Now I summon… Archfiend Soldier!" she shouted.

In a plume of dark smoke, the demonic soldier appeared, hefting his blade. (1,900/1,500)

Archfiend Soldier looked at her, with an expression that was hard to interpret.

"What?" whispered Sam. "If there's something I should know, tell me!"

Archfiend Soldier shook his head.

"Aw… Attack his Monster!" she shouted.

Archfiend Soldier lifted his sword…

"I activate a Trap!" shouted Louis.

A facedown card lifted, it showed a picture of Freed the Matchless General sitting at a table in front of a map.

"It's called A Feint Plan," he said. "Now, you can't attack any of my facedown Monsters."

"Meaning I can't attack at all," muttered Sam. "Swell…"

"It's okay, baby!" shouted Erik. "He can't stall forever!"

"My move…" said Louis. "I draw…"

He drew a card.

"If you're so anxious to see what my Monster is, I'll show it to you…" he said.

The facedown card turned, and then flipped up.

"I reveal… Goblin Calligrapher!"

A small creature leapt out of the card. It was a nasty-looking imp with a horn on its forehead, with a pen tucked behind its ear. (400/400)

"Wow, he said 'calligrapher'," muttered Ren. "That's a pretty big word for someone who probably has to label his socks 'left' and 'right'."

"Okay, that does it!" shouted Louis. "Once I take care of this chick, you're next!

"And as for big words, you want to hear more of them?"

His other facedown card lifted.

"I activate The League of Uniform Nomenclature!"

The Trap Card had a disturbing picture of three grinning Ojama Yellows.

"What does that do?" asked Ren.

Anastasia appeared behind him, looking worried.

"Since that Goblin is only Level One, and is a Normal Monster," she explained, "he now gets to Special Summon two more from his deck. Clearly, he's forming an odd strategy…"

Two more Calligraphers appeared next to the first. (400/400 x2)

Louis took another card from his hand.

"Now…" he said, "I summon Man-Thro' Tro."

He played the card, and a new Monster lumbered onto the field. It was a hulking, fat troll, with flabby, folding flesh, and no hair. (1,000/1,000)

"Oh, no…" muttered Ren.

_This_ he had seen before…

Louis pointed at Sam.

"Get her," he said.

The troll grabbed the three Calligraphers, and hurled them, one at time, striking Sam in the head, then chest, and then mid-section. She groaned and then toppled over.

"Ooh…" she muttered, lying on the floor.

The ogre chuckled.

"That was nothing," said Louis. "My deck has much more waiting in it… I'm just getting warmed up…"

**(S: 5,600) -------------------- (L: 8,000)**

Sam slowly got up.

"I really hope you enjoyed that…" she muttered. "It's my move now…"

She drew a card.

"Opticlops, come on out…" she said.

In an aura of dark energy, the cyclopsed Fiend appeared, growling with anger. (1,800/1,700)

"Destroy his Man-Thro' Tro!" shouted Sam.

Steam blew from Opticlops's nostrils, and it charged at the troll. A look of shock appeared on the Beast-Warrior's face before the Fiend rammed into it, blowing it to gibbets.

"Archfiend Soldier, attack that ape directly!"

Archfiend Soldier lunged at Louis, and slashed at him with his sword.

Louis grinned.

"Heh, heh…" he chuckled. "Didn't feel a thing, Sam… When you do what I do for living, it takes a lot more than that to make you react."

**(S: 5,600) -------------------- (L: 5,300)**

"Just move, okay?" asked Sam.

_He's gonna need more preparation than he can do in one turn to set up another assault with another Man-Thro' Tro,_ she thought. _And if he tries to attack, I've still got Bark of Dark Ruler…_

Louis drew a card.

"I summon Goblin Attack Force," he said.

He played a card, and in a burst of energy, a gang of five goblins, wearing armor and carrying clubs appeared. (2,300/0)

"I'm beginning to get the idea," said Enrique. "His whole deck is full of Goblins."

"Oh, don't worry about those guys," said Chelsea. "If they attack, they'll have to move to Defense Mode, and Sam will take them out without breaking a sweat."

Louis placed a card in his Disk and a facedown card appeared.

"I end my turn," he said.

_He didn't attack?_ thought Sam. _Hmm… Smarter than I thought…_

She drew a card.

"I move Archfiend Soldier and Opticlops to Defense Mode…" she said.

The two Fiends knelt and shielded themselves…

"Forget it," said Louis, as his facedown card lifted. "I activate Final Attack Orders."

Opticlops and Archfiend Soldier stood back up into Attack Mode.

"This guy is better than I gave him credit for!" shouted Ren. "Not only can't Sam's two Monsters defend, but now he did away with Goblin Attack Force's weakness!"

Sam growled, and placed two cards on her Disk. A facedown Monster and a second facedown card appeared.

"Your move…" she muttered.

Louis drew a card and looked at it.

He added the card to his hand and then chose another one.

"Now I summon… Giant Orc."

He played the card, and in a burst of energy, the huge, lumbering ogre holding a bone club towered over the field. (2,200/0)

"That Monster suits you, Louis," said Sam with a scowl.

"You ain't the first one to say that," he replied. "Not by a long shot…

"Goblin Attack Force… Run down Archfiend Soldier with goblin rush!"

The lead goblin shouted a war cry, and the small regiment charged at Archfiend Soldier…

"Go, Bark of Dark Ruler!" shouted Sam.

Her facedown card lifted. Dark Ruler Ha Des appeared in an explosion of black smoke, and his eyes burned with evil light.

"I'm giving up 2,300 Life Points to use this card," she said. "Giving your Attack Force no more force than an infant."

Goblin Attack Force's Attack Score fell to nothing. Archfiend Soldier swung his sword, and the goblins toppled over like tenpins before shattering to bits.

Sam looked at the Dark Ruler beside her. He looked back with an odd expression.

_That…_ thought Sam. _Is that… Is that a smile? Has he decided yet?_

Ha Des slowly vanished.

_Impossible to tell…_ thought Sam. _He might be helping me… Or he might be toying with me so my loss will be even worse…_

"I'm not done!" shouted Louis. "Giant Orc, you attack! Bone basher!"

Giant Orc lumbered towards the Archfiend…

"Forget about my other facedown card?" asked Sam. "Activate… Shrink!"

The Quickplay Spell lifted, and Giant Orc shrank to half its size, and an Attack Score of 1,100. Archfiend Soldier swung its sword, and the ogre was blown to bits.

"Grrr…" growled Louis. "I activate Monster Reborn."

He played a card, and the ankh appeared. Giant Orc rose onto the field again. (2,200/0)

"And that's all…" he said with a chuckle.

**(S: 3,300) -------------------- (L: 2,600)**

Sam nervously drew a card.

She sighed. She placed a card on her Disk, and a second facedown Monster appeared.

She nodded.

Louis drew another card.

"I summon Goblin Elite Attack Force," he said.

He played the card, and three more goblins appeared. These ones were carrying long swords, and their armor was far better made than their Warrior counterparts. (2,200/1,500)

"You folks still think I'm a moron?" yelled Louis.

"Uhm, I don't recall ever using the word 'moron'," muttered Ren.

"Giant Orc, smash her facedown Monster on the left!" he shouted.

Giant Orc swung with his club, and Morphing Jar was smashed into pebbles.

"You know what that means, I trust," said Sam.

Louis frowned. They both discarded the remains of their hands, and drew five cards apiece.

"Elite Attack Force," he shouted, "destroy her other facedown Monster!"

One of the Goblins swung with his sword, and Skull Knight #2 was blown to pieces.

"What the heck?" said Chelsea. "Why didn't he attack Opticlops or Archfiend Soldier? He didn't do any damage to Sam this round at all…"

Anastasia looked worried.

"Given what we've seen of his deck," she said, "I think I know why…"

"I play a facedown, and end my turn," said Louis, as a facedown card appeared on his side of the field. "Your move, toots."

"Louis," said Erik, "you'd better hope that your muscles came with some decent fighting skills. Because the last guy who called her 'toots' in front of me was wearing sunglasses for a week to hide two black eyes."

"I'd like to see you try it!" dared Louis.

"People!" shouted Sam. "Need I remind you we're in the middle of a duel?"

She drew a card.

_Heh, heh,_ she thought, looking at it. _This guy thinks his Monsters are so tough… But he's in for a surprise…_

_Because I've got a Giant Orc of my own…_

"I summon someone new to the field!" she shouted. "Meet MY Giant Orc!"

In a burst of energy, another of the huge ogres appeared. (2,200/0)

Sam's Orc and Louis's Orc looked at each other. They exchanged dirty looks.

"Heh…" chuckled Enrique. "Those two don't seem to like each other too much, eh?"

"Well, well…" said Louis. "So we both have the same Monster… We'll soon see which one chose to be on the winning side… Any other moves you wanna make?"

"Yes…" said Sam. "I play Mystik Wok…"

She played a Spell Card.

"Now I can sacrifice Archfiend Soldier, and gain Life Points equal to his Attack Score."

Archfiend Soldier vanished into grains of light.

"And I end my turn now."

**(S: 5,200) -------------------- (L: 2,600)**

"Then I draw…" said Louis.

He looked at the card, and then added it to his hand.

"I summon my best Monster!" he shouted. "Arise, Goblin King!"

An explosion of energy appeared on the field…

The creature that appeared didn't look too formidable. It was a little goblin, about three feet high, wearing royal robes that were two sizes too big for it, and a small crown on its bald head. (0/0)

"Que?" said Enrique. "His best Monster has zero Attack Points?"

"Not for long…" said Ren, sweating. "That little guy may look puny, but it gains 1,000 Attack and Defense Points for every Fiend-Type Monster on the field, including the ones on Sam's side of the field."

"That's why he spared her two Fiends in Attack Mode…" muttered Chelsea.

Goblin King roared, and then grew, until it was even bigger than Giant Orc. (4,000/4,000)

"And that ain't all," said Louis. "You aren't allowed to attack my King until you get rid of the other Fiends on my side of the field.

"Of course, there is a little problem… If I attack your Monsters, my King would get weaker…

"Unless I Equip him with this… The Spell Card, Opti-Camouflage Armor."

He played a card, and Goblin King's robes became silver and reflective.

"What does that do?" asked Ren.

"It can only be Equipped to Level One Monsters," said Anastasia. "It lets them attack directly…"

"SAM!" screamed Erik.

"Goblin King…" ordered Louis, "flatten her!"

Goblin King hissed, and lunged at Sam.

"Go, Kuriboh!" shouted Sam, throwing a card into her discard slot.

A wall of the little, furry Fiends appeared, and exploded as Goblin King leapt into them. The monarch roared and was thrown backwards.

Louis snapped his fingers.

"Darn…" he muttered. "Well, I can always play this…"

He played a Spell Card.

"It's called Goblin Thief. This takes 500 Life Points away from you."

Sam groaned as a black aura surrounded her.

"And whaddaya know?" continued Louis, as a golden aura surrounded him. "They go right to me.

"I'm done with my turn. It's your move."

**(S: 4,700) -------------------- (L: 3,100)**

Sam's hand trembled as she drew a card.

She looked at it.

"I set a Monster in Defense Mode," she said, stuttering, "and then place this facedown."

A facedown Monster and a facedown card appeared.

She sighed.

"It's your move…" she said.

"Oh, I hope that facedown card can block an attack…" said Erik nervously.

Sam shook nervously. She knew that it couldn't. But it might still help a little…

"All right!" shouted Louis. "I draw…"

He drew a card.

"Then I attack! Goblin King, attack directly!"

Goblin King flew at Sam again.

Sam truly screamed and fell on her back as the blow landed. She truly felt like the mighty fist smashed her flat from the impact.

Through great effort, she managed to sit up…

"Giant Orc, attack her Opticlops!" shouted Louis.

Giant Orc smashed Opticlops over the head with his club. The smaller ogre shattered into pixels.

Sam shouted out, her ribs aching as she did.

"Activate Option Hunter!" she moaned, as her facedown card lifted. "Now, for every Attack Point Opticlops had, I gain one Life Point."

Goblin King fell to an Attack of 3,000.

"Big deal," said Louis. "Elite Attack Force, destroy her facedown Monster."

The Goblins rushed with their swords, and Gil Garth appeared before it was slashed to ribbons.

**(S: 2,200) -------------------- (L: 3,100)**

"Now I'll activate the card that will seal your fate…" he said, as his facedown card lifted. "Minor Goblin Official.

"And with that… I end my turn…"

"People, this just got even worse…" said Ren. "Minor Goblin Official is a very nasty Trap Card. It will inflict 500 points of damage to Sam every time she starts her turn."

"As if a Monster with 3,000 Attack Points who can attack directly wasn't bad enough," said Chelsea. "I'm afraid Sam won't be winning this…"

"People, don't give up hope!" shouted Erik. "The magic is still in place! The Shadows are still hanging in the air.

"What will happen if Sam loses? She might become Rasputin's slave again. I don't want her to go back to working for whoever forced her to wear that outfit…"

Sam, meanwhile, was in tears. She tried to stand, but her legs were numb. It looked like she would have to finish this duel sitting down.

She cried even more. She couldn't even finish her last duel with dignity…

One more direct attack from Goblin King would finish her…

She looked at the top of her deck.

If he was going to see it in his heart to forgive, he would have to decide NOW.

She drew a card.

She closed her eyes and winced as a burning sensation stung her skin from the Minor Goblin Official.

She looked at the card.

She couldn't believe it. It was Dark Ruler Ha Des.

But had he come to save her… Or to finish her off?

She looked at the other two cards in her hand, one of which was Pot of Avarice.

She took the Spell Card.

_It all comes down to this…_ she thought.

She played the card, and the goofy pink jug appeared in front of her.

Archfiend Soldier, Opticlops, Skull Knight #2, Kuriboh, and Gil Garth all slipped out of her discard slot. She slowly shuffled, and then drew two cards.

Her eyes lit up as she saw what they were.

"Hey everybody…" she said. "Question… What's the best way to deal with an overgrown windbag?"

Louis glared at her.

"Uh… Blow it away?" asked Ren.

"Exactly," answered Sam. "I play Heavy Storm."

"Aw, crap…" muttered Louis, as she played the card.

A fierce wind blew through the gear housing, and Louis's Final Attack Orders, Minor Goblin Official, and Opti-Camouflage Armor were blown to bits.

"Now…" said Sam, "I sacrifice my Orc, to summon Dark Ruler Ha Des!"

Giant Orc vanished into a dark shadow…

A black bonfire appeared on the field, and the Dark Ruler stepped out, with a stern look on his face. (2,450/1,600)

He paused and looked at Sam.

Then he offered her his hand.

Sam hesitated. Then she took it. The Fiend Lord helped her to her feet.

Then he turned to face Louis.

"Attack Goblin Elite Attack Force!" shouted Sam. "Stygian blast!"

The Dark Ruler growled, and blasted his bolt of black flame. The three Goblins screamed and were consumed in dark fire.

Their scorched armor and swords fell to the ground with a clatter before disappearing.

"I place one card facedown, and end my turn," said Sam.

A facedown card appeared, as Goblin King's Attack Score fell to 2,000.

**(S: 1,700) -------------------- (L: 2,850)**

Louis nervously drew a card.

"I'm not through yet, Sam!" he shouted.

"First, I'll summon another Giant Orc…"

He played the card, and a second of the huge ogres appeared. (2,200/0)

"Next…" he said. "I'll send the Blindly Loyal Goblin in my hand to the Graveyard in order to Special Summon my Half-Goblin, in Defense Mode."

He discarded one card, and then played another. A small creature appeared on his side of the field in Defense Mode. It looked basically like one of the Goblins from Goblin Attack Force, only with no club. (500/500)

"That's four Fiends on the field, Sam," said Louis, as Goblin King grew to an Attack Score of 4,000, "and that's enough to turn your Dark Ruler to paste!

"Attack her Dark Ruler Ha Des!"

Goblin King leapt at the Dark Ruler…

"Not in this lifetime!" screamed Sam. "I activate Shadow Spell!"

Her facedown card lifted up. Goblin King roared as a mass of chains burst out of the ground, seizing it. Its Attack Score fell to 3,300.

"Ergh…" muttered Louis. "I switch my other Giant Orc to Defense Mode, and end my turn!"

The first Giant Orc knelt and held its club on its lap.

"Draw!" shouted Sam.

She drew a card.

"I play Pot of Greed!" she shouted.

She played the card, and the evil jar appeared again. She quickly drew two cards.

She looked at them, and then threw the card she already had in her hand onto her Disk.

"I summon The Bistro Butcher!" she shouted.

With a cackling laugh, the fiendish chef appeared, holding his cleaver up high. (1,800/1,000)

Goblin King rose to an Attack of 4,300.

"Next…" said Sam, "I play Monster Reborn! Now who should I bring back?

"I know…"

The holy ankh appeared on the field, and in a flash of light, her own Giant Orc returned. (2,200/0)

Goblin King rose to an Attack of 5,300.

"What is she doing?" screamed Erik. "She's only making his Monster stronger."

"Don't worry…" said Anastasia. "If she does what I think she's going to do, it will soon be too weak to be a threat."

"Butcher…" said Sam, "attack the Giant Orc in Defense Mode."

The Bistro Butcher made a savage cut, and the Orc exploded.

"Giant Orc, attack his other Orc!"

Sam's Giant Orc roared. Louis's Orc roared back. The two ogres charged at each other… Two clubs fell…

What followed was almost funny. Each Orc clobbered the other one over the head. Both of them saw stars and slumped to the ground before they both burst into triangles.

"Ha Des, destroy his Half-Goblin!" shouted Sam.

Ha Des fired a blast of flame, reducing the small Fiend to a scorched smear on the ground.

Goblin King fell to an Attack of 1,300.

Sam looked at her opponent.

"I place one card facedown," she said slowly. "And I'll end my turn…"

A facedown card appeared.

She glared at him.

Louis slowly drew a card.

"Uhm…" he said. "I set this in Defense Mode, and that's all I can do…"

A facedown Monster appeared.

Sam smiled, and drew a card.

"Ha Des, show that Goblin who the real king is!" she shouted. "Attack the Goblin King!"

Ha Des fired his dark flame, and Goblin King was no more.

"Bistro Butcher, take out his facedown Monster."

The Butcher slashed at the facedown card. Blindly Loyal Goblin appeared on the card, and shattered to pieces.

"Now I activate… Call of the Haunted!"

Her facedown card flipped up. In a burst of energy, Giant Orc appeared yet again. (2,200/0)

"Giant Orc, attack that meathead directly!"

"Hey, wait a minute…" said Louis.

Giant Orc lumbered over and clobbered Louis with his club. The henchman groaned before falling over.

**(S: 1,700) -------------------- (L: 0)**

The henchman fell flat on his back. He was out cold.

Sam breathed a sigh of relief…

She closed her eyes…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

When Sam opened her eyes, she was somewhere else. It looked like some sort of throne room. One that belonged to someone with a very odd taste in décor.

There were skulls decorating the golden furniture, and skins that had belonged to very frightening looking monsters were draped over some tables. Tapestries depicted Fiends of all types.

Sam looked behind her, and was surprised to see that there were two Opticlops guarding the door in.

She turned towards the front of the room. On a dais, sitting on a throne made of gold, silver, and skulls, was the Dark Ruler, looking down at her. He clutched a goblet containing smoking, green liquid.

"So…" muttered Sam, meekly. "Does this mean I'm forgiven?"

The Dark Ruler sighed. He set the goblet down.

"Consort…" he said (causing Sam to smile broadly), "the society of Fiends is one built on a foundation of betrayal… Where I come from, it is commonplace for one to advance by backstabbing one above him…

"I myself obtained my position by overthrowing the Dark King of the Abyss, when I was his right-hand man."

"Yeah…" said Sam. "The Spell Card, Demotion…"

"In a way," said Ha Des, "I couldn't help but be a little impressed by what you did…

"So yes… Consider this victory my forgiveness, on one condition…

"Should you and your allies make it through the night, then when the closing ceremonies of Duelatopia come, you will accept the terms of the wager you made with Yumi. And you will accept them with a smile. That will be your final punishment."

"Heh," said Sam with another smile. "No problem… So… See you the next time I duel…"

"But…" said Ha Des, angrily, getting up, "should you ever betray me again…"

His voice was so powerful that Sam trembled.

"I won't… honest," she squeaked.

"See that you don't…" said Ha Des, sitting down. "Now go back and warn your friend Chelsea. Rasputin's next henchman is coming for her, and you've dueled enough for one night…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Sam opened her eyes to find that Erik was holding her.

"Thank goodness," he said. "You blacked out… For a minute, we thought you had ended up like Louis…"

"Louis?" said Sam. "Where… where is he?"

She looked over, and saw that Ren, Chelsea, and Enrique were standing over the thug, who was slumped over. His eyes were half-open, but he seemed truly out of it.

Ren snapped his fingers in front of Louis's face a few times.

"He's alive…" said Ren. "But… There's just no-one home…"

"Some new rule has come into effect," said Anastasia, who was looking over them. "The power that the evil Shadows are emitting is now even stronger than before. Losing a duel at this point might mean paying an incredible price."

"Chelsea!" shouted Sam. "I'm… I'm not sure who's coming next, but he's aiming to take you out."

"How do you know?" asked Chelsea.

Sam sighed.

"Someone close told me," she replied.

"Uhm, everyone?" said Enrique. "Cover your ears."

"Huh?" said Chelsea.

They realized what he meant. The great clock was about to strike eleven.

They covered their ears, as the huge bell above them started to toll, the vibrations shaking their insides and nearly knocking them over. The din seemed enough to wake the dead…

But Yumi still slept. It seemed no noise could awaken her.

When the last toll died, everyone looked at Yumi, who had slept silently through the whole duel.

Deep inside Yumi's mind, she and the Pharaoh held each other close. They knew what was happening, and wanted to help, but their energy wasn't restored yet. They also knew that their body was now a sitting duck, and their friends were their only defense.

For now, all they could do was wait, and put their trust in them…

"Enrique," said Chelsea. "Why didn't you mention sooner that you were packing heat?"

"I'm not," replied Enrique.

"Huh?" said Chelsea.

"Rasputin got his facts wrong," said Enrique. "What I have is a hunting permit. I can use a rifle, but that's far from a permit to own, let alone carry a handgun."

He looked at Louis.

"But I figured that if he thought I did, I wasn't going to tell him otherwise."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Meanwhile, Angel was not having an easy time.

The only thing he had on his side of the field was Swords of Revealing Light and a facedown card. It was keeping his opponent's five Monsters at bay: Hitotsu-Me Giant, Enraged Battle Ox, Vorse Raider, Mad Dog of Darkness, and Des Kangaroo. His opponent also had a facedown card.

He only had 2,000 Life Points left, while his opponent had 5,000.

"My move!" shouted Angel.

He drew.

"I play Pot of Greed!" he shouted.

He drew two cards.

His eyes lit up. He had drawn his last Slash Draw and Big Eye! If he could hold out for one more turn, he might stand a chance…

His facedown card lifted.

"I activate The Transmigration Prophesy," he said. "Now I get to take two cards from my Graveyard, and shuffle them back into my deck…"

He took his other two Slash Draw cards from his Graveyard, returned them to his deck, and then reshuffled.

"I place a Monster in Defense Mode, and that's all…" he said.

A facedown Monster appeared.

"Then I draw…" said Arbal.

He drew a card.

"I play… Shield Crush," he said.

Angel screamed as the Spell Card appeared. A blast of energy shot towards his facedown Monster, and it exploded.

"Now to truly humiliate you," said Arbal. "I sacrifice Des Kangaroo and Hitotsu-Me Giant to summon Sengenjin."

With a roar, a huge, hulking creature appeared on the demon's side of the field. It was a giant ogre with blue skin, a single eye, and a shark-like mouth, wearing a spiked harness and carrying a pack full of weapons. (2,750/2,500)

"Now…" continued Arbal, "I play Call of the Haunted to bring back Des Kangaroo."

His facedown card lifted, and the short, scrappy kangaroo with green fur and boxing gloves appeared again. (1,500/1,700)

"My turn is over, as is the effect of your Swords," he said, as the swords of light vanished. "Make your final move…"

Angel drew a card.

_Worthless…_ he thought, looking at it.

He bowed his head.

_Maybe I should just give up…_

Then, from out of nowhere, he heard someone say something…

He had heard the words before. They were the words he had heard Yumi say to Rasputin after she had won the duel in the finals:

"_Let me tell you… In this crazy world, where things don't always make sense, and nothing is ever for certain, a little faith can work wonders."_

He lifted his head. He looked at his foe.

He threw a card into his Disk.

"I play… Slash Draw," he said.

Arbal laughed out loud.

"Look at you!" laughed the demon. "You'd have to be desperate… You're making a blind shot at it… Without any help, it will never work…"

"Quiet…" snarled Angel, as six cards slipped out of his deck. "Since there are six cards on the field, these six cards go to the Graveyard…"

He discarded the cards.

"Now…"

He started to sweat heavily. His hand reached for his Disk.

He drew.

"Heh, heh…" he chuckled, as he looked at the last card. "Guess what, Arbal? Looks like I got the last laugh on you after all!"

He started to glow, as the second Slash Draw appeared.

"That's impossible…" muttered the demon.

The sword appeared on Angel's hip, and he grabbed its hilt.

"Get back to where you came from, you big jerk," he said. "And don't let the door hit you where the dog would have bit you."

He drew the sword, and a blade of energy blasted forward. Arbal and his five Monsters screamed in agony…

Angel slowly sheathed the sword and it vanished. He looked at his fallen foe.

Black smoke poured from the Ascender's orifices, and then fled from his unconscious body.

Angel breathed a sigh of relief.

He reached for his pack of cigarettes.

Then he remembered.

He sighed. This was going to be hard…

He looked towards the lighted areas a few blocks away, and wondered if he could bum a stick of Juicyfruit off of someone there…

_Sam is back in good graces with Ha Des, but Yumi is still recovering. How long can her allies defend her before they also succumb to exhaustion? In the heart of the terrible clock, the heroes can do little but wait as Rasputin plans whatever his final plan is. And a realization comes to them slowly… Perhaps Rasputin is the lesser evil in this whole conspiracy…_

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**HALF-GOBLIN (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fiend/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level:** 3  
**ATK:** 500  
**DEF:** 500

**Card Description:** If you discard one Warrior-Type Monster in your hand to the Graveyard, you may Special Summon this card from your hand.

_Note: "Half-Goblin" was first used by Briar and Beauregard in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "The Duel Giant". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**Ren: Chelsea, look sharp. Olga is coming after Yumi next…**

**Chelsea: Let her try. I'll turn her Valkyries' horsies into glue.**

**Anastasia: Be warned, Chelsea, I fear that's not what Olga has planned for you…**

**There are many ironies in this world… Olga works for Rasputin, a man who has rejected religion in all its forms… Why then, does one of his most trusted henchmen use exalted beings with holy power as her weapons of choice?**

**We may or may not find the answer soon… But this may be Olga's last stand…**

**Coming up next, "Chelsea versus Olga; Battle in the Celestial Realm".**

**Chelsea: My Monsters may be undead creatures of the night, but I like to think that the morals of a Monster are defined by the duelist using them. Are your Monsters truly Fairies Olga? Or are they Angels With Dirty Faces?**


	56. Battle in the Celestial Realm

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**CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR**

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**Chelsea versus Olga**

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**Battle in the Celestial Realm**

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Below the Serpent Complex Pavilion, in his dark laboratory, Dr. Heinrich Janustein sat silently at his desk, thinking hard.

He knew well that the city was being invaded by demons. Fiends from the Abyss had possessed a group of criminals, and they were running amuck.

Twenty years ago, he might have taken his old equipment and gone up to fight them. But his wife's sad fate weighed heavily on his mind… He knew that the chaotic fiends didn't play fair.

Besides, he knew that he wasn't truly needed yet. The demons couldn't assume their true forms yet, not without power from victims. And the young duelists who were opposing them were winning. The demons had attempted to take prisoners using Duel Monsters as a weapon, but so far, their attempts were failing.

He wasn't needed yet… If it came to that, he would face them.

He heard the door swing open down the hall.

He sat up.

Someone was coming.

He glared as the Ascender walked into the lab. Janustein knew in an instant that he was possessed. And this one was possessed by a very powerful demon. Perhaps even a glabrezu. It hardly mattered to Janustein. So long as the glabrezu was in spiritual form and bound to the human's body, its powers were only a fraction of that of its true demonic form.

"If you're looking for trouble, mein friend," muttered Janustein, "I recommend you find it elsewhere. Old as I may seem, I'm more dangerous zan you think."

"I'm well aware of that, Heinrich," said the man, in a sinister voice. "After all, I've dealt with you before."

Janustein stared at him.

"Oh, come on, Heinrich…" said the demon. "Don't tell me you don't recognize my voice."

Janustein replied in a voice that was full of hatred and bile.

"Ja, I recognize it," he growled. "I just needed a minute… Zovarik."

"How long has it been, Heinrich?" asked the demon.

"Tventy years!" shouted Janustein, standing up. "Zat is how long it has been… Zat vas ven Ludmilla and I caught you attempting to drag ze children in ze orphanage in Brussels into ze Abyss…

"You invited Ludmilla to try to stop you, but she knew zat she vas no match for you ze vay you vere at zat point. So she challenged you to a battle of Duel Monsters to save ze children, hoping zat a demon vith your intelligence und position vould have some sense of fair play…

"She beat you soundly… But zen, ve discovered zat the term 'fair play' vas a foreign concept to all demons. You said zat while you would let zem go, you would take compensation… Und you took her instead…"

"It wasn't that I had no sense of fair play," said Zovarik. "I was thinking along the lines of self-preservation. My master would have been furious if I didn't bring back something, and I figured a well-known demon hunter would be sufficient.

"But enough with memories. Where is it, Heinrich?"

Janustein stared at him.

"Vere is vat?" he asked, sitting back down.

"The book, Heinrich!" shouted Zovarik.

Janustein sat down.

"Vat book?" he asked. "I have a lot of books. _Lord of the Flies_? _To Kill a Mockingbird_? _The Sun Also Rises_? If you vant zat one, I'm afraid you'll have to wait until I'm done vith it…"

"You know damn well what book, Janustein!" shouted Zovarik. "I want _The Book of Lies_!"

"Oh, zat…" said Janustein, leaning his head on his hand. "Mmm, yes, I've heard of zat book… A magical tome created by ze ancient sorcerers of Gehenna, vich magically records every untruth spoken by every mortal…"

"YES!" shouted Zovarik. "The last known owner of it was the marilith Taramanda. True, we can't actually prove that you were the one who killed her and took her things, but she was killed by a demon hunter whose methods clearly fit your MO."

Janustein chuckled.

"You think I killed Taramanda?" he said with a laugh. "I killed ze marilith known as ze the Horned Baron's chief general, head enforcer, und according to some, lover?

"I seem to remember some of ze adjectives you used to describe me ven we first met… 'Insignificant', 'puny', 'weak'… You said my value vas 'comparable to dried-up Abyssal slugs'…"

"I was wrong, okay?" shouted Zovarik. "You aren't weak! Happy? And Ludmilla didn't tell us much, even when she was tortured, but she did say that Taramanda had been on your list. I think the only reason she told us was because she knew that Taramanda had such an ego, she'd refuse to believe she was ever in danger, even if someone warned her."

Janustein glared at the demon with a look of hate.

Then he shook his head.

"If I had such a book, und zat is not un admission, I vould be a fool to hand it over to a beast like you… You und your allies in ze Abyss vould use ze information recorded in it to blackmail every mortal in a position of power… Celebrities, politicians, heads of state… Ze demonic forces could… dare I say it…"

"We could rule the world…" said Zovarik. "And you will give it to me, or I'll tear this lab apart until I find it."

Janustein laughed out loud.

"Just try it, you filthy dog!" he laughed. "Ze important things in zis lab are in vaults protected by very powerful wards zat can overcome even your magic! If you feel like being banished to ze Prison, zen by all means, search mein lab…"

Zovarik paused. He concentrated.

Janustein wasn't lying. He could feel several powerful magical auras of Law around him, a type of aura that sickened him…

A look of worry appeared on his face. He did _not_ want to be locked up in Mechanus. That place was a demon's worst nightmare…

"Okay, Heinrich…" he said. "I was hoping we didn't have to do this… But…"

He reached into his pocket.

"How many sleepless nights have you spent, Heinrich, wondering whether your beloved Ludmilla is dead, or whether she suffers in slavery? Or maybe even worse, if she's been converted to our side?

"Well wonder no more… Your wife is alive… and she's right HERE!"

He pulled a card out of his pocket, and thrust it forward.

Janustein stood up with a start.

On the card was the face of a woman that he would recognize in an instant, even though she had aged twenty years since he had last seen her. Her eyes were closed in a painful expression, and chains were surrounding her like some cage.

He got the idea… The card was some sort of magical prison.

"Ludmilla…" he whispered.

The demon chuckled.

"You'd be proud of your wife, Heinrich…" she said. "For twenty years, we tried to convert her… Oh, how we tried… But she preferred to lie on the cold floor of her cell rather than give in.

"And she was a burden on us… She did her best to try to convince the other slaves not to give in… She seemingly had memorized the whole Bible, and enlightened them with its words, promising them the glories of Heaven if they simply accepted death instead of giving in to us. So converting them was so much harder.

"So I'll let you in on something, Heinrich… We're through trying with her. Next week we're treating our slaves to a public execution. Your wife is the guest of honor. It will shatter their will more than any other method to see the one who has defied us so long nailed to a post and left to die in agony."

"You monster…" growled Janustein.

It was a lot for him to take… He had hoped his wife had found peace in death… But now he knew that she had been suffering for the past twenty years…

"You have only one chance to save her…" said the demon, holding up the card. "The book… for her…"

Janustein looked at him. He hated this creature so much… But he hadn't lost his wits. He knew this was a delicate situation.

He knew better than to accept that bargain. Demons were notorious liars… It wasn't that the card was a fake; no it was truly Ludmilla he was holding. He knew her aura as well as he knew his own. But this beast would obviously never hand her over, no matter what he was given.

He got an idea… The only real chance he had to save his wife…

He had to stall…

"Vy don't we sweeten ze pot a little?" he asked.

He picked up his Duel Disk from under the table and slammed it down on the desk.

"I'll duel you… Und I'll wager ze book AND myself for her!"

Zovarik looked at him strangely.

"Think about it, Zovarik…" said Janustein. "How much more impact vould your little event have on your slaves, if instead of ze execution of vun great demon hunter, it vas two?

"Und I admit it, by ze way… I did kill Taramanda… I drove a dagger made from cold-forged iron through her heart. Und nothing made me happier zan to learn zat ze Baron threw himself from ze top of his tower in grief when he learned zat his lover vas dead."

"It's a bet!" laughed Zovarik, placing the card back in his pocket.

His Disk activated.

"After all…" he said. "Your wife was always the better duelist of the two of you…"

"A lot can happen in tventy years," said Janustein.

"Game on!" they shouted.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In the gear housing of Clock Tower Prison, Anastasia knelt over Yumi.

She closed her eyes. She felt so helpless.

She felt a small throbbing in her chest.

Her eyes opened, and she got up.

"Everyone…" she said, motioning to the ones who could see her. "Watch Yumi. My pager just went off."

"Pager?" said Ren.

Anastasia walked to a corner. She touched her chest, and then lifted her hand. She was holding a white crystal.

"Yes, milord?" she whispered.

"_Anastasia,"_ said a voice that only she could hear._ "Trouble is happening in your area. You may be needed for a special task._

"_The island you are on, the former resting place of the Mandate which mortals call Duelatopia… Several fiendish creatures have arrived in the last few hours."_

"Devils?" asked Anastasia. "I thought that Dispater had left."

"_These are not devils, and this has nothing to do with Dispater,"_ said the voice. _"These are clearly demons, and as for what Abyssal Lord they serve, if any, we do not yet know. However, whatever force they are working for seems to be a powerful one."_

"Maybe one of the… Big Three?" asked Anastasia.

"_We are not ruling out any possibilities. Listen closely…_

"_The demons have not yet been able to take material form. At least, we have not seen one that has. We assume that a mortal sorcerer has summoned them. He likely wanted to summon several of them at once, and summoning a group of them is easier to do if they are summoned in spiritual form, rather than material form._

"_Their spiritual forms have possessed several criminals. They have been attempting to take mortals prisoner to gain enough power for… Something. We're not sure what. Possibly, they are trying to gain energy to assume material form._

"_So far, they have not made much progress. However, should one of them assume material form… Well, you know how dangerous that could be._

"_Since you have made the transition from spiritual form to astral form, assuming material form yourself should be easy. Since you are there and five mortals have your trust, I'm giving you authorization to do so if a demon manages to assume it. If that happens, you are to engage it and do your best to destroy it._

"_If things get out of hand, delay them until we can send backup."_

"Milord…" said Anastasia. "It isn't that I can't do that… I can certainly fight… But you know well that a battle on Earth between an angel and a demon could result in terrible casualties among mortals."

"_Sadly, that is true,"_ said the voice. _"But a demon loose on Earth could result in many, many more. _

"_You know what to do. We will pray for any mortals caught in the crossfire."_

"Yes, milord," said Anastasia.

She pressed the crystal against her chest, and it vanished.

_What is going on? _she thought. _First Rasputin is involved with devils, and now demons? Was he foolish enough to sell his soul to both races of fiends?_

She shook her head.

_No, no-one is THAT stupid… Besides, even if he practices infernal alchemy, that isn't magic. It's still a science. A science that fiends discovered, but a science nonetheless. Rasputin hasn't exhibited any skill in actual sorcery…_

_I'm wondering how he managed to contact that harvester devil in the first place without it…_

"Amigos, look up!" shouted Enrique.

Everyone looked up. The door that Louis had walked though had appeared again.

"Anastasia!" shouted Sam. "When whoever comes through that door comes through, can you make the door stay?"

"I'll try as hard as I can…" she replied.

"Try your hardest…" said Sam. "I want to find that ambassador and strangle her…"

The door opened.

Olga walked out, still dressed in her halter and mini, and wearing her Duel Disk.

"So…" said Sam. "It's you… Care for a rematch? I'd love to kick your ass again."

Olga frowned. She slammed the door, and it vanished.

"Darn!" shouted Anastasia. "Sorry, Sam, I tried…"

"I'm not dueling you, Sam," said Olga with a sigh. "Louis may have gotten his kicks from hurting a girl who was barely dressed, but I'm more respectful."

"Don't do me any favors!" shouted Sam.

"We'll deal with you eventually," said Olga. "We simply have to clear the path to Yumi."

She pointed to Chelsea.

"And I think I'll start with you…"

Chelsea stared at her.

"Okay, Olga, fine," she said. "I'm not scared of your Valkyries…"

"I'm not going to use that deck, Chelsea…" said Olga.

She gave a sad look.

"Let me tell you a little secret… I have a feeling that this might be my last night. I'm in a no-win situation.

"If your side wins tonight, I go to jail…

"But if my side wins, well, let's just say I think my fate might be even worse…

"Far worse…"

She looked at Chelsea.

"I still intend to fight to the end… But before my Valkyrie Deck, and before my Cyber Angel Deck, I had another deck, one that my true father helped me build…"

She placed a deck in her Disk.

"I'm a bit rusty using it, but since this is the end, I'll go down using the deck with my father's soul in it."

"Olga…" said Chelsea, slowly. "What are you saying?"

"Do you want me to say it again?" she replied.

There was a long pause.

"We don't have to duel if it only means doom for you…" she said.

Olga shook her head.

"Either duel me," she said, "or step aside and let me get to Yumi."

Chelsea frowned, and placed her deck in her Disk.

"So, you've given up?" she asked. "You know that working for Rasputin will end badly for you, but you'll work for him to the finish… What did he ever do to gain such loyalty from you?"

"It's a secret that I won't share," said Olga. "Trust me, you're better off not knowing…"

The two duelists stared at each other.

"Game on!" they shouted.

**(Chelsea: 8,000) -------------------- (Olga: 8,000)**

"Let's do this!" said Chelsea, making her first draw. "To start out, I'll play… Call of the Mummy."

She fit the card into her Disk, and the Continuous Spell Card appeared.

"Now, I'll use its effect to Special Summon Vampire Lady."

She played the card, and the sultry vampiress appeared. (1,550/1,550)

"Next, I'll Normal Summon Blood Sucker."

She played another card, and the fiendish, horned Zombie appeared. (1,300/1,500)

"And that's all for now…"

Olga chuckled a little.

"What's so funny?" asked Chelsea.

Olga pointed to the huge bell overhead.

"Seems we have a few bats in this belfry!" she laughed.

Everyone groaned.

"Anyway…" she continued.

She drew a card and looked at it.

"See this?" she said. "It's a special Monster called Zeradias, Herald of Heaven. And his effect activates when I discard him…"

She slipped the card into her discard slot.

"By sending Zeradias to the Graveyard, I get to pull a Spell Card from my deck…"

She took a card from her deck. She held it in front of her.

"This one, in fact."

"The Sanctuary in the Sky?" said Chelsea, with a look of surprise.

"The one and only," said Olga, opening the Field Slot of her Disk. "Let's move out of this grim gearbox."

As she played the card, brilliant light permeated the whole chamber, and everyone couldn't see for a second…

When the light came back, everyone was standing on an enormous cloud. Behind Olga loomed a giant, ancient, stone temple with arches, pillars, and a glowing spire – the Sanctuary itself. Overhead was a sky of sapphire blue, and the sweet smell of saffron filled the air.

"Lovely…" muttered Ren. "We saw Sam duel a guy who used this place on television. Zerato is a tough customer."

"That's far from the only way this Field Spell can be used, Ren," said Anastasia. "The Field Spell itself keeps Olga from losing Life Points from any battle involving her Fairies. And there are many, many cards besides Zerato that need this Field to function."

"Moving right along…" said Olga, "I summon Nova Summoner."

She played a card, and a creature appeared in a burst of light. It wasn't humanoid at all; it looked like an orange wreath with green ribbons, and a pair of feathered wings. (1,400/800)

"Attack her Blood Sucker! Nova blast!"

Nova Summoner glowed, and shot a beam of pure light at the Zombie. It was reduced to dust.

"I set a card facedown, and end my turn," said Olga.

A facedown card appeared on the cloudy surface.

**(C: 7,900) -------------------- (O: 8,000)**

Chelsea frowned as she drew a card. She looked at it.

_Aw, Symbol of Heritage?_ she thought. _Just what I didn't need…_

"Vampire Lady, attack her Nova Summoner!"

Vampire Lady flew at the strange Fairy, and with one slash of her claw, it shattered to pieces.

"Thank you!" said Olga, with a grin. "Nova Summoner's effect is triggered when it's destroyed in battle. Now I get to summon a new Monster from my deck…

"Normally, it would have to be a Light Fairy with 1,500 Attack Points or less…

"But since we're in the Sanctuary, I get to summon someone much more powerful…"

A radiant light appeared in front of Olga…

"I call forth Airknight Parshath!"

The creature that appeared was a winged centaur, his human half dressed in blue armor and a bishop's miter that was adorned with feathered wings. He held a glowing sword in his right hand, and a large, decorated shield in his left. (1,900/1,400)

"Whoa…" muttered Sam. "Airknight Parshath is one of the rarest and most sought-after Fairies that are out there…"

Olga grinned.

_Maybe so…_ she thought, _but in my deck, there lurks a gift my father gave me that's even rarer, which most duelists don't even know about… Of all the material things he gave me, none of them has more value…_

_I'll use it in this duel… And maybe the love he showed me will break the spell…_

Chelsea sighed.

"I have to end my turn…" she said.

Olga chuckled as she drew a card.

"I summon The Agent of Creation – Venus," she said.

She played a card, and a new celestial form appeared. It was a woman in a brown robe, with long, chestnut hair, with large, white, feathered wings. Her eyes were closed, and her arms were crossed over her chest. Three glowing orbs, one blue, one red, and one purple, hovered in a triangular pattern in front of her. (1,600/0)

"Venus… wipe out her Vampire Lady with searing orbs."

The Agent of Creation glowed, and her orbs burned with fire. They shot at Vampire Lady, who screamed as she was incinerated.

"Airknight, attack Chels directly with holy blade!"

Parshath flew at Chelsea, and she screamed in pain as he made a slash across her torso with his sword. Chelsea held her chest…

**(C: 5,950) -------------------- (O: 8,000)**

"Now I get to draw one card," said Olga, making a draw.

She added it to her hand.

"This sickens me!" shouted Ren. "A heretic like you has no right to be using these Monsters Olga!"

Olga looked at him with a hurt expression.

"Heretic?" she asked. "Me?"

Ren looked at her.

"I thought…" he said.

Olga closed her eyes and reached into her shirt, and took something out that was hanging around her neck…

She was wearing a gold cross on a chain.

"But…" said Ren.

"Rasputin is my legal guardian…" muttered Olga, "but no-one ever said I had to believe in his views."

Ren was more embarrassed than he had been in years.

"Scuse me…" he said. "I'm going to go throw myself off the Clock Tower…"

"Get back here!" shouted Erik, grabbing him.

"I end my turn," said Olga.

"All right!" shouted Chelsea. "Draw!"

She drew a card.

"That's it…I play Graceful Charity."

She played the card, and the lovely angel appeared, looking more at home than ever in the Sanctuary.

Chelsea drew three cards and looked at them.

She thought for a minute. Then she discarded Vampire Bat and Pumpking.

"Now I summon another Vampire Lady," she said.

She played the card, and Vampire Lady appeared again. (1,550/1,550)

"Sorry, Chelsea, I can't let you," said Olga.

Her facedown card lifted.

"I activate Light of Judgment. Since we're in the Sanctuary, I simply need to toss one of my Light Monsters…"

She discarded an Absorbing Kid From the Sky.

"And your Vampire is destroyed."

A beam of pure light blasted from the Sanctuary's spire. Vampire Lady was atomized before she could even scream.

Chelsea chuckled.

"That's what I figured your facedown card was, Olga," she said. "I'm not dumb…

"And since I never said I was using Call of the Mummy to make that summon, I'm using it now to summon Vampire Lord."

She played the card, and the powerful Vampire appeared in a burst of darkness. (2,000/1,500)

"Sneaky…" muttered Olga.

"Destroy Airknight Parshath!" she shouted. "Children of the night!"

Vampire Lord lifted up his cape, and the swarm of bats shot at Parshath. He groaned before bursting into pixels.

"I may not be able to use his effect," said Chelsea, "but at least your Parshath's gone."

"Poor, poor Chelsea…" said Olga. "You made the mistake everyone makes…"

"What?" asked Chelsea.

"Everyone thinks that Parshath is the greater threat, so they always aim for him first. They never consider that the other Monster on my side of the field might be the more dangerous one.

"Anyway, is that your move?"

Chelsea slowly looked at The Agent of Creation…

"Uhm…" she said. "I place two cards facedown, and then activate Mirage of Nightmare."

Two facedown cards appeared, followed by the Mirage card.

"Now I'm done…"

Olga drew.

The Mirage card glowed. Chelsea drew four cards.

"Now I activate Emergency Provisions," she said.

A facedown card lifted up, and the Spell Card glowed. Mirage of Nightmare and her other facedown card, revealed to be Symbol of Heritage, were consumed by a wave of energy.

"And I activate Venus's effect," said Olga. "I pay 500 Life Points, in order to Special Summon a Mystical Shine Ball."

Venus's eyes opened, and they glowed with golden light. With a soft glow, a sphere of pure, soft light appeared out of the clouds. Venus reached out with her hand, and pet the sphere as if it were a beloved puppy. (500/500)

"Now to get serious!" shouted Olga. "I sacrifice both my Monsters…"

Venus and the Shine Ball vanished, and the wind started to pick up… A storm was brewing in the celestial realm…

Someone powerful was coming…

She emerged from clouds, surrounded by a burning aura of radiant energy. Her beauty was beyond words, with wings of pure silver, and a long, white robe.

Guardian Angel Joan had come. (2,800/2,000)

Chelsea looked at the mighty seraphim, with fear in her eyes…

"Joan…" commanded Olga, "smite Vampire Lord with searing light of Heaven!"

Joan's eyes glowed with pure light, and a blast of divine flames shot at the vampire. He screamed, and was blown to pieces.

"And due to Joan's effect," said Olga, "all of your destroyed Monster's Attack Points are now added to my Life Points…"

**(C: 6,150) -------------------- (O: 9,500)**

"All right, I've had enough!" shouted Ren. "Spill it, Olga!"

"Spill what?" asked Olga.

"The Cyber Angels I could understand…" said Ren. "The Valkyries I could understand… But this Sanctuary Deck I simply do _not_ understand!

"Olga, is there something you want to tell us? If something terrible is waiting for you should Rasputin win the night, why don't you just leave him?"

"He's got a point, Olga," said Sam. "This deck is not what someone would be using unless she was opposing Rasputin. If you give yourself up and agree to help us, my mother could tell the authorities to be easy on you. She has a great deal of power."

Olga shook her head.

"I can't…" she said. "This duel must finish, no matter how anyone feels. Myself included.

"I'd love to tell you why, but I can't. Suffice to say, it's too late.

"So make your move, Chelsea."

Chelsea drew a card.

She frowned. She placed a card on her Disk, and a Monster appeared in Defense Mode.

"Go ahead…" she said.

Olga made a draw.

"I summon Freya, Spirit of Victory," she said.

The Fairy that appeared next was a little surprising. She had silver hair, with a rose in it, and was dressed in a blue blouse. She wore gold bracelets and bangles, and carried two red objects in her hand that looked like pom-poms. (100/100)

"A cheerleader?" said Erik. "What the…"

She did indeed seem to be a cheerleader, because she started to cheer and jump about as a cheerleader would. As she did, Joan's stats rose to (3,200/2,400), while Freya's own stats turned to (500/500).

"Freya's job is to provide morale to the celestial armies," said Olga. "Yes, she's a cheerleader, but she's more powerful than most, because her cheers strengthen all Fairies on the field, giving them 400 more Attack and Defense Points.

"And if you think you can take her out easily because she has weak scores, think again. You can't attack her so long as I have at least one other Fairy on my side of the field.

"Now, back to what I was doing…

"Joan, attack her Monster!"

Joan shot her divine flames at the facedown Monster. Zombie Werewolf appeared, and was burned to a crisp.

"And again, its Attack Points go into my Life Points," said Olga.

"And I get to summon another Werewolf," said Chelsea.

Another Werewolf appeared, crouching in Defense Mode. (1,700/1,200)

"I end my turn," said Olga.

**(C: 6,150) -------------------- (O: 10,700)**

Chelsea drew a card.

She muttered something under her breath, and then fit two cards into her Disk. Two facedown cards appeared behind Zombie Werewolf.

"Go ahead," she said.

Olga drew a card.

"Father…" she whispered, as she looked at it.

She added it to her hand and chose another one.

"I play Awakening From Beyond," she said. "Now, you get to draw two cards. In exchange for that, I get a Monster back from my Graveyard."

Chelsea shrugged. She made two draws, and a card slipped out of Olga's discard slot.

"Think I'll go with my old friend Zeradias," she said. "Now I'll summon him."

She played the card, and a powerful looking figure appeared next to Joan. It was a male angel with emerald-colored wings, a white jacket and blue trousers, wearing a winged helmet and holding a halberd. His eyes glowed with a divine light. (2,100/800) –) (2,500/1,200)

"Oh come on…" said Ren. "A Level Four Monster with an Attack Score that high has to have some sort of catch…"

"Mmm, yeah, he has a catch…" replied Olga, "but I'm not saying what it is just yet.

"Zeradias, attack Zombie Werewolf with righteous blade."

The Herald of Heaven flew at the Werewolf, and slashed at him with his halberd. He shattered into shards.

Chelsea waved her hand, and a third Werewolf appeared. (2,200/1,200)

"Guardian Angel Joan, take out the last one."

Joan's hands glowed…

"Enough!" shouted Chelsea. "Go, Red Ghost Moon!"

Her Trap Card flipped up, and she threw the Curse of Vampire in her hand into the Graveyard. Joan's blast was halted by an eerie mist, as the spooky harvest moon rose over the field.

"Now your attack is deflected," said Chelsea, as she glowed with orange light, "your Battle Phase ends, and I'm the one who gains Life Points."

**(C: 9,350) -------------------- (O: 10,700)**

"So you do," sighed Olga. "In that case, I end my turn."

_Next round,_ she thought, _I can sacrifice Freya and Zeradias for my true star…_

Chelsea whipped a card off her Disk.

"All right…" she said. "Time to turn this duel around…"

She played a Spell Card.

"Go, Mystical Space Typhoon!"

She played the card, and the Cyclone tore across the field. The Sanctuary behind Olga crumbled into a pile of rubble, and then vanished, and the clouds and sky faded away.

Zeradias fell to his knees, and the feathers on his wings molted, falling to the ground. He shattered into pixels.

"Seems like we found the catch," said Erik. "He can't survive without the Field Spell."

"Looks like you're not invincible anymore," said Chelsea. "Now, I activate Call of the Haunted."

A coffin floated onto the field. It opened, and Vampire Lord stepped out. (2,000/1,500)

"Now I'll get rid of him, to summon Vampire Genesis!"

Vampire Lord faded away, and the mighty king of Vampires appeared in an explosion of dark energy. (3,000/2,100)

"Joan is still stronger," said Olga.

"Not for long…" said Olga. "I summon Vampire Bat, to bring some more bats to this belfry."

She played the card, and a swarm of bats flew through the chamber. They formed into one large bat. (800/800)

Vampire Genesis rose to an Attack Score of 3,200, Zombie Werewolf rose to 2,400, while Vampire Bat rose to 1,000.

"Lovely," said Olga. "Now we have a standoff…"

Chelsea played another card, and Premature Burial appeared.

"I summon my second Vampire Bat from the Graveyard!" she shouted.

Another swarm of bats flew from behind Chelsea, forming into a second huge bat. (800/800)

The scores of all the Zombies rose again, Genesis rising to 3,400, Zombie Werewolf to 2,600, and the two Bats to 1,200 each.

"It's not a standoff anymore," said Olga. "I hate to do this, but… Vampire Genesis, attack Guardian Angel Joan!"

Vampire Genesis flew at Joan in crimson shroud form, hitting her dead center. Joan gasped, and then vanished into sparkles of light.

"Zombie Werewolf, attack her Spirit of Victory!"

Freya gulped, and then covered her head as Zombie Werewolf lunged at her. With one slash of a claw, she was gone.

"This might sting a little..." said Chelsea.

Olga gulped…

She screamed louder than ever as two swarms of bats assaulted her. She fell to her knees.

**(C: 8,550) -------------------- (O: 5,800)**

"And that ends my turn…" said Chelsea.

Olga looked at her opponent and growled.

She got up. She drew a card.

She played the card, and the Pot of Greed appeared on the field. She drew two cards.

She took another card from her hand and showed it to Chelsea.

"Aw, naw!" shouted Chelsea.

Olga played the card, and the bright light engulfed the room. After a few seconds, The Sanctuary in the Sky had reappeared, as good as new.

"I never thought I'd dislike Heaven so much…" muttered Chelsea.

She turned to Anastasia.

"Kidding…" she quickly said. "I'm sure it's a great place…"

"Can we continue?" asked Olga. "First thing's first… I'm going to summon Airknight Parshath again."

"Huh?" asked Chelsea. "You're going to use Monster Reborn to bring him back when you could bring back Joan?"

"No," said Olga. "I can't bring him back from the Graveyard. But I just drew my second one."

Everyone stared at Olga.

"No… way…" said Chelsea. "Your deck has two copies?"

Olga shook her head.

"Three," she said.

"THREE?" screamed Sam. "Oh, this isn't fair! Just because you work for someone as rich as Rasputin doesn't mean you have the right to have three copies of a card that most duelists can't get even one of!"

"First of all, there's no rule that says I don't have the right," replied Olga, quietly. "Secondly, I already told you, Rasputin had nothing at all to do with this deck.

"So anyway, I play the Spell Card, Celestial Transformation. This lets me Special Summon a Fairy from my hand, so long as I cut his Attack Score in half."

She played the card, and Airknight Parshath appeared again. (1,900/1,400) –) (950/1,400)

"What's the point?" asked Chelsea. "Now he isn't even strong enough to destroy one of my bats…"

Olga chuckled.

"According to legend," she said, "when the cherub that would one day be called Airknight Parshath first appeared in the Higher Plane, he was taken under the wing – literally and figuratively – of a powerful celestial lord. This mighty seraphim became his mentor, teaching him the ways of divine warfare and powerful sanctified magic.

"Eventually, the student was given the title of Airknight, and the teacher retreated to the most remote reaches of the Higher Plane, to be alone to study philosophy and the secrets of the universe.

"But it is said that he will return, should his old student require help…

"It's a card my father gave to me, and I can Special Summon the mentor by sacrificing the student. I sacrifice Airknight Parshath…"

The Airknight vanished in a sparkling mote of energy.

"…to summon Neo-Parshath the Sky Paladin!"

Lightning flashed…

A very large form flew out of the clouds. He resembled Airknight at first glance, although twice the size, with far more majestic armor. His much bigger wings were attached to his body via a harness of shining brass, and like his student, he was armed with a glowing sword and shield. His eyes were orbs of shining gold. (2,300/2,000)

"I dunno…" said Chelsea. "I was kinda expecting a little more than 2,300 Attack Points…"

"There's plenty more," said Olga. "Neo-Parshath has both the abilities of his student, plus another one.

"And you'll see it in a minute. I also summon Mudora."

In another burst of light, another figure appeared. This one looked like a muscular human male with earthen-brown skin, wearing an Egyptian-style mask and headdress and carrying a scimitar. (1,500/1,800)

"There's a legend behind this individual too," said Olga. "Originally, he wasn't a Fairy at all, but a mortal warrior who perished defending a powerful Lord of the Higher Plane from a Fiend. Shinato had pity on him, and restored him to life, making him a divine avenger.

"And it shows, because for each Fairy that's in my Graveyard now, he gains power… 200 more Attack Points apiece, to be precise, and there are nine of them there…"

Mudora glowed with energy, and his Attack Points shot up to 3,300.

"Mudora, strike down one of her Bats!" shouted Olga.

Mudora slashed with his Blade, and the Vampire Bat scattered into its component bats and vanished.

All three of Chelsea's other Zombies lost 200 Attack Points.

**(C: 6,450) -------------------- (O: 5,800)**

"Now, my Sky Paladin attacks your other Bat…" said Olga. "Divine blade!"

Neo-Parshath made a mighty swipe with his sword, and the second Bat scattered and disappeared.

**(C: 5,150) -------------------- (O: 5,800)**

"Now," said Olga, "due to his effect, I get to draw one card…"

She made a draw.

Then Neo-Parshath's Attack Score started to rise. It went up to 2,950.

"HUH?" shouted Chelsea. "How did he get more points?"

"You notice his most powerful ability, I see," said Olga. "When we're in the Sanctuary, and my Life Points are higher than yours, his Attack Score is increased by the difference in our scores.

"I'll place two cards facedown, and end my turn," said Olga.

Two facedown cards appeared.

Chelsea drew a card.

_I've got to take him out before his Attack Score gets any higher,_ thought Olga.

"Vampire Genesis, attack her Neo Parshath!" she shouted.

Genesis's eyes glowed.

"Heh…" chuckled Olga. "You said 'attack… too late to take it back…"

One of her facedown cards lifted.

"I activate Aegis of Gaia. Now my Life Points go up by 3,000."

Chelsea nearly dropped the last card in her hand as Olga's Life Points shot up, and Neo-Parshath rose to an Attack Score of 5,950.

"WHAT? shouted Chelsea.

"Too late to call off your Genesis's attack…" said Olga.

Vampire Genesis burst into his crimson shroud and flew at Neo-Parshath…

"Go, Mystik Wok!" yelled Chelsea, playing the card she had just drawn.

Vampire Genesis vanished into grains of light before he reached the Sky Paladin. Olga frowned.

"Clever…" said Olga. "The old 'sacrifice dodge'."

"And I got 3,000 Life Points out of it too," said Chelsea. "Which means your Neo-Parshath loses that many points."

Neo-Parshath fell back to a score of 2,950

"He'll get them back soon enough," said Olga.

Chelsea sighed.

She looked at Zombie Werewolf.

_If that guy has all of Airknight's powers,_ she thought, _moving Werewolf to Defense Mode will only make things worse._

"I end my turn…" she said.

**(C: 8,150) -------------------- (O: 8,800)**

"She can just trigger a Trap Card and gain 3,000 Life Points?" said Erik. "No fair!"

"Aegis of Gaia has a major downside," said Anastasia. "As you can see, it's a Continuous Trap. If Olga loses it, she takes 3,000 points of damage. It's always a risk, but useful with many combos… As you just saw."

Olga drew a card.

_Hmm…_ she thought. _Don't really need this guy yet…_

"Mudora, destroy her Werewolf!"

Mudora slashed at the wolfman. He howled, and shattered into bits.

Neo-Parshath grew to an Attack Score of 4,150.

"Neo-Parshath, attack Chelsea directly!"

The Sky Paladin flew Chelsea his blade. Chelsea screamed as the huge sword cut across her torso.

She gasped for breath. She had to hold herself to make sure she was still in one piece.

Neo Parshath grew to an Attack Score of 8,300.

"Eight-thousand, three-hundred?" shouted Sam. "That's crazy!"

"Your move…" said Olga.

**(C: 2,900) -------------------- (O: 8,800)**

"Well…" said Ren, shaking his head. "Chelsea is in a predicament… Her side has been wiped out, and the only thing she has on the field is Call of the Mummy… This may be it…"

Chelsea drew a card.

"I play… Pot of Greed!" she shouted.

She played the card, and drew two cards.

"Call of the Mummy is all I need…" she said, looking at them.

She showed Olga the one of the cards she had drawn.

It was Penelope.

"So, Olga…" she said. "This gal has helped me out in this tournament so many times… It would be a shame if I didn't bring her out for one more go…

"I use Call of the Mummy to summon Penelope, Lady of the Night!"

The clouds parted, and a light started to shine on her side of the field.

"Sorry, Chels, but I was well prepared for her," said Olga.

Her last facedown card lifted.

"Black Horn of Heaven!"

A low tone, like a brass horn, sounded over the whole field.

"This Trap negates your Special Summoning, and sends Penelope to the Graveyard."

The glowing aura shattered.

"It's over, Chelsea," said Olga.

Chelsea grinned.

"Oh, I couldn't agree more…" she replied.

She flipped the other card in her hand around.

"Book of Life?" shouted Olga.

"Uh huh," said Chelsea. "Go figure, huh?"

She played the card, and Guardian Angel Joan fell out of Olga's discard slot. Mudora fell to an Attack of 3,100.

Penelope flew out, her eyes burning with light, and her staff glowing with golden fire. (1,000/200)

"There are eleven Zombies in my Graveyard right now," she said, as Penelope rose to an attack of 5,500. "And then there's her second effect…"

"Oh no!" screamed Olga.

Penelope raised her staff, and chanted. The Sanctuary and the Aegis of Gaia card were both smashed to pieces.

"Since you lost your Aegis," continued Chelsea, "you take 3,000 points of damage."

Olga screamed in pain as white hot flames erupted over her skin. She fell to her knees.

"And…" said Chelsea, "without your Field Spell, Neo-Parshath returns to his base Attack Score."

A look of incredible anger appeared on Neo-Parshath's face as he fell back to an Attack Score of 2,300.

"Penelope…" shouted Chelsea, "I know this might go against everything you believe in, but we really have no choice. Attack the Sky Paladin!"

Penelope leapt up, twirling her staff. She shot a beam of brilliant light at the Sky Paladin, and he exploded into a burst of pixels.

A tear slowly fell down Olga's face.

"Father…" she muttered sadly.

**(C: 2,900) -------------------- (O: 2,600)**

"It's your move, Olga," said Chelsea.

Olga slowly got up. She drew a card.

She frowned. She placed a card on her Disk, and a Monster appeared in Defense Mode. Then Mudora knelt in Defense Mode and held his sword in his lap.

"That's all," she said.

_Better be careful,_ thought Chelsea. _The only Fairy I can think of with a Flip-Effect is Skelengel… But I should play it safe for now…_

She drew a card.

_Polymerization?_ she thought. _Of all the worthless…_

"Penelope, take out Mudora!" she shouted.

Penelope cast her Spell, and Mudora shattered into shards.

"That's all I can do," she said.

Olga drew a card.

"I play Pot of Avarice," she said.

She played the card, and took both Airknights, Venus, Freya, and Nova Summoner from her Graveyard, and shuffled them into her deck.

She drew twice.

She smirked.

"Chelsea…" she said. "Believe it or not, I was prepared for Penelope in more ways than one…

"If Yumi were awake, she'd recognize the Spell Card I'm about to play…

"I play Special Hurricane!"

She played the card, and then discarded a Cestus of Dagla from her hand. A storm blew through the gear housing, and Penelope struggled against it. After a few seconds, she shattered into bits.

"No…" gasped Ren. "She beat Penelope again!"

"Next," said Olga, "I flip my facedown Monster to Attack Mode. Meet Radiant Jeral."

The card flipped, and a very weird Monster appeared. It looked more like a robot than a Fairy, squat, bulky, and saucer-shaped, with no limbs, made of a glowing, almost translucent substance. It had something on its top that might have passed for a head, with three orbs that suggested eyes. It suggested, basically, a cross between an angel and R2D2. (1,000/2,000)

"Attack Chelsea directly!" ordered Olga.

Radiant Jeral's eyes glowed, and a blast of energy fired from them, striking Chelsea in the stomach.

**(C: 1,900) -------------------- (O: 2,600)**

Olga chuckled.

"So, Chelsea…" she said. "I guess from this point on, it's a matter of luck. We both don't have much… No cards on the field except a weak Monster on my side, and nothing good in our hands, or you would have used one last turn… So it all depends on who's luck is better.

"Will it be you, or will it be me?"

Chelsea drew a card.

She showed it to Olga.

Olga sighed.

"It's you…" she muttered.

Chelsea played the card, and the holy ankh of Monster Reborn appeared. Penelope appeared on the field once again. (1,000/200) –) (5,500/200)

"Penelope…" shouted Chelsea, "attack Radiant Jeral!"

Penelope cast her spell, and Olga shielded herself as the mighty blast hit her Monster. Olga fell to her knees.

**(C: 1,900) -------------------- (O: 0)**

Olga bowed her head. She slowly got up.

"Okay, Olga," said Chelsea. "Let's have some serious answers."

"Can't give them," said Olga, looking towards the wall behind her. "You might learn soon, but not from me…"

She started to walk towards the clock face on the wall.

"Olga?" said Chelsea. "What are you doing?"

Olga didn't answer.

She unlatched the maintenance door on the clock face that opened to the outside…

"NO!" screamed Chelsea. "Olga, don't do it! Olga, it isn't that bad!"

"What?" shouted Ren.

"Guys, she's committing suicide!" screamed Chelsea. "She's going to jump off the ledge! Grab her!"

They all ran to the clock face, as Olga darted out the door. Enrique was the first to get there.

He stopped.

"She's… she's gone…" he said.

He looked down.

"Que?" he said. "I… I don't see her body down there…"

Everyone looked out the door. They looked down, and then to each side.

"Where'd she go?" asked Erik.

"You got me…" said Sam. "She couldn't have just flown away…"

She paused.

"Could she have?"

Chelsea turned away from the door, holding her head with worry.

"People, this is turning more complex by the minute…" she said.

She sighed.

"But stay alert… If the cycle continues like this, Nicholas is coming out next, and he probably changed his deck too…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Things were not looking very good for Janustein at the moment…

He had nothing on his side of the field right now, and he was down to 2,000 Life Points.

Zovarik had his full total of 8,000 Life Points, a facedown card, plus two Blindly Loyal Goblins. (1,800/1,500 x2)

Still, Janustein didn't feel any worry or fear as he drew a card. He only felt anger towards the creature that was in front of him.

"I play… Card of Sanctity!" he shouted, playing the card. "Now, ve must both draw until ve both hold six cards."

Zovarik growled as he made four draws.

"Fine, fine," growled the demon. "You're only helping me…"

"Am I?" asked Janustein. "According to mein count, your deck is now down to seventeen cards."

"That's more than I need to finish you, Heinrich!" shouted the demon.

"Ve vill see," said Janustein. "I throw four cards facedown, und summon Kozaky."

He played five cards. Four facedown cards appeared in flashes of light, and then a fiendish creature wearing a lab coat, shirt, tie, and spectacles appeared in front of them. (400/400)

"Kozaky?" said Zovarik with a chuckle. "You couldn't do any better than that?"

"Ze move is yours," said Janustein. "If you think you have ze advantage, make it."

Zovarik drew a seventh card.

"I'll move…" he said. "And you will lose… I play Zera Ritual! So I sacrifice my two Goblins…"

An evil-looking throne shaped like a demon appeared, with a sinister man wearing armor and a horned helmet sitting on it. The eyes of the throne glowed, and shot laser beams at the two Blindly Loyal Goblins, vaporizing them.

The man stepped off the throne, and was shrouded in a burning shadow. He started to change…

"I summon Zera the Mant!"

The transformation was complete. Standing in front of Zovarik was a hideous demon with a bony exoskeleton, huge claws, and a face resembling a cross between a skull and a crocodile. It wore a long, purple cape with a high collar. (2,800/2,300)

"I'm not really sure what this guy's title means," said the demon, "but he'll do… Zera, crush his Kozaky! Jagged claw attack!"

Zera the Mant lunged at the much smaller fiend.

"You trigged my Trap!" shouted Janustein. "Go, Negate Attack!"

His facedown card lifted up.

"I expected as much, Janustein!" laughed the demon. "But guess what? You failed… You failed your wife, and you failed yourself!

"I activate… Dark Bribe!"

His own Trap Card lifted.

"Now you get to draw one card, but you'll never use it, because your barrier is destroyed!"

"Fool…" said Janustein, with an angry look in his eye. "Didn't you think I knew you still had three copies of zat in your deck? Just like last time…"

Another of his facedown cards lifted.

"I activate Counter Counter!"

"Huh?" said Zovarik. "Counter Counter? What the Hell is that?"

"It's a Trap zat negates Counter Traps," said Janustein, "vith no cost to me at all. I'll gladly take your bribe…"

He drew a card.

"But you von't get anything in return…"

The Dark Bribe card exploded into shards.

"So mein Negate Attack still holds…"

Zera's claw slammed against an invisible shield.

"Bah!" shouted Zovarik. "Make your move…"

"Gladly," said Janustein, drawing a card.

Another of his facedown cards lifted up.

"I activate, Secrets of the Gallant," he said. "Now, I choose vun Normal Monster on mein side of ze field, und Kozaky qualifies. Und if zat Monster inflicts battle damage to you zis turn, you lose two cards from your hand."

"And just how will that runt cost me any Life Points when I have Zera on the field?" asked Zovarik.

"Vith this Equip Spell," said Janustein. "Ze incredible… Buster Rancher!"

Kozaky lifted his hands, and Zovarik stepped back in surprise as a huge weapon appeared in his hands. It was a laser gun three times as big as Kozaky.

"Buster Rancher can only be Equipped to Monsters zat have 1,000 Attack Points or less," continued Janustein. "But, ven ze Equipped Monster battles a Monster in Attack Mode vith 2,500 Attack Points or more, or a Monster in Defense Mode vith 2,500 Defense Points or more, ze Equipped Monster gains 2,500 Attack Points!"

The huge weapon glowed, and Kozaky's Attack Score shot up to 2,900.

"Attack Zera ze Mant!" shouted Janustein. "Buster blast!"

Kozaky pulled the trigger, and fired a thunderous shot. The fiendish researcher was knocked on his rump by the backlash, but Zera the Mant exploded into minute shards.

Zovarik frowned as his Life Points fell slightly, to 7,900. Then he growled, as two cards in his hand vanished, leaving him with three left.

"It's my move, Heinrich!" he shouted.

He drew a card.

He grinned.

"I play a facedown, and then play Fulfillment of the Contract."

A facedown card appeared, and his Life Points fell to 7,100 as Zera the Mant appeared again.

"My turn is over.

"Zen it's my move…" said Janustein.

He drew a card.

"And my Trap Card activates!" shouted Zovarik. "Dust Tornado!"

His facedown card flipped up, and the Tornado tore across the field. The Buster Rancher flew from Kozaky's hands and exploded.

Janustein looked at him.

He looked at his three cards.

"Good play…" he said. "Unfortunately, you aren't going to get a next turn…"

"I play ze Spell Card, Contingency Fee. Now, you must draw until you have six cards in your hand.

"Und in exchange for zis generosity on my part, I gain 1,000 Life Points for each card you draw. How's zat for a bribe?"

Zovarik growled as he drew four more cards and Janustein's Life Points went up to 6,000.

"Vant more?" asked Janustein, playing another Spell Card. "I play… Card Destruction!"

Zovarik gasped.

He discarded his six cards, and drew six more cards. Janustein discarded his one card and drew one more.

"Now to finish you off…" said Janustein. "I activate mein last facedown card…"

His Quickplay Spell lifted.

"Serial Spell! Now, for the cost of every card in my hand, zis card copies the effect of ze last Spell Card I played, vich vas Card Destruction!"

He discarded his last card.

"But…" said Zovarik. "That means…"

"Zat's right…" said Janustein. "You have to discard your hand und draw six more cards. Und I'm afraid zat's exactly vun more zan you have left…"

The demon cursed in a foul language. He drew five cards, and when he tried to draw a sixth, there was none to draw.

Zera the Mant howled in pain, and collapsed with a crash before vanishing. Then Zovarik fell to his knees.

"Curse you, Heinrich…" he said, angrily. "I can't get the book from you now… But you'll never see your wife again…"

Janustein smiled.

He took something out of his shirt pocket.

It was the card that was holding Ludmilla prisoner.

"HOW?" screamed the demon.

"An incantation I learned from a magic user in Prague who called himself King of ze Pickpockets," said Janustein. "Since thieves need to be silent while doing zeir craft, it's a spell vith no words, only subtle hand gestures. I knew you vould never release her, so I had to stall in order to cast it… So I challenged you to a duel, knowing you vere too greedy to refuse.

"Und now, you vill have to explain to your master vy ze public execution zat you planned in order to intimidate your slaves must be called off…

"I vouldn't be surprised if ze executioner's next victim… is you…

"Begone…"

Zovarik screamed. He tried to lunge at Janustein, but the human body he had possessed collapsed, and he was forced to flee in the same shadowy form.

The card in Janustein's hand glowed with purple energy… With the demon gone and only the magical wards of Law and Good in the lab present, the evil spell cast by the demon was quickly being eroded. He watched as the chains on the card crumbled into dust…

Then, in a burst of energy, the image on the card vanished, and a human form collapsed on the floor at Janustein's feet…

It was Ludmilla. She was dressed in rags and covered with filth, but Janustein could never forget her face. Tears welled in his eyes.

"H-Heinrich?" she gasped.

Janustein bent down and hugged his wife gently.

"Ludmilla…" he said. "Try not to talk… I'll get you to the infirmary quickly…"

"Heinrich…" sobbed Ludmilla. "You shouldn't have wagered that book! If you had lost… The things those monsters could have done with it…"

"Ludmilla, please, try not to talk," said Heinrich, holding her close.

He sighed.

"I was bluffing in order to save you… _The Book of Lies_… I destroyed zat awful thing years ago.

"I feared I'd be too tempted to use ze information in it myself… And I knew how dangerous it would be if someone like him ever came looking for it…"

_Two important events have happened in the same instant. A great demon hunter has been rescued from imprisonment. But on the end of the younger generation, a far more strange bit of information has surfaced. What secret does Olga hold, and how can they use it, if at all? The horrible night continues, as the Queen of Games still sleeps soundly…_

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**CONTINGENCY FEE (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** A masked assassin drawing a knife from a sheath.

**Card Description:** Your opponent draws cards from his deck until his hand consists of six cards. For each card that was drawn, increase your Life Points by 1,000.

_Note: "Contingency Fee" was first used by Mad Dog in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "No Pain, No Game". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**AWAKENING FROM BEYOND (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** A ghostly face superimposed over a group of coffins.

**Card Description:** Your opponent draws two cards. Select one Monster Card from your Graveyard and add it to your hand.

_Note: "Awakening From Beyond" was first used by the Pharaoh in the original anime episode "The Final Duel (Part Three)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**Chelsea: Be careful people… Nicholas is coming next… Who knows what he's planned…**

**Ren: They won't wear us all down… I'll handle him… We have to guard Yumi until she wakes up…**

**Anastasia: Stand strong people… As midnight approaches, the evil surrounding the island grows stronger… The time for Rasputin's final strike grows closer…**

**We must prepare our final stand. Yumi's strength is almost restored.**

**Coming up next, "Ren versus Nicholas; Turnabout."**

**Take him down Ren, and Rasputin and his strange ally will have no choice but to face us…**


	57. Turnabout

_A disclaimer, just to be safe._

_In the following chapter, the antagonist quotes a line that was made by a very respected celebrity. It may seem wrong of him to use the words of such a person, and that is true._

_Keep in mind, I have nothing but respect for the man that he quotes from. The fact that the antagonist in this chapter uses one of his quotes is not meant as any attack towards him or his ideals at all. This would not be the first time a villain quotes from someone with far greater morals than he. The reason I used the quote was, it was the best one that fit._

_On to the chapter._

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**CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX**

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**Ren versus Nicholas**

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**Turnabout**

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The cloud cover over Duelatopia was thick now, but it had lessened a bit. The number of possessed Ascenders had shrunk down considerably. A few of the less powerful demons were starting to abandon their hosts, thinking they would make an excuse when they got home. Among demons, loyalty was never a very big trait.

A few powerful ones and a few egotistical ones had remained behind.

Right now, in the Entertainment District, one of them was in trouble, and he knew it. He had erected an energy barrier of sorts to keep his opponent – who happened to be Tucker – from getting away. However, he didn't know what he was going to do once the duel ended, whether he was victorious or not. No less than ten Centurions had weapons pointed at him from outside the barrier, ready to fire as soon as they detected the slightest weakening in it.

However, his pride was so great, that he would not surrender. He was determined to win this duel, even if it meant dying once he did.

As far as the situation went, he had a Cocoon of Evolution on his side of the field in Defense Mode (0/2,000) that had been on the field for four rounds, and it was Equipped with Mist Body. He also had two facedown cards (Tucker was almost certain that one of them was Judgment of Anubis). Tucker had three Ancient Gear Soldiers (1,300/1,300 x3) and one Ancient Gear Beast (2,000/2,000) all in Defense Mode. Tucker had 3,000 Life Points remaining, while his opponent had 3,500.

"You're going down, mecha-man," said the Ascender, drawing a card. "It's time for my Moth to hatch."

"Hold on!" shouted Tucker. "It's only been five rounds! I still have one more round!"

One of the Ascender's facedown cards lifted up.

"I activate Pyro Clock of Destiny!" he shouted.

A large, stone clock with hands made of fire appeared in the air above him.

"This moves the turn count one round forward," said the Ascender. "So my Cocoon counts as being on the field for six turns."

The Cocoon of Evolution tore open, and a gargantuan creature burst out of it. It was a gigantic moth with a thirty-foot wingspan. (3,500/3,000)

"Meet my Perfectly Ultimate Great Moth," he said. "And now it's going to turn your Beast into scrap."

The huge Moth flapped its wings, causing a virtual hurricane. Ancient Gear Beast exploded into slag.

"I place a card facedown, and end my turn."

Tucker drew a card.

"I play… Graceful Charity," he said.

_C'mon, gimme something…_ he thought.

He drew three cards.

_Lovely…_ he thought, looking at them. _NOW I draw Offerings to the Doomed. But that card he just set is clearly My Body as a Shield…_

He looked at his other cards.

_Hey… Dare I try it?_

_Well, I'm not getting any younger…_

He discarded two of his cards.

"You might as well throw in the towel," said the Ascender. "Not even the Ancient Gear Golem could beat my Moth."

"Not the _normal_ Ancient Gear Golem, no…" said Tucker, slowly.

"Huh?" asked the Ascender.

Tucker played a Spell Card.

"I play… Magic-Gear!" he shouted. "This lets me sacrifice all my Ancient Gear Monsters on the field. So, I'll sacrifice my three Soldiers…"

The three Ancient Gear Soldiers vanished.

"In return for that, I get to Special Summon three _different_ Ancient Gear Monsters, one from my deck, two from my hand. And I can even disregard the summoning requirements."

A veritable earthquake struck the field, and the Centurions watching leapt up in surprise, as three twenty-foot-tall titans burst out of the ground on Tucker's side and loomed over the field. (3,000/3,000 x3)

The Ascender stepped back in shock.

"Th-th… _three_ Ancient Gear Golems?" he said with a stutter.

Then he smirked.

"Well, unless you can make one of them stronger…" he said, nervously.

"I'm not going to make _them_ stronger…" said Tucker with a sinister smirk. "I'm going to use them to _build_ something stronger…

"I play Polymerization!"

He played the card, and all three Golems shattered into pieces of broken metal…

Then the pieces started to piece together…

"By combining my three Golems together, I can create the most lethal medieval Machine that was ever built…"

A dark form started to rise…

"The Ancient Gear Ultimate Golem!"

The creature that was now looming over the field was fully twice the size of Ancient Gear Golem. It was like a mechanical centaur, with four legs supporting a humanoid torso, giant, clawed arms, and gears, pistons, and spikes all over its armor. (4,400/3,400)

The Ascender turned white…

Tucker grinned.

"You know…" he said, "in the days when the Ancient Gears were used as siege engines, this one didn't see much use… The reason is painfully obvious… The mere sight of it was enough to send a whole army fleeing for their lives!

"Swat his Moth! _Mega_-mechanized melee!"

Ancient Gear Ultimate Golem's mighty claw fell down, smashing Perfectly Ultimate Great Moth to pieces, causing the ground to shake. The Ascender shielded himself as his Life Points fell to 2,600.

"I'm not done with you yet!" shouted Tucker, taking the last card in his hand. "Next, I play… Offerings to the Doomed!"

"Say what?" asked the Ascender. "But… I have no Monsters left…"

"I know…" said Tucker, with a grin. "The Monster I'm going to destroy… Is my Ancient Gear Ultimate Golem."

He played the card, and the colossus shattered into shards.

The Ascender laughed out loud.

"That was the dumbest, stupidest, most idiotic…" he laughed.

Then he stopped laughing…

The regular Ancient Gear Golem was now on Tucker's side of the field. (3,000/3,000)

"My Ultimate Golem has a powerful effect," said Tucker. "When it's destroyed, I get to summon a normal Golem from my Graveyard.

"And since Offerings to the Doomed is a Quickplay, my Battle Phase continues…"

Ancient Gear Golem lifted its fist, and slugged the Ascender hard. He was thrown against the wall of the barrier as his Life Points fell to zero.

The barrier vanished as the black cloud fled from the Ascender's body. The Centurions wasted no time rushing in.

"You okay?" said one of them to Tucker.

"I think so…" he said.

"I know it's none of my business," said the Centurion, "but where in the world did you get a card that rare?"

Tucker sighed and took the Ancient Gear Ultimate Golem out of his discard slot.

_Rasputin,_ he thought, _you were a snake… Controlling my mind, using me as a common assassin…_

_But… You gave me the cards to make my deck much stronger…_

_So I'll consider us even._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Rasputin watched nervously, as a tall form in the same room as him watched three scenes unfolding.

In one, they saw Olga vanish after losing.

In another, they saw Zovarik defeated and gotten the better of by Janustein.

In the third, they saw the scene where Tucker triumphantly won using his lethal Golem combination.

"Olga has deserted us," said the figure, in a powerful voice.

"And just how is that _my_ fault?" growled Rasputin. "Who could blame her? Maybe she thought her body would be snatched if she stayed around. I didn't give you permission to have your friends steal the Ascenders' bodies."

"Don't worry," said the figure. "They're strong, they'll recover…"

"After having nightmares for months…" replied Rasputin.

"Whatever," said the figure. "We needed a distraction. Perhaps you would have liked the Centurions to have tracked down Yumi and found her before she'd have gotten to where she is now. Or even worse, to have found you.

"Even worse, Rasputin, without them on the streets, the celestial forces would turn their attention here. They already know that demons are invading Duelatopia, but when they decide to act, they'll send forces to the streets, and leave us alone. Believe me, Rasputin, you haven't known fear until you've faced the holy swords of the Wind Dukes of Aaqa! If you want them pounding on the door of this keep, I'll gladly release the Ascenders and tell all my allies to go home."

Rasputin glared at her.

"Well, you've been a big help," he said, angrily. "I don't know why he wanted me to work with you if all you're going to do is stand around…"

He stopped short as the figure glared at him.

"Soon," said the figure. "You see, Rasputin, most predators have three aspects to the hunt… Stalk, chase, and kill.

"My people add another… Stalk, chase, terrify, and kill. The prey has been stalked… We've chased, and we've caught. But not enough terror has been inflicted for a satisfying kill.

"Whether Nicholas succeeds in this matter or not, soon I will be able do more than just 'stand around'. I don't know why, but for some reason, that clock seems to be an epicenter of power on Duelatopia. Just a little while longer, and not even the Centurions with their miraculous technology will be a threat.

"Then I might go and handle them myself… All we truly need at this point is Yumi. Then we can dispose of the others, leave before the higher powers show up, and sink this island to the bottom of the ocean for all I care.

"Until then… Let's simply watch."

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The clock faces read eleven-thirty.

Chelsea knelt over Yumi.

"Poor Yumi…" she muttered. "Why won't you wake up?"

Yumi muttered something in her sleep, and her hand moved.

"Guys… guys!" shouted Chelsea. "She's moving!"

"Well, it's something…" said Ren. "Let's hope it isn't just a reflex…"

Anastasia looked at the clock with worry.

"Something wrong, Anne?" asked Sam.

"The evil seems to grow with each passing minute…" she said. "I might as well tell you…

"Demons are invading this island… Whatever their plans are, I don't know. Clearly, Rasputin might have gotten in over his head.

"It isn't a full-scale invasion like it was with Saurius, but a more subtle one.

"It's almost as if…"

She paused.

It came to her…

_The activity on the streets is just a diversion…_ she thought. _The real danger is somewhere else._

She closed her eyes and concentrated.

Vaguely, she saw an image. A temple made of glass, hovering in the night sky over the ocean…

But she had no idea what it was.

"I've got a question for everyone," said Enrique, who didn't even know about Anastasia.

He pointed to Louis, who was slumped against the wall, unconscious.

"How come he collapsed after losing, but Olga managed to run off?"

Everyone thought for a minute.

"Anne?" asked Ren.

"I don't know…" she replied. "Clearly, something is amiss in this whole situation…"

The strange door appeared again.

"Everyone, look sharp!" shouted Ren.

They all got up to face the door as it opened.

As they expected, Nicholas walked out. He had a look of fury on his face as he slammed the door behind him.

"Where's my sister?" he demanded. "Where is Olga?"

"We don't know," said Ren. "And if you're looking for trouble, buddy, you've found it."

Nicholas chuckled. He lifted his Disk.

"So, you want to defend Yumi," he said. "Very well… But I won't be as easy on you as Olga was with Chelsea. We'll soon see how well your soft flesh stands up to hard metal!"

"Soft?" said Ren, activating his own Disk. "I work out every day… And that was really smart, advertising your strategy, Mr. Machine Duelist.

"And if you think I'm scared of any Machine Deck, think again. I took down three Satellite Cannons, after all."

"Really?" said Nicholas, shuffling his deck. "I doubt you've seen any Machines like the type I have… This deck I'm using has cards that… Well, technically, I shouldn't be using them. They're cards from a style of dueling practiced only by a privileged few…"

He placed it in his Disk.

"But… I can handle them… It wouldn't be the first time tonight that the taboos were broken."

"Think you can take me?" asked Ren. "Just try it!"

The Disks activated.

Nicholas heard a voice in his head.

_You know what to do, Nicholas,_ said the voice. _Just keep them occupied for a while… I just need some time while I gain my full power. I'll spare you should you lose, and you'll get what you've wanted for so long…_

Nicholas nodded.

"Game on!" he shouted.

**(Ren: 8,000) -------------------- (Nicholas: 8,000)**

Some sounds started coming from Yumi. She started moaning and crying.

"Yumi?" said Chelsea, who was still kneeling over her.

"We just have to hold them off for a little while longer," said Ren, drawing his opening hand.

"Easier said than done," said Nicholas, drawing his first card.

"To start, I'll place a card facedown on the field."

He fit a card into his Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

He stared at Ren.

"I end my turn…"

Ren gave him a strange look.

"What?" said Nicholas. "Something wrong?"

"No Monsters?" asked Ren, drawing a card. "This should be interesting…"

He looked at the card.

"I activate… Graceful Charity."

He played the card, and the beautiful angel appeared.

But something was up this time. An expression was on her face that no-one could make out. It looked like a cross between worry and fear.

Ren slowly drew three cards. He looked over his hand.

He finally discarded Chthonian Soldier and Familiar Knight.

"All right…" he said. "I summon Dark Blade to the field…"

In a burst of shadow, the armored, Dark Warrior appeared. (1,800/1,500)

"Next, I'll play this…"

He fit a card into his Disk, and a familiar Continuous Spell appeared.

"Frontline Base?" asked Nicholas. "That Spell doesn't scare me."

"We'll see about that," replied Ren. "I'm using it to Special Summon Pitch-Dark Dragon."

He played another card, and the smallish, Dark Dragon appeared. (900/600)

"Like I said…" said Nicholas, taking a card from his hand, "it doesn't scare me!"

He threw a card on his Disk.

"I summon Cyber Dinosaur in Attack Mode!"

There was an explosion of energy, and a huge robot T-Rex, made of silvery metal with sharp claws and fangs rose up on his side of the field. (2,500/1,900)

"WHAT?" shouted Ren. "How could you summon that thing during my turn?"

"It's Cyber Dinosaur's special ability," said Nicholas. "When you Special Summon a Monster from your hand, I get to Special Summon this one from mine."

Ren paused.

"Well, that makes things harder…" he said. "Harder, but not impossible. I Equip Dark Blade with Fusion Sword Murasame Blade…"

He played the card, and Dark Blade's swords vanished, replaced by a long, sharp katana. (2,600/1,500)

"Now I'll combine him and Pitch-Dark Dragon!"

The Dragon bent down, and Dark Blade climbed on his back. (3,000/1,900)

"Dark Blade… Attack!"

Dark Blade flew into the air on his mount, and with one swipe of his sword, Cyber Dinosaur exploded in a blinding flash. Nicholas shielded himself from the burning debris.

**(R: 8,000) -------------------- (N: 7,500)**

"Score one for our side…" said Sam.

"Clever…" muttered Nicholas. "But it's my draw now…"

He drew a card.

"I set another card facedown, and end my turn."

A second facedown card appeared next to the first.

Ren looked at him strangely again.

"Okay, so you're doing nothing but hiding behind Trap Cards," he said, drawing a card. "Well then… It's your funeral!

"I summon Getsu Fuhma!"

He played the card, and in another burst of darkness, the lovely female ronin appeared. (1,700/1,200)

"Actually, Ren," said Nicholas, "I do have a Monster on the field… It's just a special one…"

One of his facedown cards lifted, and a shadowy, ghostly form crept out of it.

"A Trap Monster?" said Chelsea.

"A very special Trap Monster called Cyber Shadow Gardna," said Nicholas. "It's a shadow Monster that will appear during your turns until you destroy it. And as far as its Attack Points go, it always has exactly the same Attack Points as whatever Monster that's attacking it. Simply put, it can't be defeated!"

"Oh, is that so?" asked Ren. "Well, I'll fix you, smarty pants… I already thought up a way to beat it.

"Dark Blade… Separate from Pitch-Dark Dragon!"

Dark Blade leapt off of his steed, and fell to an Attack of 2,600.

"If your shadow Monster copies the Attack Score of the Monster that's attacking it, I simply have to attack it with my weakest Monster.

"Pitch-Dark Dragon…"

The ghostly shadow changed shape, turning into a duplicate of Pitch-Dark Dragon. (900/600)

"…attack the Cyber Shadow Gardna!"

Two blasts of dark flames shot at each other. There was an explosion, and both Monsters were incinerated.

"Not bad…" said Nicholas. "That was pretty clever… But I have another Trap…"

His other facedown card lifted. It was a frightening picture of a woman fleeing into an alley, away from a monstrous beast.

"It's called Byroad Sacrifice. Since my Monster was destroyed, I get to summon a Cyber Ogre from my hand."

"Huh?" asked Ren. "What the heck is a Cyber Ogre?"

In an explosion of energy, a huge, hulking creature appeared on Nicholas's side of the field. It suggested a robotic demon… Or a demonic robot. Whatever it was, it was ten feet tall, metal, and ugly. (1,900/1,200)

"THIS is a Cyber Ogre," said Nicholas.

"Ugh!" gasped Ren, looking at the metal Monster. "Hey, wait a minute… It only has 1,900 Attack Points… Dark Blade can take it apart…

"Dark Blade… destroy that ugly thing!"

The Warrior leapt at the huge Machine…

"I activate Cyber Ogre's effect!" shouted Nicholas. "Which I can do by sending a second Cyber Ogre in my hand to the Graveyard."

He quickly discarded a card. A glowing dome of force surrounded Cyber Ogre, and Dark Blade's sword bounced off of it.

"It not only negates the attack of your Monster, but it increases the Attack Score of my Ogre by 2,000 points until the next time it battles."

Cyber Ogre glowed with a fiery aura, and then rose to an Attack Score of 3,900.

Ren frowned and looked at Nicholas.

"All right…" he growled. "I end my turn…"

"Then I draw one card…" said Nicholas, making a draw.

"And I got just what I needed… First, I activate Premature Burial. I'll bring back the second Cyber Ogre that I just discarded…"

He played the card, and another Cyber Ogre rose out of the ground. (1,900/1,200)

"Now…" he said. "I could wipe out both your Monsters with two attacks… But I've got a much better idea…"

"They say that two is greater than one… But with Cyber Ogres, combining two of them gives you something where the whole is definitely greater than the sum of its parts."

He played another Spell Card.

"I play… Polymerization. Now I'll fuse my two Cyber Ogres together."

A dark vortex opened, and both of the Machines were swept up, and sucked through it.

"What the devil is he summoning?" said Enrique.

"Looks like we'll find out…" said Erik.

The portal opened wider, and a huge, metal claw came out. The rest of the creature started to crawl out…

The Machine that emerged would have stood thirty feet tall if it stood upright. However, it had a metallic, snaky trunk in place of legs, and held itself up on its bulky, clawed hands. Its head was faceless and expressionless, and it was covered with sharp edges. The whole thing radiated one aura – strength. (2,600/1,900)

"Meet Cyber Ogre 2," said Nicholas. "Not a very original name, I'll admit, but then, this guy is anything but subtle.

"So what are you gonna do now?"

"I can deal with it," said Ren. "I've dealt with worse… And hate to break it to you, but that is NOT greater than the sum of its parts. If that were the case, its Attack Score would be over 3,800. As it is, its Attack Score is exactly the same as Dark Blade's."

"Only when it's not attacking," said Nicholas. "When it attacks, its effect activates, and it gains Attack Points equal to half the target's Attack Score."

"Cyber Ogre 2… Flatten his Dark Blade."

The enormous Machine lifted its giant claw, and its Attack Score started to go up, rising until it stopped at 3,900. Its claw crashed down, crushing Dark Blade as both Ren and Getsu Fuhma cringed from the impact.

**(R: 6,700) -------------------- (N: 6,700)**

"Get the picture?" asked Nicholas, taking the last card in his hand. "In battle, this thing can defeat practically anything.

"I'll set another Monster in Defense Mode, and that will be my turn."

A facedown Monster appeared next to Cyber Ogre 2.

Yumi started to moan louder and writhed in her sleep.

"Yumi?" said Chelsea. "Can you hear me? If you can hear me, say something…"

"Let's hope she wakes up soon," said Erik. "Ren needs all the support he can get at this point."

"Ren is facing a formidable Monster, yes," said Anastasia. "It can likely beat any Monster it attacks. Its weakness is, it can be destroyed in battle more easily when it's _being_ attacked, when its effect doesn't activate. But Ren would somehow have to summon a Monster with at least 2,600 Attack Points."

"Darn…" said Chelsea. "Even his Queen would only manage a draw… I wonder if he still has Litmus Doom?"

Ren drew a card. He looked at it.

_Well, it's worth a shot…_ he thought.

"I remove Chthonian Soldier from play," he said, "to summon La Sombra!"

A card slipped out of his discard slot, and the sexy, masked, female buccaneer with a whip materialized on his side of the field. (1,800/1,000)

"Okay, Nick," said Ren. "Now you have to draw one card…"

"I know how it works…" muttered Nicholas.

"All right!" shouted Chelsea. "If he draws a Spell, La Sombra can reduce that thing to a pile of scrap!"

Nicholas drew a card.

"All right," he said, showing it to Ren. "It's the Trap Card, Astral Barrier."

Ren sighed.

"Not exactly what I hoped for…" he replied. "But at least that means she gets to attack you directly…

"La Sombra… Go!"

La Sombra leapt into the air, and slashed downward with her whip, lashing across Nicholas's torso. He grunted and staggered backwards.

"I'll move Getsu Fuhma to Defense Mode, and then end my turn."

Getsu sheathed her sword, and then knelt in Defense.

**(R: 6,700) -------------------- (N: 4,900)**

_I wonder why the heck he even has Astral Barrier?_ he thought. _It doesn't exactly fit in with the theme I'm seeing so far…_

"My draw…" said Nicholas.

He drew a card.

"I activate Pot of Greed," he said, playing the card.

He made two draws.

"Perfect," he said. "Next, I play Mystik Wok. I'll sacrifice my Ogre to boost my Life Points."

He played the card, and Cyber Ogre 2 vanished into grains of light.

"But don't think you or your whip maiden are safe. Because I'm playing Monster Reborn to bring him right back."

The glowing ankh appeared, and Cyber Ogre 2 appeared on the field again.

He took the Astral Barrier card, and placed it in his Disk. A facedown card appeared.

"Cyber Ogre… Attack La Sombra!"

Cyber Ogre 2 lifted its claw, and its Attack Score rose to 3,500. It crashed down, squashing La Sombra flat. Ren cringed.

**(R: 5,000) -------------------- (N: 7,500)**

"Your move…" said Nicholas.

Ren quickly drew a card.

_That's it,_ he said, looking at the Spell Card.

"I sacrifice Getsu Fuhma, to summon Penumbral Soldier Lady!" he shouted.

Getsu vanished, and the stronger shadow Warrior appeared, holding her sword menacingly at the huge machine. (2,100/1,400)

"Now I play… Rush Recklessly!"

He played the card, and Penumbral Soldier Lady's Attack Score rose to 2,800.

"GO! Destroy his Cyber Ogre 2!"

Penumbral Soldier Lady leapt into the air, and sliced downward, cleaving the huge Machine down the middle. Sparks flew, and the giant metal beast exploded into a burst of slag.

"Heh, heh…" chuckled Ren. "So much for that… I end my turn…"

**(R: 5,000) -------------------- (N: 7,300)**

Nicholas growled as he drew a card.

But then his face lit up as he saw what it was.

"Well, Ren…" he said. "You destroyed my Fusion Monster…

"But I can summon another one… And I think he may look familiar to you…

"The card I just drew is incredibly powerful and incredibly rare… There are only eight known copies, and until a few months ago, all eight were in the hands of the upper echelons of the Cyber Style of dueling…

"But Rasputin was able to procure a copy for me, seeing as the retired duelist who had it was careless about where he kept it. It works well when facing certain duelists. I was planning to use this against Yumi too, by the way… Call it retribution for the way she beat me in the finals."

He played the card. It was a Spell Card with a grim picture of a glowing portal above a junkyard.

"It's called Scrap Fusion. Now, I name one Fusion Monster that's in your Fusion Deck, like Dark Blade the Dragon Knight. Since the two Fusion Material Monsters for it are in your Graveyard, they are now removed from play."

Ren growled as Dark Blade and Pitch-Dark Dragon fell out of his discard slot.

"And then we get to the fun part," continued Nicholas. "I get to summon the Fusion Monster… From YOUR Fusion Deck!"

In a burst of energy, Dark Blade the Dragon Knight materialized on Nicholas's side of the field, holding his twin swords high. (2,200/1,500)

"You gotta be kidding…" said Ren.

"Do I look like I'm kidding?" asked Nicholas. "Dark Blade… attack Penumbral Soldier Lady."

Dark Blade swooped at the female Warrior. She looked at him with an expression that seemed to ask, "Why?"

Then his blades hit her, and she burst into pixels.

**(R: 4,900) -------------------- (N: 7,300)**

"You're gonna pay for that, Nicholas!" shouted Ren.

"It's my move…"

He drew a card.

"And since you have me outnumbered two Monsters to none, I can now summon The Fiend Megacyber!"

In an explosion of energy, the armored, cybernetic Warrior appeared. (2,200/1,200)

"I'm not done…" he continued, taking the last card in his hand. "I'll also summon Mataza the Zapper."

He played the card, and Mataza somersaulted onto the field, and drew his katana. (1,300/800)

"You think I'm scared?" said Nicholas. "Dark Blade has exactly the same Attack Score as your Megacyber."

"That's the idea," said Ren. "Fiend Megacyber, attack Dark Blade the Dragon Knight!"

"Huh?" said Nicholas.

The Megacyber looked at Dark Blade for a second. Then he shrugged, and charged at the mounted Warrior. Dark Blade charged at him in return…

Dark Blade's sword and The Fiend Megacyber's fist struck each other, and an explosion ripped through the field, eradicating both Monsters. Everyone watching cringed from the impact.

"Good grief!" shouted Erik. "He actually did it!"

Yumi started to moan even louder.

"I'm not done!" shouted Ren. "I'm going after your little mystery Monster next!

"Mataza, go!"

Mataza the Zapper charged at the facedown Monster with his katana drawn. The Morphing Jar appeared on the card, and the shadowy, one-eyed thing screamed and darted out before Mataza slashed it to ribbons.

"Thank you," said Nicholas, discarding the card in his hand. "You're too kind."

"Yeah, well, that helped both of us," said Ren, as they both drew five cards.

"And I'm not done! Mataza gets two attacks. So attack him directly!"

"Uh oh…" said Nicholas, as the ronin charged at him with his blade.

He shouted as the katana slashed across his chest.

Nicholas held his chest in pain as Ren looked over the five cards he had drawn.

"I'm ending my turn, Nicholas," said Ren. "I can't wait to see what comes next…"

**(R: 4,900) -------------------- (N: 6,000)**

Nicholas drew a sixth card.

"What next?" he asked. "I'll show you…

"First, I'll place a second card facedown. Then I'll summon Nanobreaker."

A facedown card appeared. Then the coldly beautiful, female android holding her glowing sword appeared. (1,600/1,800)

"I could attack Mataza with her, but attacking you would be more effective.

"I'm going to wipe out your ronin by playing Soul Taker."

He played a Spell Card, and a blast of energy shot at Mataza. He was blown to shards.

"You dirty…" muttered Ren.

"Read the fine print, Ren," said Nicholas. "Soul Taker has a cost… Your Life Points go up by 1,000 now."

Ren glowed with golden energy.

"But…" said Nicholas, "you aren't keeping them… Nanobreaker, attack him directly!"

Nanobreaker leapt at Ren, and slashed at him hard with her blade. Ren grunted and took a step backwards.

**(R: 4,300) -------------------- (N: 6,000)**

"Still my turn," said Nicholas. "I play… Dark Designator."

"What?" asked Ren, catching his breath. "What are you up to?"

"You know how it works," said Nicholas. "I name any Monster I can think of, and if it's in your deck, you add it to your hand.

"And I name Crescent Moon Queen…"

Ren nervously looked though his deck until he found the card. He knew Nicholas wasn't letting him have it because he was being generous…

"Next…" said Nicholas, with an evil grin, "I play… Exchange!"

"You son of a…" shouted Ren.

"No…" said Chelsea, sadly.

"You heard me," said Nicholas, walking up to Ren's position. "In case you haven't caught on yet, kindly hand over the Queen."

Ren grit his teeth as he gave him the card.

"Thank you," said Nicholas. "Now I'm sure you'll find this quite an… uneven trade, but those are the breaks…"

There was only one card left in Nicholas's hand. It was Gift of the Martyr.

Ren angrily snatched it.

Nicholas chuckled.

"Well…" he said. "I've got your best card, and all it cost me was my Gift of the Martyr. Good luck finding a way to use it."

"You're nothing but a thief, Nicholas," said Ren, as he walked back to his side.

"Nothing but a thief?" asked Nicholas.

He chuckled.

"I beg to differ… I'm a _great_ thief!"

He paused.

"We all had our dreams, you know… I didn't want to become a thief at first, when I was a poor boy on the streets of London. What I dreamed about at first was being a stand-up comic…"

"Don't make me laugh!" shouted Ren.

Nicholas chuckled.

"Good one," he said. "But when I found out how easy being a thief was, I figured that it was the best way to get ahead in the world.

"Allow me to quote from the great Reverend Martin Luther King Jr.:

"'If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.'

"What Rev. King meant when he said that, wherever your lot falls in life, you should do it to the best of your ability, and be proud of your ability to do it.

"My lot fell to be a thief, so I set out to be one of the best. Maybe it wasn't an honorable profession, but it helped me survive.

"You know… Being with Rasputin is a better life than what I had before… Most would agree to that. Instead of being some poor street rat, I've been heir to a criminal empire…

"But there's a problem with being the heir to a man who desires immortality above all things… The problem is, you may never get your inheritance. Sure, he promised to share the immortality with me and Olga, but I didn't want to live forever as a right-hand man. I mean, in America, everyone watches the World Series, but no-one remembers the teams that came in second place."

"Uhm, well, I do," said Erik. "Last year, it was Arizona and Boston…"

"DON'T interrupt me in the middle of a monologue!" shouted Nicholas.

"Well sor-ry!" muttered Erik.

"Anyway," continued Nicholas, "I've been watching him gain power and wealth for a long time, with one goal in mind… Taking it from him once he reached the apex. Then the incredible power would be mine…"

"That's terrible, Nicholas," said Ren.

"Oh, is it?" asked Nicholas. "Come on, Ren, is it really that bad to steal from someone who didn't get his own wealth honestly? What's wrong with one thief stealing from another? At least I'm not hurting any honest folks anymore. Unlike Rasputin, who does it all the time. With all the pain he's caused you, you should be glad I'm taking him down.

"And there's more… The ambassador…"

"The one who made me dress like this?" shouted Sam, angrily.

Nicholas nodded.

"She gave Olga and me a glimpse of riches beyond compare…" he said. "Gold and jewels that the King of England couldn't obtain. It will all be ours once the plan goes through… You were a fool for rejecting the position as her apprentice, Sam. Having to wear lingerie is a small price for the rewards you would have reaped…"

"I get to keep one thing by rejecting her," said Sam. "My pride. And I think you're blinded by greed."

"I'm more than willing to share," said Nicholas. "If Yumi doesn't want to do it the hard way, I'll share it with her. If she refuses…"

"You'll force it on her, most likely," said Ren. "Not gonna happen…

"I believe it's my turn…"

**(R: 4,300) -------------------- (N: 6,000)**

He drew a card.

"You may have my best Monster, Nicholas," he said, adding the card to his hand, "but you need two Monsters to summon her, and right now, I only see one.

"Soon to be none… I summon my second Dark Blade."

He played a card, and the armored, sword-wielding Warrior appeared again. (1,800/1,500)

"Attack Nanobreaker!" he shouted.

"I activate… Astral Barrier!" shouted Nicholas, as one of his Trap Cards lifted. "This can turn your attacks into direct attacks."

Ren raised an eyebrow.

"Well, if that's really what you want…" he said.

Dark Blade charged at Nicholas.

"I activate another Trap!" shouted Nicholas. "Spirit Barrier!"

His other facedown card lifted, and a dome of energy formed around him, deflecting the blow.

"The Astral/Spirit Combo!" gasped Anastasia. "An impenetrable defense… So long as Astral Barrier stands, his Monsters are untouchable… And so long as Spirit Barrier stands, HE'S untouchable…"

Ren glared at him.

"I end my turn…" he said.

Nicholas drew a card.

"I summon Cyber Raider," he said.

In a burst of energy, another android, this one wearing blue spandex and a helmet, appeared next to Nanobreaker. (1,400/1,000)

"I end my turn…"

_It's now or never…_ thought Ren.

He drew a card.

He played it, and the Pot of Greed appeared on his side of the field. He drew two cards.

_Let's see,_ he thought, looking at them. _Heavy Storm… That's good… and…_

_Double Spell…_

He stared blankly at it for a minute.

"Ah, heh, heh, heh, heh!" he laughed. "Oh, I just got the craziest idea!

"So crazy, it might actually work…"

"Huh?" said Nicholas. "What?"

"Show you in a minute," said Ren. "First, I play… Heavy Storm!"

The tornado tore across the field, and the Astral Barrier and Spirit Barrier cards shattered.

"Lucky…" growled Nicholas.

"I'm not through with you yet!" shouted Ren. "Next, I play The Warrior Returning Alive. I'll bring back Mataza the Zapper."

He played the card, and took Mataza from his discard slot.

"And now he's coming back…"

In a burst of energy, Mataza appeared again. (1,300/800)

"I'm still not done!" he said. "Now for my crazy idea.

"I play… Double Spell. Now, for the cost of one Spell Card…"

He played the card, and discarded his Magical Mallet.

"…I can use one Spell Card in your Graveyard…"

He chuckled.

"Guess which card I'm gonna use…"

A Spell Card appeared on his side of the field…

"My Scrap Fusion!" shouted Nicholas.

"You got it!" laughed Ren. "I'm using it to summon your second Cyber Ogre 2!"

An explosion erupted on Ren's side of the field, and the enormous form of Cyber Ogre 2 rose behind his two Warriors. (2,600/1,900)

"Turnabout is fair play, Nicholas!" shouted Ren. "You stole my Monsters, so I'm stealing yours."

"But how did you know…" gasped Nicholas.

"…that you had a second one?" asked Ren. "I used my brains. Cyber Ogre 2 is a Level Seven Monster, just like my Queen. Just like Cyber Dinosaur too. So my Queen had two uses for you…

"Attacking me… And sacrificing using Metamorphosis, to summon this guy."

"Well, fine!" shouted Nicholas. "Attack if you want. Mataza can't defeat either of my Monsters. You'll have to attack one of them with Cyber Ogre, which means you'll fall short of dealing enough damage to finish me."

"Actually, I'm not going to attack with Cyber Ogre 2 at all," said Ren. "I'm going to finish you with my own Monsters."

As Nicholas was trying to comprehend what this meant, Ren played another Spell Card.

"I'm using the card you let me have," said Ren. "I play Gift of the Martyr! Now I can send tall, dark, and gruesome to the Graveyard, to boost Mataza's power."

Cyber Ogre 2 vanished into grains of light, and Mataza roared as energy flowed into him… (3,900/400)

"Dear lord…" muttered Nicholas.

"Dark Blade, attack Cyber Raider!"

Dark Blade made a slash with his sword, and the spandex-clad android exploded.

"Mataza, attack Nanobreaker!"

Mataza made a savage swipe with his katana, cutting Nanobreaker in half.

"Don't forget, Mataza gets to attack twice…"

"No... don't…" stammered Nicholas.

He let out an agonizing scream as the ronin's sword slashed into him, and he collapsed.

The duel was clearly over…

**(R: 4,300) -------------------- (N: 0)**

Nicholas held his head. He was dizzy and breathing heavily. His eyes were blurry as Ren walked up to him.

Then he was startled as an aura of black flames appeared around him.

"No…" he said. "NO! You promised! You promised to spare me if I lost!"

_I told a fib, Nicholas,_ chuckled a voice in his head. _I'm afraid your role in this campaign has reached its conclusion._

_You quoted that proverb well, but you forgot about another famous one…_

_There is no honor among thieves._

_But you did admirably… You delayed them just long enough… I can finally face them myself…_

_I'll have a little fun with them before I simply annihilate them. As for you… Sleep for now… Enjoy your dreams before you must wake up and greet a much more grim reality…_

Nicholas's eyes rolled back, and he collapsed.

"What was that all about?" asked Ren.

He reached down, and picked up the Crescent Moon Queen card.

Yumi's eyes opened with a start.

She sat up with a gasp.

"Yumi!" shouted everyone.

Yumi groaned and held her stomach. She tried to say something, but only a moan came out.

"Yumi?" said Chelsea.

Yumi spoke weakly.

"Everyone…" said Yumi. "I'm afraid Louis, Olga, and Nicholas were stalling."

She pointed to the clock.

Everyone looked, as the minute hand clicked to midnight…

And then, every gear in the huge belfry stopped moving. There was no chime.

"Someone's coming…" moaned Yumi. "And I'm not sure if this one is interested in playing games…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Commander Descartes was writing something down on a clipboard as another Centurion walked up to him.

"What's the status quo?" he asked.

"Let's see, where do I start?" asked the Centurion. "Twenty-five members of the League of Ascension have been apprehended since the breakout, but all of them are unconscious and in the infirmary. Ten of them are the escapees.

"Also, Dr. Janustein brought a woman to the infirmary that clearly needed serious medical attention. He claimed she was his wife."

Descartes stared at him.

"His wife?" he asked. "A very unlikely scenario, but not impossible given what has transpired tonight.

"Hmm…

"Are all the legitimate guests accounted for?"

"Most of them…" said the Centurion, nervously.

Descartes looked at him.

"_Define_ 'most'," he said.

"Well, the five remaining finalists seem to be missing," he said. "According to security cameras, they left their suites in the Colosseum shortly before this crisis started."

Descartes thought for a minute.

He pushed a switch on his wristband, and a set of buttons folded out of the gauntlet.

"If I know Yumi Mouto's family," he said, "she's likely the target of the one behind this whole fiasco…

"The Holographic Tower might not be working, but this strange magic is powering the Disks somehow, so Yumi should still be wearing hers… It shouldn't take long to track her down…

"Let's hope it isn't too late…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Yumi pulled herself up, into a sitting position against the wall.

"Everyone look sharp…" she muttered. "I'm sure someone is coming, and I'm still in no position to deal with whoever it is yet…"

"Rasputin?" asked Erik.

"Maybe…" she said. "But personally, I don't think so… Whatever is coming is more powerful than anything we've seen so far. Something of dark evil… Comparable to Marik…"

"Marik?" asked Chelsea. "How can you tell?"

Yumi looked up and saw the Pharaoh beside her.

"Someone here has had firsthand experience," she said. "We have to…"

She was interrupted again, as the door appeared, this time surrounded by an aura of dark flames…

It slowly creaked opened…

The figure that stepped out was a woman that most of them had never seen before, about six feet tall, with a curvaceous figure. She was wearing an outfit similar to Sam's – lingerie, cape, and boots – but it was all black rather than white. Her face was covered by a mask that seemed to be made of black iron, which was expressionless. Her hair was rich blonde, and fell to her waist.

"It's her!" screamed Sam. "The ambassador! The bitch who made me dress like this… I'm gonna…"

"Sam, you're overreacting…" purred the woman, in a sultry, husky voice. "I think you look adorable…"

Sam growled…

"Adorable…" she snarled, starting to walk towards her. "I'll give you adorable… I'm going to rip that bra off of you and strangle you with it…"

The ambassador looked at Sam as she approached her. Then she raised her hand, and an aura of dark flames surrounded Sam. Sam gasped, and cringed in pain.

"On your knees, Sam…" said the ambassador.

She lowered her hand. Sam struggled, but the evil spell forced her to knees.

"Let her go!" shouted Erik.

The ambassador relaxed her hand. The flaming aura lessened a bit, although it didn't disappear, and Sam took some deep breaths.

Then she waved again, and a similar aura appeared around Ren, Chelsea, Erik, and Enrique. They all felt like a slight burning sensation was slowly consuming their skin.

She clenched her fist, and they fell to their knees too.

"What are you doing?" shouted Ren.

"You kids don't seem to understand…" said the ambassador, with a chuckle. "I'm not like Yumi's family's old enemies, who need to duel their enemies to do away with them… I could kill you all right now if I wanted to… Burn you all to cinders with the fire I've set on you right now…

"And I'm afraid I'm tired of you all anyway, so unless Sam is willing to become my apprentice again…"

"Not a chance, bitch," said Sam.

"Well, then," said the ambassador, "then this is your last stand…"

"You're just going to kill us in cold blood?" asked Chelsea.

The ambassador nodded.

"Not all of you," she added. "Yumi over there is still worth something to me alive…

"But tell you what…"

She held her left arm out, and it glowed with shadowy energy. A Duel Disk appeared on her arm, one made of black steel, covered with sharp blades.

"I have a little time," she said, "so I'll grant one of you a last request. No sense in not enjoying myself a little…"

She lifted the Disk.

"So… Who's it going to be?

"Who wants to duel one last time?"

_The situation has turned very dark indeed. The mysterious ambassador has appeared, and while she wants to duel, she has no intention of letting the heroes live, regardless of the outcome. It's clearly a lose-lose situation… Is there any way out?_

_Perhaps there's something that she doesn't know about. But for now, they'll just have to pray…_

**0**

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**MAGIC-GEAR (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** A gear floating in a blue void surrounded by bubbles.

**Card Description:** Tribute three "Ancient Gear" Monsters on your side of the field. Special Summon one "Ancient Gear Golem" from your deck, disregarding its summoning requirements. Then, Special Summon as many copies of "Ancient Gear Golem" from your hand as possible, disregarding their summoning requirements.

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**0**

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**ANCIENT GEAR ULTIMATE GOLEM (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Machine/Fusion/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level:** 10  
**ATK:** 4,400  
**DEF:** 3,400

**Card Description:** "Ancient Gear Golem" + "Ancient Gear Golem" + "Ancient Gear Golem"

When this card attacks with an ATK that is higher than the DEF of a Defense Position monster, inflict the difference as battle damage to your opponent's Life Points. If this card attacks, your opponent cannot activate any Spell or Trap Cards until the end of the Damage Step. When this card is destroyed, Special Summon one "Ancient Gear Golem" from your Graveyard, disregarding its summoning conditions.

_Note: "Magic-Gear" and "Ancient Gear Ultimate Golem" were first used by Crowler in a fourth season episode of "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode. (These cards may eventually become real, according to rumors stated about the "Light of Destruction" set.)_

**0**

**0**

**0**

**CYBER DINOSAUR (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Machine/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level:** 7  
**ATK:** 2,500  
**DEF:** 1,900

**Card Description:** When your opponent Special Summons a Monster from his hand, you may Special Summon this card from your hand.

_Note: "Cyber Dinosaur" is a Japanese card that has not yet been released in the United States._

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**SCRAP FUSION (Spell Card)**

**Quickplay Spell**

**Image:** A glowing portal above a junkyard.

**Card Description:** Choose one Fusion Monster that is in your opponent's Fusion Deck. Remove from play the Monsters in your opponent's Graveyard that are listed as fusion material for the chosen Monster. Special Summon the chosen Monster from your opponent's Fusion Deck to your side of the field. (This is considered a Fusion Summon.)

_Note: "Scrap Fusion" was first used by Sheppard in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Schooling the Master". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**Erik: Just who is this woman? Who is she an ambassador for?**

**Yumi: Whoever she is, Erik, she means business, and you need to duel her to buy time.**

**Anastasia: Erik, you may not have known it, but since the time you've started dueling, you've been preparing for this very moment. You may be the one who can save everyone from this threat.**

**But we need time…**

**Erik: I'll try my hardest… We'll see if I'm truly up to snuff…**

**Anastasia: Coming up next: "Thirty Minutes of Desperation; Erik versus the Deck of Darkness".**

**Yumi: We believe in you, Erik…**


	58. Thirty Minutes of Desperation

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**CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN**

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**Thirty Minutes of Desperation**

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**Erik versus the Deck of Darkness**

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There were only a few times in the life of the Mouto family when a member simply didn't know what to do. This was one of those times.

It was truly a lose-lose situation, and it seemed to Yumi that she had rescued her friends for nothing.

This mysterious masked woman – if she was a woman, there was more than a little doubt in her mind – who seemed to get her wardrobe from Fredrick's of Hollywood and called herself an ambassador, had all of them except her caught in a spell that manifested as flames of pure darkness. If what she said was true, she could make them as deadly as real flames at any time, and burn them to ashes. And that was just what she intended to do. In the meantime, the flames also forced them to keep their distance. Her friends could barely move.

This ambassador was willing to duel, but it hardly made a difference. She had stated that even a victory on their side wouldn't change her intentions. She would kill them anyway.

She hadn't cast the spell on Yumi, due to a claim that she was needed alive – for now. But Yumi could hardly get up to face her. She didn't have the strength to stand yet, having just recovered from her ordeal.

_What do I do?_ she thought.

"So…" chuckled the ambassador. "Who's it going to be? Who wants to duel one final time?"

Erik glared at her.

He struggled against the flaming bindings, and wrenched himself off the floor.

"Did I say you could get up?" asked the ambassador.

She waved her hand, and he fell to his knees again.

Erik struggled again. He slowly got up again.

"Listen, bitch…" he said with a scowl, "knock me down as much as you want, I'm not going to grovel when I talk to you…"

"You really want to die, don't you?" she asked.

"You're gonna kill us all anyway," said Erik, "so I'm thinking I don't have much to lose…"

The ambassador looked at him.

"Good point…" she said.

"Look, let's have some answers," he said. "Do you even have a name?"

"Yes, I have one," she said. "But I won't speak it yet. If you cooperate, it may be the last thing I tell you."

"I'll pass…" said Erik. "But why do you call yourself an ambassador anyway?"

"Because I am one," she replied. "Are you calling me a liar?"

"An ambassador is a representative for a nation or similar world power," said Erik. "May I ask whom you represent?"

"It isn't a nation that the UN recognizes," she replied. "I'm afraid this is a secret that I must leave unrevealed.

"Let's just say that Rasputin is working with a partner now, someone who is allied with the head of state of the place I represent. Since I've been working with Rasputin for a while myself, I'm working as a go-between."

"Who's this partner?" asked Erik.

The ambassador chuckled.

"He's someone who's both a lover and fighter," she said. "Excellent in both areas. But I'm afraid only Yumi will get to meet him."

"Yeah, well what's the point of dueling if you're going to kill us anyway?" he asked.

"Fun," she said with a shrug.

Everyone stared at her.

"So then you're a sadist…" he said. "Well sorry, I won't duel for your amusement, and I doubt any of us here will either. We have our pride, you know, and…"

"Erik!" said Anastasia's voice.

"Huh?" said Erik.

"Erik, duel her," said Anastasia.

"What…" started Erik.

"Don't say it, just think it," said Anastasia. "I'll be able to hear you."

Erik paused.

_Why should I duel her?_ he asked.

"Because," said Anastasia. "I think I know what she is. I have the power to save all of you, and she hasn't noticed me yet.

"The problem is, I need time. If you duel her and make it last long enough, she can truly be defeated."

Erik paused.

_How long do you need?_ he asked.

"Give me thirty minutes," she said. "That's all I require…"

Erik looked at the ambassador.

He reached into his pocket.

There was the small box full of chocolate truffles. The ones Janustein gave him.

He quickly took one and shoved it into his mouth. He closed his eyes as he chewed it.

"All right, whoever you are," he said, placing his deck in his Disk. "I changed my mind. I'd rather go down fighting…"

The ambassador chuckled.

"Very well…" she said. "I will grant you a warrior's death… Prepare…"

Both Disks activated.

"Game on!" they both shouted.

**(Erik: 8,000) -------------------- (?: 8,000)**

"You'd better know what you're doing, Erik!" shouted Sam.

"Don't worry, baby," said Erik, "I can take her…

"So why the mask? Did that supermodel figure come with a face that could stop a clock?"

He cringed as the flames around him intensified.

"Erik, you should know better than to insult someone who has you trapped in a spell of chaos fire," said the ambassador.

"But anyway… You make the first move…"

Erik made his first draw.

"Okay, let's see here…" he muttered.

He looked over his hand of cards.

"What to play, what to play…" he said.

"Are you trying to stall for some reason?" asked his opponent, angrily.

"Uh, no!" gulped Erik, taking a card from his hand.

_She's onto me,_ he thought, placing a card on his Disk. _Whatever Anne is planning, I can't ruin it…_

A facedown Monster appeared.

_I've just got to duel, and hope I can make it last long enough. Let's pray that her deck doesn't use an OTK strategy._

"My draw…" said the ambassador.

She drew a card from her deck and looked at it.

"I play the Spell Card, Terraforming," she said, playing it.

She took her deck from her holder.

"I'm sure everyone here knows how this works. It lets me search for any Field Spell I desire, and add it to my hand."

"Next, I summon this guy…"

A chilling wind started to blow through the gear housing…

"Appear before me, Shadowknight Archfiend!"

The winds picked up even fiercer, and a horrid creature appeared on the field. It was a tall, winged demon, dressed in plate armor, the breastplate resembling a horse's skull. He held a longsword in one hand, and had a wicked looking claw for the other. (2,000/1,600)

"Good lord…" muttered Sam.

"An Archfiend…" said Ren. "Chels, didn't your dad use these cards?"

Chelsea nodded.

"That Field Spell she searched for can only be one thing…" she said.

"Your assumption is dead wrong, Chelsea," said the ambassador. "It isn't Pandemonium."

"Huh?" said Chelsea. "But… but… Without Pandemonium, you have to pay Life Points every round for Archfiends! And what other Field Spell could possibly benefit them?"

"I'll show you in a minute," replied the ambassador. "For now… Shadowknight, attack with shadowblade."

The Shadowknight flew at the facedown card, and Giant Rat appeared on it. With one swipe of his longsword, the rodent was cut in half.

"I activate Giant Rat's ability," said Erik. "When he bites the dust in battle, I get to summon an Earth Monster with a low Attack Score.

"So I'll bring out my trusty Toy Soldier."

In a burst of energy, a Toy Soldier appeared. Shadowknight chuckled as the much smaller Monster pointed its weapon. (800/300)

"So be it…" said the ambassador. "Now, as for that Field Spell…"

She placed the card in her Field Slot.

"I play… Pazunia."

There was a clap of thunder. The gear housing faded away, and a series of stone monoliths rose around them.

Erik looked around. They were on a blasted wasteland, full of jagged rocks and twisted trees. The sky above was grey and stormy, and winged demons flew by overhead. Surrounding the arena itself were six standing stones. Each one was marked with a fiery symbol. Erik clearly saw that they were Roman numerals, for the numbers one through six.

"Pazunia?" he asked. "What is this place?"

"Allow me to explain," said the ambassador. "The Archfiends didn't always rule Pandemonium, the capital of Dark World, which is Hell for Duel Monsters. According to one legend, the original rulers of the place were naturally the Dark World Fiends. But the Archfiends conquered Dark World, and threw them out of Pandemonium.

"This legend hints that the Archfiends ruled another realm before taking over Pandemonium…"

She threw up her arms.

"Welcome to the ancestral home of the Archfiends! Welcome to Pazunia!"

"Swell…" said Erik. "What does this Field Spell of yours do?"

"Well, like Pandemonium, it has two effects," said the ambassador. "The first effect is the same as the first effect of Pandemonium; neither player has to pay Life Points to keep Archfiends on the field.

"The second effect…

"Well, you'll find that out if I need to use it. In the meantime, I end my turn. Just try to defeat my Shadowknight."

Erik drew a card.

"I activate Toy Soldier's special ability," he said. "When he's on the field, I can summon two more from my deck."

Two more Toy Soldiers appeared next to the first.

"Next, I play the Spell Card, Forced March."

The Attack Scores of the three Soldiers fell to 400 apiece. Their eyebrows narrowed angrily as they pointed their muskets.

"No more time to play!" shouted Erik. "It's time to be _serious_!

"Open fire!"

The three Soldiers knelt down on one knee, and fired three blasts from their muskets. The ambassador grunted as she was hit by them.

"Ergh…" she said, holding her chest. "Merely a flesh wound… I've taken far worse…"

"I throw a card facedown, and end my turn," said Erik.

A facedown card appeared in front of him.

**(E: 8,000) -------------------- (?: 6,800)**

_I know Shadowknight's weakness,_ he thought. _When it attacks, I'll only take half the damage I normally would from a Monster with 2,000 Attack Points. So even if she summons a second Monster, with my Trap Card, I won't lose that many._

"Well, he's winning…" muttered Chelsea. "At least we may go out with dignity…"

The ambassador drew a card.

She looked at it. It was hard to tell her expression with the mask, but Erik had a feeling she had gotten a good draw.

"Or so you think," she said. "Since I have one Archfiend on the field, I can summon one of the strongest ones. I summon the King of the Archfiends… Terrorking Archfiend."

A bonfire erupted on her side of the field, and a monstrous demon stepped out. His body looked like it was made of exposed muscle, held in place by a framework of metallic, sharpened bones. His face was that of a fiendish skull, topped by a French crown, and he had huge wings and a long cape on his back. (2,000/1,500)

The ambassador chuckled.

"I could attack your Toy Soldiers," she said. "But… I could hurt you even more by playing this Spell Card…"

She fit a card into her Disk.

"I play Checkmate."

"Checkmate?" said Ren. "I don't like the sound of that…"

"She gets to sacrifice one Archfiend," said Chelsea, nervously, "and in return, Terrorking can attack directly."

"Exactly," said the ambassador. "So, Shadowknight, begone…"

Shadowknight vanished in a flaming burst, and Terrorking flew up, and perched on one of the monoliths behind the duelist. He pointed at Erik, and his claw glowed.

"I activate my facedown card!" shouted Erik, as his card lifted up. "Enemy Controller!"

The large video game pad appeared in front of him.

"Now I can move your king to Defense Mode before he can attack me, so that sacrifice was a big waste."

"Or so you'd like to believe…" said his opponent.

All of a sudden, fires erupted on the tops all six of the monoliths. Terrorking didn't seem to mind in the least that he was in the middle of one.

"Apparently you don't know that nothing is ever certain when you oppose an Archfiend," said the ambassador. "When one of them is targeted by Spell, Trap, or Monster effect, the whims of chance intervene.

"Five of these bonfires will now be extinguished, leaving one burning at random. If that one is the one on the monolith marked two, or the one marked five, your Enemy Controller will fail."

Everyone watched anxiously…

Five of the fires died out…

The one still burning was the one on the four.

"HA!" laughed Sam. "You lose!"

"Not yet I haven't Sam…" replied the ambassador.

Then, to everyone's surprise, all six bonfires erupted again.

"What's happening?" shouted Erik.

"Now I reveal the second effect of my Field Spell," replied the ambassador. "If I make a roll to activate the negation effect for an Archfiend and it fails that roll, I get to disregard that roll and roll a second time."

"No fair!" shouted Erik.

"Blame the card designers!" laughed the ambassador.

The flames died down again…

This time, the flame that remained burning was the one on the stone marked two. Which, coincidentally, was the one Terrorking was standing on.

The Enemy Controller was blown to bits.

"Heh, heh…" said the ambassador. "I said I'd duel you… I never said I'd let you win…

"Terrorking… Attack him directly!"

Terrorking fired a blast of white-hot flames from his claw, and Erik screamed. He fell to his knees again.

**(E: 6,000) -------------------- (?: 6,800)**

He panted for breath… He slowly got up.

"It's your move…" said his opponent.

Erik made a draw.

_Ring of Destruction…_ he thought, looking at it.

He looked at his hand.

_And I have Ring of Defense too… But the chances of it actually working are… Uhm…_

_Well, they… aren't very good…_

Aw, heck with it…

"I set two cards facedown on the field, and move my Soldiers to Defense Mode," he said.

Two facedown cards appeared, and the three Soldiers knelt in Defense Mode.

"That's all," he said.

The ambassador drew a card.

"I activate Ring of Destruction!" shouted Erik.

His Trap Card lifted, and Terrorking roared as the ring of grenades formed around his neck.

"Don't be so sure…" said the ambassador.

The six bonfires ignited again. Everyone watched.

Five of them went out, leaving the one on the three lit.

"Seems you lost that roll," said Erik.

"How soon we forget…" she replied.

The bonfires blasted again…

"Don't give up, Erik!" shouted Sam. "You've got more than a fifty percent chance now!"

Five of them went out, leaving the one on the five this time.

"Crud…" said Erik.

The Ring of Destruction crumbled into dust.

"Maybe now you'll see that trying to use these cards against my Archfiends is a big waste," said the ambassador. "Now I summon Vilepawn Archfiend."

The ground in front of her cracked, and a new Archfiend crawled out of the soil. Like Terrorking, its body was made up of exposed muscle and bone, but its face was much more skull-like. It had a long sword blade in place of a right hand, and a huge claw for the left. (1,200/200)

"And by the way," she continued. "So long as he's on the field, you aren't allowed to attack any Archfiends except Vilepawns.

"Vilepawn, attack the first Toy Soldier."

The Vilepawn slammed its blade into the ground, and a shockwave tore across the field, shattering the Toy Soldier in the middle to pieces.

"Terrorking, attack with locust storm barrage."

Terrorking's eyes glowed. Then his chest burst open, and a swarm of insects flew out, plowing into another of the Toy Soldiers and eating him alive.

"Gross…" muttered Sam. "No wonder Ha Des doesn't deal with these things…"

The ambassador laughed.

"Ha Des?" she said. "He's an upstart. He wouldn't know the true meaning of Evil if it slugged him in the face."

"Oh, that's it…" said Sam.

She struggled against the flames holding her down, and stood up.

"Sam, no!" shouted Yumi.

It was a surprise to everyone, because she hadn't spoken for a while.

"The rules of the duel are still in effect," muttered Yumi. "If anyone on our side interferes, Erik loses."

"Sam, sit down," said Erik. "I can handle this skank."

Sam sat down with her face in a sulk.

"My, my," said the ambassador. "Seems someone really wants a painful demise once this is over."

Erik ignored the remark as he drew a card.

He smirked.

"First I'll play Emergency Provisions," he said.

The card appeared, and the Ring of Defense lifted up and vanished.

"Next, I'll throw a new card facedown, and summon Toy Magician."

A facedown card appeared, and the toy sorcerer appeared in a burst of light. (1,600/1,500)

"Attack the Vilepawn!" he ordered. "Sparkle blast!"

Toy Magician shot his blast of glowing motes at the smaller Fiend, and it exploded into a shower of pebbles.

**(E: 7,000) -------------------- (?: 6,400)**

"Bishop takes pawn," muttered Erik. "I end my turn."

The ambassador looked at him as she drew a card. Even with the mask, it was clear to see she was angry.

"Terrorking…" she ordered. "Attack his Toy Magician!"

Terrorking roared again, and the storm of locusts burst from his chest.

"Gotcha!" shouted Erik. "I happen to know that an Archfiend's negation ability is powerless against THIS!

"Go Mirror Force!"

His facedown card lifted, and Terrorking exploded in a blast of flames.

"You little brat!" cursed the ambassador.

"Not so confident now, are you?" asked Erik, with a grin.

The ambassador didn't answer. She simply took a card from her hand, and discarded it into her Graveyard slot.

A bonfire erupted on the field again, and Terrorking stepped out again. And this time, he was mad. (2,000/1,500)

"How'd she do that?" shouted Ren.

"That card she discarded…" said Chelsea. "It was a Desrook Archfiend. She can use it to bring Terrorking back if it's destroyed… By anything."

"Terrorking, show that Toy Magician that you won't be so easily vanquished," said the ambassador.

The locust storm plowed into Toy Magician, and he groaned before bursting into shards.

"Now I play Premature Burial," she said. "I'll resurrect my Vilepawn as well…"

She played the card, and Vilepawn appeared again. (1,200/200)

"…and that concludes my turn."

**(E: 6,600) -------------------- (?: 5,600)**

Erik nervously drew a card.

He placed a card on his Disk, and a new facedown Monster appeared.

"That's all I can do…" he muttered.

The ambassador made a draw.

"I play Pot of Greed," she said.

She played the card, and then drew twice.

"Time for someone new," she said. "I summon the Queen of the Archfiends… Infernalqueen Archfiend."

Another bonfire erupted on her side of the field, and a new Archfiend appeared. Like the ones previously, her torso was made up of exposed muscle and bone, but it was shaped into a female form. Her skull-like face bore a jeweled tiara on top, and a mane of long, tangled, hair was behind. She wore a long, flowing cape under her wings. (900/1,500)

"Man, there's a girl who looks like she fell off the ugly tree," said Ren.

"Yeah, and hit every ugly branch on the way down!" added Sam, trying not to laugh.

"HEY!" shouted Chelsea. "These were my dad's cards in case you forgot? So show some respect!"

Then all three of them screamed as the flaming auras around them intensified.

"No audience participation, if you don't mind!" ordered the ambassador.

She sighed.

"Now..." she continued, "I must, under incredible protest, play this Spell Card… Court of the Ninth Circle."

"Huh?" said Chelsea. "My dad never used that one…"

The Spell Card appeared on the field, and Yumi didn't like the look of it at all. The artwork depicted Terrorking and Infernalqueen holding Dark Magician Girl captive with chains.

"I'd like to get my hands on whoever designed this card," said the ambassador. "The name suggests that the Archfiends are devils, when they're clearly demons.

"But anyway, with both Terrorking and Infernalqueen on the field, this Spell lets me Special Summon an Archfiend from my deck, up to Level Four."

She took her deck and looked through the cards.

"Now let's see… There are so many possibilities…"

_That's it…_ thought Erik. _Take your time… The longer you take, the better chance we can get out of this mess…_

She finally put a card on her Disk, and a swirl of blue energy appeared on the ground…

"I choose Darkbishop Archfiend, in Attack Mode."

The new Archfiend that appeared was one that one had to see to believe. It was dressed in an evil parody of a clergyman's vestments. Its skull-like head had a bony protrusion on top that might have passed for a bishop's miter, and it clutched a long scepter topped with a fanged human skull. (300/1,400)

"You could have Special Summoned any Archfiend up to Level Four," said Erik, "and you summoned a weakling?"

"It may be physically weak," said the ambassador, "but it has a powerful ability. Like all Archfiends, if it is targeted by a card effect, a roll of the die can negate it.

"But… When it's on the field, if any other Archfiend fails its roll, then it can roll and negate it for that Archfiend. Also, Darkbishop's chance of winning the roll is greater than most other Archfiends, succeeding fifty percent of the time."

"But that means…" said Ren.

"I'll tell you what it means…" said Yumi. "She already has a Field Spell that gives her Archfiends two chances to avoid a targeting effect. With that guy, she has four chances. The odds of any targeting effect ever actually reaching one of them is now incredibly slim."

"This is not fair…" said Erik.

"Life isn't fair," said the ambassador. "You put so much faith in the higher powers, but you seem to forget the story of Job.

"Terrorking, attack his facedown Monster."

The burst of insects shot at the card. Giant Rat appeared on the card, and was blown to bits.

"I activate Giant Rat's effect…" muttered Erik.

"Fool," said the ambassador. "You can't. Terrorking negates the effect of any Monster he destroys."

Chelsea sighed.

"I'm afraid she's right, Erik," she said.

"Infernalqueen, wipe out the last Toy Soldier. Terror flames!"

Infernalqueen cackled, and cast a fiery spell at the Toy Soldier, burning it to a crisp.

"Vilepawn, Darkbishop, attack him directly!"

Vilepawn leapt at Erik, and slashed across his chest with its sword. Erik clutched his chest in pain.

Then Darkbishop raised its staff, and a beam of blue energy shot from it, hitting him in the chest.

"For my final move of the turn," said the ambassador, "I play a Spell Card. It's called Archfiend's Favor. I need Pandemonium on the field to use this, and since Pazunia is assumed to have the same name as Pandemonium, I can. Now, for each Fiend-Type Monster on the field, my Life Points go up by 500."

She played the card, and all four Archfiends were surrounded by those evil, dark flames. Then the same flames surrounded her, but they seemed to energize her rather than hurt her.

"It's your move…"

**(E: 5,100) -------------------- (?: 7,600)**

Erik looked at the one card in his hand, which was Toy Memorial. He was waiting for the right time to play it, and unless he got the best draw ever this turn, it would be the time.

He drew.

Pot of Avarice.

_Have to play Toy Memorial first,_ he thought. _If I play Pot of Avarice first, Toy Memorial will be useless._

"I play Toy Memorial," he said, playing the card. "Now, at the cost of skipping my Battle Phase, I get one draw for each card in my Graveyard with the word 'Toy' in its name. With three Toy Soldiers and one Toy Magician, that's four."

He made four draws. He looked them over.

"And I got some good ones," he said. "Next, I play Symbol of Heritage. Since I have three Monsters in my Graveyard with the same name, I can summon one of them to the field."

He played one of the cards, and the strange ankh appeared. Toy Soldier appeared in front of him. (800/300)

"But he's going right back to the Graveyard," he continued. "Because now I'm playing Crowning of the Emperor."

Toy Soldier held his gun by his side, and saluted before vanishing into swirls of light.

With a galloping sound, Toy Emperor rode onto the field, and slashed at the air with his saber. (2,300/800)

"Is that supposed to scare me?" asked the ambassador.

"I'm not done," said Erik. "Next, my Pot of Avarice."

He played the card, and five cards fell out of his Graveyard: All three Toy Soldiers, Toy Magician, and Giant Rat.

He placed them in his deck, reshuffled, and then drew twice.

"Now I'll summon a second Toy Magician, and place a card facedown."

A new Toy Magician appeared in a burst of light. (1,600/1,500) Then a facedown card appeared.

"Your move…"

The ambassador chuckled as she drew a card.

"So foolish…" she said. "You think your pathetic Emperor can one-up my king…

"You forget Infernalqueen's effect. While she's on the field, she can increase the Attack Score of any Archfiend Monster by 1,000 for one round."

Terrorking Archfiend burned with the black fire again, and his Attack Score rose to 3,000.

She played a Spell Card.

"But before I attack, I play Card of Sanctity. Draw your cards. I don't care what you get."

They started drawing. She drew five cards, while Erik drew four.

"Show him who the true emperor is!" she shouted. "Locust storm barrage!"

Terrorking's chest burst open, and the swarm shot towards Toy Emperor…

"Go, Spell Card!" shouted Erik. "Rush Recklessly!"

"Huh?" said the ambassador.

"Surprised?" laughed Erik. "I knew all about Infernalqueen's ability!"

Toy Emperor's Attack Score rose to 3,000. He pointed his sword forward and charged at the Archfiend.

"Caramba!" shouted Enrique. "Their Attack Scores are equal! They'll kill each other!"

Both Erik and his opponent staggered backwards as both Monsters were blown to pieces in a mighty blast.

"Terrorking!" shouted the ambassador.

"It was your own fault…" said Erik.

The ambassador growled.

"I move my other three Monsters to Defense Mode," she said.

Infernalqueen, Vilepawn, and Darkbishop knelt and covered themselves with their wings.

"Then," she said, "I play the Spell Card, Blazes of Demise. I can't summon a Monster on the round on I use this card, but I do get two Dark Blaze Phantom Tokens."

Two mysterious flames appeared on her side of the field. They formed into two strange creatures. They looked like ghosts made of dark fire, each with one eye. They shielded themselves in Defense Mode. (0/0 x2)

_So what is she going to do with them?_ thought Erik.

"Draw!" he said, drawing.

He added the card to his hand.

"I summon Blockman in Attack Mode!"

In another burst of light, the stocky man made out of Legos appeared. (1,000/1,500)

"Blockman," he said, "knock Vilepawn's block off!"

Blockman leapt into the air, and socked Vilepawn with its fist, blowing it into rocky pieces.

"Toy Magician, take out Infernalqueen!"

Toy Magician cast his spell, and the evil queen screamed before she exploded in a burst of fire and smoke.

"That's all for me, sister," said Erik.

His opponent drew a card.

Thunder rolled again.

"You fight well…" she muttered. "But it's time to teach you a lesson…

"I sacrifice my two Tokens…"

The two Tokens vanished in plumes of black flames.

"A double sacrifice?" said Chelsea. "No Archfiends need two sacrifices…"

"You thought wrong," said the ambassador. "Remember Infernalqueen? For the Queen of the Archfiends, she didn't seem very formidable, did she?

"Well, I'm going to treat you all to a little secret… I'm going to show you the true form of Queen of the Archfiends in all her glory!

"I call forth Prisonqueen Archfiend!"

An explosion of flames erupted from where the two Tokens were, and a horrid creature appeared. It looked similar to Infernalqueen, but much darker, much more intimidating, and much more evil… Her wrists and ankles were bound with shackles that she had apparently broken from their moorings. (2,600/1,700)

No-one was more shocked than Chelsea. Her father had never used this Archfiend.

"Man, if that's Infernalqueen's true form," said Sam, "I'd hate to see Terrorking's…"

"I think I'm in trouble…" muttered Erik.

"More than you could ever dream!" shouted his opponent. "Prisonqueen, destroy his Blockman with chaos inferno!"

Dark flames appeared in Prisonqueen's hands. She shot a flaming blast of dark energy at Blockman, and he exploded into his component blocks.

**(E: 3,500) -------------------- (?: 7,600)**

Erik stared at her.

_Whatever Anne is cooking up had better work,_ he thought. _I don't think I can hold her off much longer…_

"I set one card facedown," said his opponent, "and I end my turn."

Erik quickly drew a card.

_Hey…_ he thought.

"First…" he said, "I play Monster Reborn. I'll bring Giant Rat back in Defense Mode."

The holy ankh appeared in golden fire, and the huge rodent appeared, crouching in Defense. (1,400/1,450)

"I'll move Toy Magician to Defense Mode too."

Toy Magician knelt, and shielded himself.

"Next…" he said, "I'll remove one Spell Card from play to Special Summon Spell Striker."

Pot of Avarice fell out of his discard slot, and he pocketed it. The toy wizard with the big smile appeared on the field. (600/200)

"You're going to stand up to my Queen with that pathetic thing?" asked the ambassador.

"Yes, once I also summon his little friend…" said Erik. "Come on out, Armor Breaker!"

He played another card, and the short, stout Warrior with a huge hammer for a helmet appeared. (800/800)

"Oh, please…" she said.

"Don't underestimate my guys," said Erik. "Your Queen isn't the first Goliath that my Davids have slain. Guys… do it."

Armor Breaker leapt into the air and spun around like a top. In a flash of light, he transformed into a big hammer. Spell Striker caught it as fell back down.

Spell Striker frowned, and looked at the ambassador.

"And if you think that's cool," said Erik, "Spell Striker can attack directly."

"I dare you!" she replied.

"Okay…" said Erik. "Go!"

Spell Striker leapt at the ambassador. She grunted as he clobbered her with the hammer and she took a step backwards.

**(E: 3,500) -------------------- (?: 7,000)**

"Are you quite done?" she asked.

"Not by a long shot," said Erik. "When a Monster deals damage when he's swinging Armor Breaker, he gains the ability to destroy one card on the field."

The ambassador chuckled.

"Well sure," she said. "Go ahead and try…"

The bonfires erupted on the monoliths again.

"Yeah, I know…" said Erik. "If I try it on your Queen, your Darkbishop can try to negate that effect and destroy Spell Striker. And even if the first roll fails, your Field Spell gives you a second chance.

"So you know what? I'm not aiming for your Queen. The card I'm going to destroy…

"…is Pazunia itself."

The ambassador gasped.

"And since it's clearly _not_ an Archfiend," said Erik, "I'm willing to bet its own protection against targeting effects is very limited, if not nonexistent."

"Hold on!" she shouted. "Stop!"

There was no stopping Spell Striker. He slammed the mallet into the ground, and a veritable earthquake struck the field. Everyone held on, as the mountains crumbled to dust, the broken land split open, and the six monoliths were smashed to pieces.

Through the cataclysm, the ambassador strained and struggled, and her mask flew from her face…

"Her face!" shouted Ren.

Everyone strained to get a close look.

They were somewhat surprised. Her face seemed as beautiful as the rest of her body, with flawless skin, no blemishes, and a healthy color.

Then she opened her eyes, causing everyone to jump.

They were pupiless, and glowing red.

"So, you wanted to see my true face?" she asked, with a voice full of bile.

Two fiendish horns sprouted from her forehead.

"Well, since I lost the item that was masking the illusion, I have no choice but to show you everything…"

Two huge, dark, batlike wings unfolded from her back. Her skin turned from flesh-colored to a coppery sheen.

"So… Like what you see?"

"No…" said Erik. "Who in blazes are you?"

"I won't tell you my real name," said the creature. "My people must keep our names secret from mortals, because that information might be used against us. And you might, by some miracle, escape to do so.

"I'll simply use the name that Rasputin identified me with… And I can do so because he isn't listening.

"Claret."

Everyone except Enrique gasped.

"Que?" said Enrique. "Am I missing something here?"

"Claret?" said Yumi, pulling herself to her feet. "The succubus who tried to sacrifice Stephansdom in an unholy ritual?"

The demoness nodded.

"But you're dead!" shouted Ren. "He killed you."

"Thinking that he had succeeded was his first and biggest mistake," said Claret.

She grinned a grin that made their blood run cold.

"When you set out to kill a demon," she said, "and both of you are on a material world, always make sure you know how the demon came to your world in the first place.

"The reason is simple. If you succeed, whether or not the demon is truly dead depends on how it came to your world. If it came via its own accord, then rest assured, it is truly dead. You can sleep soundly knowing it will never trouble mortals again.

"But I never arrived on Earth via my own free will. I was summoned by a foolish conjurer. He was a lustful rake who thought that having a succubus as a concubine would make him superior to others. He was an upstart, nothing like the sorcerer I'm working with now…"

"The one you're working with now?" said Yumi. "Rasputin's new partner?"

Claret paused. She nodded. Then she continued.

"After I disabled his wards and killed him – and trust me, he died happy – I was free to roam the Earth, and saw an opportunity… I saw Stephansdom in the Vienna skyline.

"Malcanthet encourages the succubi in her employ to perform the ascension ritual. I had everything to gain by doing so. By sacrificing this mighty pillar of goodness, I could evolve into a temptress capable of seducing even minor powers.

"But Rasputin wasn't fooled by my attempt to seduce the congregation. In fact, he turned the tables on me.

"Wine tainted with Tears of the Couatl… I never stood a chance.

"Rasputin, however, didn't see the smile on my lips right before I died…

"For you see, since I had been summoned, my death wasn't permanent. After a week or two, my body reformed back in Malcanthet's home realm, and I woke up none the worse for wear.

"Still, I wasn't in a very good situation. In fact, my situation was quite dire. Malcanthet was known for dearly punishing succubi who had attempted the ritual and failed. Such failures are bad for her reputation. I was facing life as Malcanthet's slave at best. Or being sold as one to an allied demon lord at worst. I thought of my sister succubi who had failed, and were now serving as Demogorgon's harem girls. I had laughed at them when they were dragged away by his representatives… Now the same fate might have been awaiting me.

"I panicked…

"And when the soldiers of my mistress's army finally realized I was there, I fled in fear. And in doing so, I foolishly cut off my route to the realm's most common exit. I had, in my haste, fled into the dark forest where only the more martial demons went.

"I knew of another exit located in this woods… A portal. But my other sisters had warned me never to go near it. This portal led to the realm of a demon lord far more powerful than Malcanthet, whom even she was afraid of.

"I saw the ominous portal before me. I heard the shouts of the soldiers behind me. I had a choice to make: Capture and punishment, or risking a dark unknown…

"I decided that the uncertainty in front of me was preferable to the misery behind me. I took the portal."

_That's it…_ thought Erik._ Keep talking… Keep yourself occupied until Anne manages to do whatever she's planning…_

"I found myself in a mysterious realm," said Claret. "And I wasn't there for an hour before I was seized by powerful demons that I had never seen the likes of before. When they threw me into a cell in their lord's palace, I wondered if slavery didn't still exist in my future. Or even worse, if my fate wouldn't involve being roasted on a spit for this entity's dinner.

"I gathered enough bravery to ask my jailer to deliver a message to his master, saying that I would pledge allegiance to him, completely. To my surprise, I quickly got an audience with this powerful lord. Sure, I was brought to him bound in chains, but he was willing to listen. At that point, I would have volunteered to serve willingly as a concubine if he refused everything else. I'd be a slave in all but name in such a situation, but I figured I might be able to advance.

"And again, to my surprise, he was impressed. He welcomed my services, and not simply as a concubine. I had to make several promises and sign over both my soul and spirit, as well as my powers of illusion – thus requiring the mask to hide my true form – but this entity welcomed my offer.

"I soon found that I had made a wise choice. I became infused with more power than I ever had before. My powers as a temptress weren't as powerful, but I developed other abilities. Powers of deception had been replaced by ones of pure might. Unlike most succubi, I became able to fight like more martial demons, by harnessing the raw chaos from the core of the Abyss.

"As a bonus, I was safe from Malcanthet's forces. They never came looking for me, because, as I've said before, my new master was far stronger than she, and they had no alliance. Extradition treaties do not exist in the Abyss.

"I made plans… Plans for revenge…"

"No…" said Yumi.

"Oh yes…" said Claret. "I visited Vienna soon after. I used talismans to make myself invisible, and started visiting Rasputin, whispering things into his ear…"

She laughed.

"You would be surprised at how often the tired old, 'How can the gods care for mortals when suffering exists?' line actually works! It was a demon who thought that up in the first place! The forces of Good try to debunk it.

"And when I suggested to him that the powers had let me invade Stephansdom with no defense, serious doubt was planted in his mind. Doubt turned to anger, anger turned to hate. Hate turned to despair.

"As I planned, Rasputin's rage and resentment grew. I stood over his shoulder, invisible, taunting him every time he saw hunger and poverty. Eventually, as I had planned, his soul rejected the light and believed my side.

"I eventually appeared to him in person, claiming to be Claret's rival. He readily believed it. After all, in most layers of the Abyss, succubi are their own worst enemies. In fact, he still believes it.

"I led him on the quest for more power. I convinced him to make a deal with that bastard Dispater in order to study infernal alchemy, showing him how to get the better of the old devil."

She chuckled.

"Oh, he's gotten suspicious at times. In recent years, he's pushed me away, not accepting my help. But now… I gave him an ultimatum. This partnership is the only way he'll survive now.

"So he gets what he wants, and as a bonus, my master gets what is desired too."

"And what is that?" asked Yumi, angrily.

Claret chuckled.

"My master will tell you, Yumi…" she said. "Right after you're put in shackles and sealed away for eternity!"

"What?" said Yumi.

She got up.

"WHY?"

"Like I said," said Claret. "I'll leave it to my master to tell you… But first…"

She pointed to Erik.

"…I'm going to make you suffer like you've never suffered before…"

"Fine!" shouted Erik. "On with the duel!"

**(Erik: 3,500) -------------------- (Claret: 7,000)**

"I draw one card…" said Claret.

She made a draw.

"Don't forget," said Erik, pointing his finger at her, "you've lost your Field Spell, so every round that your Archfiends are on the field, you have to pay the price…"

Prisonqueen Archfiend and Darkbishop Archfiend erupted in violet flames, and then the flames surrounded Claret. She groaned.

"Yes…" she said with a scowl. "That would be the… 1,000 Life Points I have to pay… for Prisonqueen… And the 500 for Darkbishop…

"So I'll get rid of Darkbishop. I play Mystik Wok."

She played a Spell Card, and Darkbishop Archfiend vanished into shadowy vapor. Claret glowed with dark energy.

"Prisonqueen Archfiend… obliterate his Spell Striker!

"Chaos inferno!"

The Archfiend threw up it arms and cast forth a bolt of dark, burning flames at the toy Warrior. Spell Striker held up the mallet like a shield. The weapon was blown to bits, but he was unharmed.

"Looks like someone missed part of the rule book," said Erik. "When a Monster is attacked while Equipped with a Union Monster, only one of them gets trashed."

Claret frowned.

"Fine…" she said. "I activate my Trap Card… Archfiend's Roar!"

Her facedown card lifted, showing the image of Terrorking looming over Darkbishop and bellowing.

"Now, for the price of 500 Life Points, an Archfiend comes back from my Graveyard."

In a burst of black flames, Terrorking Archfiend appeared on the field with a bloodthirsty howl. (2,000/1,500)

"Don't worry, he has to leave at the end of my turn. But for now…

"Attack his Spell Striker! Locust storm barrage!"

Terrorking's chest burst open, and the swarm of insects plowed into Spell Striker, consuming it.

"I'm still unhurt," said Erik, "due to his effect."

"I place one card facedown," said Claret, "and end my turn."

A facedown card appeared. Then Terrorking Archfiend burst into flames and was devoured by them.

**(E: 3,500) -------------------- (C: 6,400)**

Erik quickly drew a card.

"I'll set this card facedown…" he said.

A facedown card appeared.

"And mine will activate…" said Claret.

Her Trap Card lifted, showing a frightening picture of Terrorking slashing at Marauding Captain with his claw.

"NO!" shouted Chelsea. "That's Battle-Scarred!"

"What?" said Ren. "I'm assuming we don't like Battle-Scarred?"

"When it's activated…" started Chelsea.

"Shut up, mortal!" shouted Claret. "It's my card, and I'll explain what it does.

"It's true that my Queen is now a problem for me, requiring me to pay Life Points. But so long as this Trap is on the field, Erik, my problem is your problem too."

Erik gulped.

"I… end my turn…" he muttered.

"Then I draw…" said Claret, drawing a card. "And as I said, we both pay 1,000 Life Points for Prisonqueen Archfiend."

The violet flames surrounded the Archfiend again, and then the aura surrounded both duelists. Both of them moaned as their life was sapped.

"Destroy his Giant Rat!" shouted Claret.

Flames shot at the Giant Rat, and it was burned to a cinder.

"I summon Toy Soldier again!" shouted Erik.

Toy Soldier appeared in a burst of light. (800/300)

Claret's eyes glowed even fiercer.

"End…" she said.

**(E: 2,500) -------------------- (C: 5,400)**

Erik drew a card. He looked at it.

It was Graceful Charity.

_Okay, time to turn this around…_ he thought. _But first…_

"I summon two more Toy Soldiers…" he said.

Two more Toy Soldiers appeared, this time in Defense Mode.

"Now, I play Graceful Charity…"

He played the card, and the room became awash with light…

Erik didn't understand at first. He must have played Graceful Charity a hundred times since he started dueling, probably more. So many times, he had summoned the Angel of Charity, whose blessed feathers let him draw three cards in exchange for two…

…but this angel was not her.

The angel turned and looked at him. And then he recognized her…

"Anastasia?" he gasped.

It was Anastasia, but she had changed. Her sunglasses were gone, and so was her white business suit. But she was now dressed in a white toga, with golden sandals on her feet, and glorious feathered wings grew from her back.

She was more beautiful than ever. The sight of her filled ever human present with invigorating, nourishing energy. Claret, however, hid her eyes from the light.

"Yes, Erik, it's me," she said. "This is my true form. You've done well… The delay was enough for me to assume material form."

She shook her wings, and three feathers fell on Erik's deck.

"Now finish the duel," she said. "I have no doubt that this demon's pride is so great, she will not let the duel end without a winner…

"But I also have no doubt that you will win. Once you do, I will handle her myself."

"Right!" shouted Erik.

"One, two, three…"

He quickly drew three cards.

He looked at his hand.

_Perfect!_ he thought. _I'll keep these, and toss these…_

He discarded two cards, as Anastasia faded away.

"All right, Claret, I play… Premature Burial. Come back, Toy Emperor!"

Toy Emperor appeared on the field, and his mount reared up and whinnied. (2,300/800)

"I'll place a card facedown, move my other Toy Soldier to Defense Mode, and end my turn."

A facedown card appeared, and the first Toy Soldier crouched in Defense Mode.

**(E: 1,700) -------------------- (C: 5,400)**

"Draw…" said Claret.

The burning flames surrounded them again.

"Time to finish you off!" she shouted. "I play the Spell Card… Falling Down!"

Prisonqueen's eyes burned with black flame.

"This card costs me 800 Life Points for each of your Standby Phases, but so long as I have it and at least one Archfiend, one of your Monsters becomes my slave."

Prisonqueen gestured, and a set of black chains looped around Toy Emperor and his mount. He was dragged over to Claret's side of the field.

Claret chuckled.

"Bitch…" said Erik.

"Now, my slave…" ordered Claret, "attack the Toy Soldier on the left!"

Toy Emperor struggled to resist, but he lifted his saber, and charged at the Toy Soldier. With one slash, it was cut down.

"I know all about its effect, by the way," said Claret, taking her deck from the holder. "I get to take any Trap I want from my deck now."

She got what she wanted and put her deck back.

"Now, Prisonqueen Archfiend…" she ordered, "destroy the next one!"

The Archfiend raised its arms.

"Go, Trap Card!" shouted Erik. "Toy Cannon!"

His facedown card lifted, and the small cannon appeared on the field.

"This weapon can blast your Queen into Defense Mode, and deal you 400 points of damage from the impact."

Claret's eyes opened wide…

The Toy Cannon went off with a boom, knocking Prisonqueen Archfiend over, and Claret along with it. The wicked monarch crouched in Defense Mode.

Claret took some deep breaths as she got up.

She placed the card she had searched for in her deck, and it appeared facedown.

"Make your move," she said. "It will be your last."

**(E: 700) -------------------- (C: 4,000)**

_Poor Erik…_ she thought. _I can sense your fear… I suppose I could be nice and tell you that, according to the rulings for Battle-Scarred, since you can't pay the cost for Prisonqueen on my next turn, I'm the only one who'll be paying it._

_But I'm not very nice._

_You won't be winning anyway…_

She looked at a card in her hand.

_On my next turn, I'll simply use Emergency Provisions to dispose of Falling Down, and give you your Emperor back… Right before my Prisonqueen attacks it._

_And thanks to him, if you try to destroy Falling Down before then, my Judgment of Anubis will end this duel early. _

Erik snatched the top card off his Disk.

"Like you said," he said, "your Falling Down costs you 800 Life Points."

Claret winced a little as a black aura surrounded both her and Toy Emperor.

"I move my Toy Magician to Attack Mode," continued Erik. "So stand up!"

Toy Magician stood up and aimed his scepter.

"Next… Call of the Haunted!"

His facedown card lifted up. An explosion of energy rocked the field, and Toy Dragon appeared out of it. (2,300/2,000)

"What?" said Claret. "When was that in your Graveyard?"

"I put him there with Graceful Charity," said Erik. "And with three other Toy Monsters on the field, he gains 1,200 more Attack Points."

Toy Dragon roared… (3,500/2,000)

"Toy Dragon… Destroy Prisonqueen Archfiend! Shooting star shower!"

A blast of intense light shot from the maw of the Dragon, and the Archfiend screamed in pain. She burst into an explosion of black smoke and ash.

"You still haven't beaten me!" screamed Claret.

"Wanna bet?" asked Erik. "You have no Archfiends on your side of the field now. That means Falling Down is destroyed, and my Emperor is freed."

The chains binding Toy Emperor snapped, and he shook his head to get the haze out of it. He rode back to Erik's side of the field.

"This can't be…" gasped Claret. "No mortal has ever bested me at a Shadow Game…"

"Your winning streak is about to end…" said Erik. "Toy Emperor, attack her directly!"

Toy Emperor charged at the succubus, and jabbed his rapier into her torso. She hollered.

"Toy Magician, finish this!"

Toy Magician cast a burst of glowing orbs from his wand, and Claret fell to her knees.

**(E: 700) -------------------- (C: 0)**

"Whoa…" said Sam. "Erik… Erik won…"

"Yeah…" muttered Erik. "I… Uhm… I guess I won…"

Then everyone cringed in pain, as the black flames surrounded them. The aura surrounding Erik was the most intense. He fell to his knees, writhing in agony.

"So you won," muttered Claret. "You defeated a demon at her own game. Well, fine. You've earned your way into Heaven at least.

"I could burn you ashes right now, Erik, but I'm only going to do that to your allies. You…

"You, I think I'm gonna strangle."

Her hands clasped around his neck.

"Anastasia…" he grunted. "If you're gonna do something, now's the time…"

"UNHAND HIM!" screamed a voice.

"Huh?" said Claret.

What happened next took everyone totally by surprise, Claret most of all. A blast of pure light came from nowhere, striking the succubus and throwing her against the wall at the far end of the room with a very loud splat.

Everyone turned, and saw Anastasia, in all the glory of her true form, looking angrily at Claret. The dark flames surrounding them vanished.

"You want to kill these children," she said, angrily. "You want to take Yumi to your master in order to imprison her…

"I don't know why you plan these things, but I will not let you, demon.

"If you want to try, you will have to answer to me…"

_A very big monkey wrench has been thrown in the villains' plans, as Claret's sadistic game has given Anastasia enough time to assume material form. But what is about to occur? Anastasia may have gotten the drop on Claret, but there's no telling what the limits of this demon's powers are. And should a fight break out between them, the casualties may be dire… And more importantly, now that the truth is revealed, what will Rasputin's ultimate fate be?_

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**PRISONQUEEN ARCHFIEND (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fiend/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level:** 8  
**ATK:** 2,600  
**DEF:** 1,600

**Card Description:** The controller of this card pays 1,000 Life Points during each of his/her Standby Phases (this is not optional). During your Standby Phase, if this card is in your Graveyard and "Pandemonium" is face-up on the field, you may increase the ATK of a Level Four or lower Fiend-Type Monster by 1,000 until the End Phase.

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**BLAZES OF DEMISE (Spell Card)**

**Quickplay Spell**

**Image:** Two ghostly phantoms made of smoky, dark flames, each with one eye.

**Card Description:** When you activate this card, you cannot Normal Summon, Flip Summon or Special Summon during this turn. Special Summon two "Dark Blaze Phantom Tokens" (Fiend/Dark/Level One/ATK 0/DEF 0) in Defense Position on your side of the field. "Dark Blaze Phantom Tokens" cannot be Tributed except to Tribute Summon DARK Monsters.

_Note: "Prisonqueen Archfiend" and "Blazes of Demise" are real cards that will be released in "Phantom Darkness"._

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**PAZUNIA (Spell Card)**

**Field Spell**

**Image:** A circle of stone monoliths on a blasted wasteland, dotted with twisted trees and mountains of scorched, black stone.

**Card Description:** This card's name is treated as "Pandemonium". Neither player has to pay Life Points during their Standby Phases for Archfiend Monsters. Whenever an Archfiend Monster is targeted by a card effect and its owner rolls a die to attempt to negate the effect, the player may choose to disregard the first roll and roll a second time.

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**0**

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**COURT OF THE NINTH CIRCLE (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** Terrorking Archfiend and Infernalqueen Archfiend on thrones made of skulls holding the end of chains that hold a captive Dark Magician Girl.

**Card Description:** You can activate this card when you have at least one "Terrorking Archfiend" and at least one "Infernalqueen Archfiend" face-up on your side of the field. Special Summon one Archfiend Monster that is Level Four or lower from your hand or deck.

_Note: "Court of the Ninth Circle" first appeared in "Thousand-Year Door"._

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**ARCHFIEND'S FAVOR (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** A man in armor kneeling before Terrorking Archfiend and Infernalqueen Archfiend.

**Card Description:** You can only activate this card if "Pandemonium" is face-up on your side of the field. Increase your Life Points by 500 for each face-up Fiend-Type Monster on the field.

_Note: "Archfiend's Favor" first appeared in "Mandate of Heaven"._

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**Ren: Anastasia's kicking butt! We're saved!**

**Yumi: Yeah, for the moment we are… But if a fight between them tears Duelatopia apart, we'll be even worse off.**

**Anastasia: Yumi is right… I must find a way to vanquish this demon without the cataclysm that a battle between us would cause…**

**I have no choice… This time, I will duel…**

**Yumi: Anne… Are you serious? There's no telling what's waiting…**

**Chelsea: Hey, don't worry… This is one duelist I'd bet my college fund on.**

**Coming up next: "The Prodigy Returns; Challenge of Divine Law".**

**Anastasia: I may have lost my duel to Yumi's father… But my record is still better than most… I just hope I'm not too rusty…**

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_You heard right… Anastasia is dueling next chapter._

_And anyone who can correctly predict the theme of her deck will get ten brownie points. Care to try?_


	59. The Prodigy Returns

_Some words about last chapter._

_An astute reviewer – whom I assume is a fan of many anime, not just YGO – compared last chapter to the storyline in _Dragonball Z_ where Goku was rushing to complete the Spirit Bomb while his allies were fighting for their lives against Frieza. This would naturally make Erik assume Piccolo's role in this case, as hard as that is to picture._

_You know, even though I vaguely recall watching that arc of that show, it never really occurred to me. It's strange how some things turn out so similar._

_But anyway…_

_Read on, as my first villain ever, and the one whom I still hold a place for in my heart, takes Duel Disk in hand once again…_

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**CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT**

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**The Prodigy Returns**

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**Challenge of Divine Law**

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There was, perhaps, only one place in Duelatopia that was completely safe from the demons that had been invading it. That place was Cassandra's fortune telling shop. The good magic here was so strong, no demon would dare enter. Trying to do so would be suicide.

Cassandra knew of the demons, and she had been waiting for any word from her patrons in case they needed her to combat them, which she was more than capable of doing. There wasn't a need for that now, it seemed… Those who hadn't taken hosts were leaving for some reason.

For now, she closed her eyes in meditation.

Her eyes opened.

She looked at her deck of tarot cards. She slowly took a card off the top.

"No!" she gasped, as she saw what it was.

It was a horrible picture. It bore the image of a man lying on the ground dead, his body pierced by ten blades, blood spilling where he had fallen.

"The Ten of Swords…" muttered Cassandra, sadly. "The card that spells one thing… Death…"

She looked at her deck.

"All I can do now, is try to find the identity of the doomed one…"

Her hand sweat as she reached for the top card…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Outside of Clock Tower Prison, a squad of Centurions had surrounded the place. They were behind barriers, pointing weapons at every access and egress point.

Commander Descartes drove up on a transport.

"What's the situation, Lieutenant?" he asked the one at the forefront.

"Trouble," said the other Centurion. "Big time. Like you requested, Yumi Mouto's Duel Disk was traced, and she's clearly in the gear housing of the Clock Tower.

"However, the whole building is surrounded by a barrier of some sort. Michaels tried to enter. He wasn't injured, but if he hadn't been wearing his armor, we don't know what would have happened to him."

Descartes looked at the building.

Long ago, Siegfried Kaiba had taught him how to detect auras. And he could discern two powerful auras coming from the building.

One was a powerful aura of Good.

The other was a powerful combination of Evil and Chaos.

It didn't take him long to realize that this clearly meant that there were two supernatural forces up there, and they were likely fighting.

He shivered…

"Call in the heavy artillery," he said. "We'll try to blast our way through this barrier with everything we've got.

"In the meantime… Off the record… Anyone who's big on religion, it wouldn't hurt to start praying…"

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In the gear housing…

The six mortals could hardly believe what they were seeing.

Anastasia and Claret were hovering about ten feet off the ground, and were it not for the fact that one of them had feathered wings and a white toga, and the other had bat-like wings and horns, this would look like some catfight from an Indy movie. Both of them were trying to strangle each other. Claret had already resorted to hair-pulling before deciding that it was pointless – Anastasia's roots held her beautiful hair more firmly in place than cement, and once Claret let go, it wasn't even mussed up.

Even worse, the aura around the two of them constantly shifted, turning from light, to darkness, back to light again, back and forth constantly. It was hard to tell who was winning the struggle at this point.

"Uhm, amigos…" muttered Enrique. "I have a little confession to make…"

"What?" asked Yumi, a little annoyed.

"Well…" he replied. "One of my… guilty little pleasures is watching professional wrestling on the cable TV premium channels when there's a match between lady wrestlers. Yeah, I know that it's all choreographed and scripted, but I find it… uhm…"

"…a turn on?" growled Sam. "You like seeing women with gorgeous figures dressed in skimpy spandex pounding away at each other?"

"Yeah…" muttered Enrique. "Anyway, seeing this… This fight between two ladies when one of them is an angel and one of them is a demon… It is clearly NOT as entertaining as those shows on TV…"

"Don't worry…" said Chelsea. "Anastasia will beat this slut. She'll overpower her… She'll likely chain her to a slab of rock and then hurl her back to the dark pit where she came from. That's how these conflicts always resolve in the movies."

"Yeah, but at what cost?" asked Yumi.

She looked down at her Puzzle, which was glowing like a bonfire.

"These two haven't even broken a sweat yet," she said, "and the power they're giving off is already off the charts. Once the true fight begins, they're likely to level the whole city…

"Truly, we've gone out of the frying pan and into the fire…"

Anastasia paused. She had clearly heard this.

She grabbed hold of Claret's hands and started forcing her down.

_Yumi is right…_ she thought. _If my true power is unleashed, if I use every ounce of strength at my disposal to slay this demon, the one I worked so hard to protect for so long might die as well…_

_I took a vow when I became her guardian angel… A vow to protect her any way I could…_

_There's only one way I can deal with Claret without risking others… It will be a risk on my part… But I must._

She shouted, and shoved Claret off of her.

"Claret!" she shouted.

"Scuse me?" asked the succubus. "Having cold feet, Anne?"

She bore her claws.

"Tell me something, Claret," she asked. "Are you a coward?"

"I don't see any reason to answer that," replied Claret.

She was about to lunge at Anastasia again.

"Claret!" shouted Anastasia. "I, Anastasia Pegasus, offer a challenge under the rules of Divine Law!"

Then everyone was startled as lightning flashed with a roar of thunder.

Claret froze. She didn't pounce.

"Divine Law?" said Yumi. "What is that?"

The Pharaoh appeared next to her.

"I… I don't know…" he said. "But I have a feeling it isn't something that is taken lightly…"

Claret just stared at Anastasia for a few seconds.

"Claret…" said Anastasia. "I just challenged you to a contest under the rules of Divine Law. You know what that means… You either accept, or you have to high-tail it back to the Abyss right now. So what's it going to be?"

Claret frowned.

And then she smiled.

"Why sure…" she said. "My master would enjoy having an angel as a slave girl once I defeat you… I accept!"

"Fine," said Anastasia. "Since I challenged you, you get to decide which form the contest will take, within reason."

"Is Anne crazy?" shouted Ren. "She's risking herself playing by Claret's rules?"

"Well, fine…" said Claret. "Since we're in Duelatopia, I might as well choose Duel Monsters…"

"Now I think Claret's crazy!" shouted Ren. "She's challenging Anastasia to a duel?"

"You sure Anastasia can win?" asked Erik.

"Uhm, yes…" muttered Yumi, holding her chin. "This is only Anastasia Pegasus, as in the daughter of Maximillion Pegasus, the guy who invented the game and taught her personally. Anastasia only lost one duel in her life, and that was to my dad."

Both the angel and the demon landed, their feet touching the floor.

"Now then…" said Claret. "I enact clause forty-seven of the rules of challenge by Divine Law. Since I already partook of the same contest that I chose in the past rotation of the gears of Mechanus, i.e. one planar day, I demand the right to compete via proxy."

"Que?" said Enrique.

"She's going to have someone duel in her place," replied Yumi. "Clearly, that's why she chose Duel Monsters."

Anastasia frowned.

"You have the right…" she said. "Assuming… _Assuming,_ that is, you can find someone willing to do it."

Claret grinned.

The mysterious door appeared again, and it slowly opened.

The one who came out was someone they all knew too well. It was Rasputin.

He crossed his arms and frowned at everyone.

"Rasputin…" said Claret. "You say that beings like this are neglectful. Well prove that you are superior to them. Duel her and we can finish these fools."

Rasputin turned to her and frowned.

"No," he said. "Duel her yourself."

"Huh?" said Claret.

She looked at him.

"But… We had a deal…"

Rasputin sighed, and looked at Louis, who was still lying unconscious against the wall…

He walked over to him, and then bent over the unconscious henchman. He carefully undid his jacket and unbuttoned his shirt.

"You all thought this fancy suit was just for looks, right?" he said, opening the shirt. "My partnership is officially over. With both you, and your other partner…"

Claret turned pale…

Louis's chest was covered with small pieces of machinery, strapped on with duct tape.

"A wire," said Rasputin, with his voice full of spite. "It was working all through your duel with Mr. Matell… I heard every bit of the conversation…

"I have had very little trust in all divine beings… Up to now, that included whether they came from celestial OR infernal regions. And I _never_ trusted you. I know now that I should have had more trust in celestial ones.

"Claret, I was suspicious of you for years… I couldn't prove it, but there were times I wondered whether or not I had actually killed you… I knew full well that summoned demons aren't truly dead when they die in the mortal realm. I had hoped that if that were the case, Malcanthet would punish you once you got back.

"Now, I know what happened, and I realize that you not only survived, but you were a sore loser. You made me ageless only to turn my life into a misery that wouldn't end. It was all a sadistic joke.

"I realize the truth now… The immortality I sought wasn't a boon… It was a curse.

"So our deal is off. Duel her yourself."

"Rasputin!" shouted Claret. "I warn you… Your life is hanging by a thread… You only have a few months left to live, and the Centurions are waiting for you! You'll spend your last miserable days in a cold, dreary holding cell. If I lose this duel, you'll be left with nothing!"

"WRONG!" shouted Rasputin, getting in her face. "I'll have one thing left… I'll have a thing I haven't had for years…

"…my self-respect."

Claret looked at him. Then she grinned evilly.

"You know," she said, "It's never wise to get that close to a succubus…"

Then she grabbed him, and planted a deep kiss on his lips. Rasputin tried to struggle, but she was too strong.

After a few seconds, she let go… Rasputin gagged and spit on the ground.

"Well, the Earth didn't exactly move for me either," growled Claret, wiping her mouth.

Rasputin turned and looked at Anne.

He took a deck out of his coat and placed it in his Disk.

"Let's duel," he said.

"Claret!" shouted Yumi. "What did you do to him?"

"I infected him with a dose of his own domination pheromone," said Claret. "Who do you think taught him how to make that stuff? Malcanthet is the greatest seducer in the universe. She's invented hundreds of formulas for controlling the opposite gender."

"You play dirty, demon," said Anastasia.

She gestured, and a Disk appeared on her arm in a flash of light.

"Fine… Whether I fight you or your proxy, you'll still be the loser in the end. As Yumi said, my record as a duelist when I was alive was an impressive 1,203-1-0, and I don't intend on worsening that record."

A deck appeared in her hand, and she shuffled it.

"Now, Rasputin…" said Claret, "use the deck I gave you, and show her truly that you have no need for her kind. Show her that mortal power is superior to that of any beings who call themselves gods!"

"What does she mean?" asked Ren. "What the heck sort of deck is Rasputin using?"

"I'm guessing it isn't a Fairy Deck," muttered Sam.

"So what sort of deck do you suppose Anne uses?" asked Chelsea.

"It could be anything," said Yumi. "As the daughter of Pegasus, she stores a copy of every Duel Monsters card ever created in her spiritual vault. So in theory, she could construct a deck with any strategy imaginable."

Thunder crashed again…

"Game on!" shouted both duelists.

**(Anastasia: 8,000) -------------------- (Rasputin: 8,000)**

"Ladies first, I always say…" said Rasputin.

"Thanks," said Anastasia, drawing a card.

She looked at her hand.

"I set this in Defense Mode, and I think I'll leave it at that."

A facedown Monster appeared.

"That all?" asked Rasputin, drawing a card. "You must be rusty…

"I summon Laplace, the Fiend Mathematician."

A low chuckle sounded over the field as figure rose in front of Rasputin. It was a gaunt, skeletal figure, with bony hands and feet, dressed in a blue scholarly robe and a tattered, brown cape. Its head was the skull of some fiendish ram or bison. (1,000/1,000)

"Oh, please," said Anastasia. "Do you actually think I'm scared of that?"

"Perhaps you'll be more scared once I destroy your only defense using Shield Crush," he replied.

He played a Spell Card, and a bolt of energy shot out of the card. A weird creature appeared kneeling on the card. It looked kind of like Bugs Bunny with black fur, with a leather jacket and a sword in a sheath at its hip. It had a silly-looking grin.

The beam hit it, and it was blown to bits.

"Huh?" said Rasputin.

"Nope…" said Anastasia, crossing her arms. "I'm still not afraid of your Fiend. Not one bit."

"Stuff it, Anne!" said Rasputin with a scowl. "What sort of Monster was that?"

"A Dark Rabbit," she replied. "As if you cared. If you want to attack, then do it already."

"Oh, have it your way…" he replied. "Laplace, attack her directly!"

The Fiend Mathematician's eyes glowed, and two fiery blasts shot at Anne, striking her. She barely even seemed to notice.

**(A: 7,000) -------------------- (R: 8,000)**

"Anne!" shouted Yumi.

"Don't concern yourself," replied Anastasia. "He's hardly won yet, and I've endured things much more unpleasant."

"Oh, sure…" said Rasputin. "I'm sure everything you had to endure to make up for what you did when you were alive was very painful…"

Anne's eyes glowed intensely. Her fist clenched. It was clear that Rasputin was getting close to making her cross the line.

She wouldn't cross it. That part of her she had buried long ago.

"That will conclude my turn," said Rasputin.

Anastasia relaxed, and drew a card.

"I summon Toon Goblin Attack Force," she said. "In Attack Mode, naturally."

There was a goofy giggling, and five silly-looking goblins carrying clubs that looked like wiffle-bats jumped onto the field. (2,300/0)

"They can't attack this round," she said. "So consider yourself lucky."

Claret chuckled.

"Oh, I get it…" she said. "You're using daddy's Toon Deck. How… unusual…

"How utterly stupid… You're fighting a battle using the most sacred set of rules set forth by immortal beings, where the winner can punish the loser any way she chooses, and you choose to fight using a bunch of ridiculous watercolor creatures?"

"No…" said Anastasia. "I choose to use a deck that has the soul of my father in it… The soul of the creator of Duel Monsters! And I'll use it like a sword, to slash through any Shadows that cover this island and darken the land.

"Through this deck, the spirit of the creator lives again… And I will triumph…"

Lightning flashed again.

"Very dramatic," said Rasputin. "I draw."

He drew a card.

"Okay, Anne," he said. "I play the Spell Card, Schrödinger's Cat."

He played the card, and an odd Continuous Spell Card appeared on his side of the field. It had a picture of a tabby cat dressed in a white tuxedo, holing a cane and balancing a top hat on its tail.

"With this Spell Card…"

"I know what these cards do, Rasputin…" said Anastasia. "My dad invented them, remember?"

Rasputin growled.

"Well!" he said. "For everyone here who isn't related to the guy who invented the game, I'm gonna explain it anyway! I play Pot of Greed."

He played the card, and as usual, the jar appeared. He drew two cards.

"You see, thanks to my Cat, whenever I draw cards outside of my Draw Phase, I have the option of sending them back to my deck, reshuffling, and then drawing again."

He looked at the two cards he had drawn.

"And I think I'll do just that…"

He started shuffling his deck.

"I think I see the point of Rasputin's deck," said Yumi, shaking her head.

"What?" said Ren. "Because I sure don't…"

"Well…" said Yumi, "in Duel Monsters, drawing cards involves a lot of chance and randomness. When a good duelist builds a deck, he takes probability and function in mind. But like I've said before, a little faith never hurt.

"However, Rasputin is trying to do away with faith entirely. He's using cards to manipulate his draws, to increase the probability of getting the right cards, leaving almost nothing to chance at all. If he wins, he may well prove that he can win without relying on anything but his own ability."

"So…" said Rasputin. "I draw twice again."

Claret chuckled. She could clearly see what Rasputin had drawn.

_Now show her your true power, _Rasputin, said her voice in his head.

Rasputin opened his Field Slot and placed a card in it.

"I play… Relativity Field!" he shouted.

Darkness spread from where he was standing. Within seconds, the whole gear housing was replaced by a void of stars.

"What in blazes…" said Chelsea.

"Next," said Rasputin, "I throw a card facedown…"

A facedown card appeared in front of him.

"Now... my Fiend may play a little rough, so I'll summon a much friendlier Mathematician."

He played a card, and a new Monster appeared on the field. It was a short, dumpy guy who fit the profile of a nutty professor. He was dressed in a long academic robe and mortarboard, and had a beard that reached down to his toes. He held a staff with a knob shaped like an academic crown. (1,500/500)

"When this guy is summoned," said Rasputin, "I have to send the top card from my deck to the Graveyard. But that's the cost for being a Level Three Monster as powerful as this one…"

He discarded a card.

"Now, then… Let me tell you one of many legends that alchemists know of… Once, long ago, there was an alchemist whose wife and children were murdered by demons. Burning with grief and anger, this alchemist traveled to the ends of the world to find the ultimate weapon to use against the forces of darkness, a spell that could kill any demon instantly, body and soul…

"After years of search and several hardships, he found that weapon… I hold it now."

He played a Spell Card.

"I play… Exile of Wicked."

"That makes no sense!" shouted Sam. "The only Fiend on the field is your own Laplace!"

"Exactly," said Rasputin.

Ghostly tendrils snaked out of the card, and constricted the Fiend Mathematician. He let out and unholy scream, and was reduced to ashes.

Claret groaned and held her stomach. Clearly even though she was no Duel Monster, the power that the Shadow Game had given that Spell Card had caused her a little pain…

"I know of that alchemist…" she muttered. "After using his weapon for years, he was captured, and to this day, his soul is imprisoned in Graz'zt's palace, where any visiting demon to use him as a torture subject for a small fee.

"But why don't you tell them why you did that?"

"Simple," said Rasputin. "When Laplace leaves the field, my opponent loses 300 Life Points for each card on the field. Counting the Field Spell, that's five cards."

Anastasia cringed a little as a red aura surrounded her.

"And then there's the effect of my Relativity Field itself," he continued. "Whenever a player loses Life Points, his or her Monsters lose the same amount of Attack Points. That means your goblins are cut down to size."

Toon Goblin Attack Force chuckled nervously as their Attack Score fell down to 800.

"Now, Mathematician… Attack her goblins with Battle Curriculum!"

Mathematician aimed his staff, and shot a beam of energy that seemed to consist of numbers and mathematical symbols. Toon Goblin Attack Force exploded into shards.

"Who says math class has to be boring?" laughed Rasputin.

**(A: 4,800) -------------------- (R: 8,000)**

"She's losing…" muttered Erik. "Well, I guess we're… doomed…"

"Don't say that!" shouted Sam. "Don't you start doubting her powers."

"Okay…" said Anastasia. "Here goes…"

She reached for her deck.

"Not so fast…" said Rasputin.

His Trap Card lifted.

"It's called Draw Paradox," he said. "When this card is in play, our Draw Phases are interchanged. In other words, I draw during your Draw Phase, and you draw during mine."

"Clever…" said Anastasia. "So do it already!"

Rasputin drew a card.

Anne looked at the five cards already in her hand.

_His strategy is odd,_ she thought, _but I think I see where it's going. And I've got to turn it around fast…_

"I throw two cards facedown, and summon Toon Cannon Soldier," she said.

Two facedown cards appeared, and then a goofy toy robot with guns on its hands and on its head with a huge smile on its face appeared in front of her. (1,400/1,300)

"I end my turn," said Anastasia.

"Then I start mine," said Rasputin. "And due to Draw Paradox, that means that you get to draw now."

"I know that," said Anastasia, drawing a card.

"This is the craziest duel I've ever seen…" said Ren.

"Crazier than that one where you dueled that waitress with the walking vegetables?" asked Chelsea.

"No, at least that one made a little sense," said Ren.

"Time to summon someone new," said Rasputin. "I summon… The Calculator!"

He played the card, and a strange creature appeared. It was a cute robot, with a number pad for a torso, and a screen for a face.

"Let me explain to you how this Monster calculates its Attack Score," said Rasputin. "First, it adds. It adds together the Levels of the Monsters on my side of the field."

The Calculator punched some numbers on its chest, and the numerals "2 3" appeared on its screen. Then it hit a key, and the numeral 5 appeared.

"Then it multiplies," said Rasputin. "It multiplies the sum by 300."

The Calculator punched some more numbers. Its screen read "5x300". Then it punched a button and it read "1,500".

"And see for yourself…"

(1,500/0)

"Mathematician…" ordered Rasputin, "attack the Toon Cannon Soldier!"

Mathematician aimed his staff.

"Surprise…" said Anastasia. "I have a Trap… Magic Cylinder."

Her facedown card lifted.

"This Trap Card fires your Battle Curriculum right back at you."

The stream of numbers shot back at Rasputin. He groaned, and cringed as it hit him.

**(A: 4,800) -------------------- (R: 6,500)**

"Oh, I suppose you think that's funny," said Rasputin. "Well, my Calculator still has an attack…"

"No it doesn't," said Anastasia. "Since you lost Life Points, your Field Spell works against you, reducing both your Monsters' Attack Scores to zero."

The Calculator sparked, and Mathematician groaned, and both fell to zero Attack Points.

"Fine!" shouted Rasputin. "I end my turn."

"Then I start mine," said Anastasia. "So draw!"

Rasputin drew a card.

_Excellent,_ said Claret's voice in his ear. _Next turn, you can finish her off!_

"I don't need any cat to get the right cards," said Anastasia, looking at her cards. "I already got what I need right here."

She placed a Spell Card in her Disk. Then she took five cards off the top of her Disk.

"I remove five cards from my deck from play…"

She tossed the five cards up in the air, and they started to dance around her head in a chaotic pattern. Then, they vanished into sparkles of light.

"But that means…" said Rasputin.

"That's right!" said Anastasia. "I play the card that's the nerve center of my deck… A portal to a world beyond good, beyond evil, beyond any creature's wildest imagination!

"The incredible Toon Kingdom!"

An explosion of colored smoke appeared on her side of the field, followed by an explosion of streamers and fireworks. A large, green book with the picture of a comical king on its cover floated up over the field. It opened with a burst of energy, its pages opening like some large pop-up book with a cartoon castle growing from inside, with two huge torches flanking it.

"Now my Toons can really strut their stuff," said Anastasia. "Case in point… I sacrifice Toon Cannon Soldier…"

Toon Cannon Soldier jumped up, and leapt into Toon Kingdom with a somersault. The book slammed shut, and then spun around. Energy shot from it.

Then it opened, and purple smoke poured from it.

"Come out and play, Toon Dark Magician Girl!"

The creature that appeared from out of the smoke was… surreal. She looked like Yumi's star Monster at first glance, but when you looked closely, she was clearly not the same. It was as if some kid from a child's cartoon had dressed up like Dark Magician Girl for Halloween. (2,000/1,700)

"Lovely…" said Rasputin. "And to think I thought the original one was bad enough…"

"It's about to get worse," said Anastasia, "Toon Dark Magician Girl… Attack Mr. Lamont directly!"

Toon Dark Magician Girl's free hand glowed. Everyone was a little surprised as a pie appeared in it…

She laughed hysterically as she hurled it, hitting Rasputin in the face with an audible splat.

Rasputin fell over. Toon Dark Magician Girl fell over too, laughing and holding her sides.

**(A: 4,800) -------------------- (R: 4,500)**

"Yeah!" cheered Ren.

"All right!" shouted Chelsea. "Toon Dark Magician Girl is kicking some serious A."

Rasputin wiped his face.

"Chocolate meringue?" he said, glaring at Anne. "That was a waste of a perfectly good dessert."

He got up.

"I hate cartoons…" he muttered. "Senseless, mindless, meaningless drivel… Clearly this mockery of the performing arts is the lowest form of entertainment. It is a mystery to me why generation after generation of youth are drawn to this sludge. It boggles the mind."

Anastasia gave him a dirty look. Toon Dark Magician Girl stopped laughing. She looked a little pissed herself.

"Rasputin…" said Anastasia, putting her hand on her hip. "Do you know why the great Walt Disney created his first animated shorts featuring Mikey Mouse, Donald Duck, and all those other characters?"

"To make money?" replied Rasputin.

"Oh, please," said Anastasia. "His salary at that time was pitiful. He had a deeper reason.

"You see, it was the height of the Great Depression in America. Most Americans were out of work… Jobless, helpless, and in most cases, hopeless. Filmmakers like Walt saw it as their duty to make movies, because cheap Saturday matinees were the only form of entertainment that the average person could afford after days of unsuccessful job searching.

"And Walt got an idea. He started making cartoons.

"He made these animated shorts. Short films to be shown in theaters before the main attraction, full of funny characters doing silly antics.

"And when the poor, unemployed people went to these shows and saw these cartoons, they did something that they desperately needed to do.

"They laughed. Walt's small bit of humor gave them the small bit of joy that they needed to continue on, and not give up hope.

"You see, Rasputin, Walt Disney knew a vital truth… A world without humor is a bleak and cold world, which will ultimately sink into darkness, despair, and death."

Rasputin looked at her hard.

He bowed his head slightly…

_Don't listen to her!_ screamed Claret's voice in his head. _She's your enemy! She's trying to distract you! Use what you have to crush that blasted thing!_

"Right…" mumbled Rasputin. "It's my move…"

"Which means I draw, due to your Draw Paradox," said Anastasia, drawing a card.

"And it's time for you to experience some serious pain," said Rasputin. "I play the Spell Card, Battle Constants.

"To play this card, I must remove from play one Monster, one Continuous Spell, and one Continuous Trap. So the first thing I'll remove from play is my Mathematician."

Mathematician rippled, and vanished into nothing.

"Now, I remove Draw Paradox and Schrödinger's Cat from play as well, to open a portal which summons a creature that rules the void between the stars…"

The two cards vanished, and a portal of pure energy opened, and a huge creature flew out. It was a Dragon, serpentine in shape, with three sets of wings and a small set of claws. It roared in fury. (2,800/2,300)

"Meet Brain Dragon," said Rasputin, as the huge creature loomed over the field. "But before I use him, I'm going to take care of that eyesore…

"I play Mystical Space Typhoon!"

He played the card, and the cyclone blew across the field. Toon Kingdom shattered into bits. Toon Dark Magician Girl screamed, and then she shattered too.

"It's over, Anne!" shouted Rasputin. "Brain Dragon, attack directly with Big Bang Blast!"

Brain Dragon blasted a wide bolt of flaming energy from its jaws. Claret laughed with glee as Anastasia screamed as she was seemingly consumed by it…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Looking up from outside at this time was Commander Descartes.

Under his helmet, a look of shock crossed his face. The aura of Chaos and Evil had just gained a big advantage over the aura of Good. Even a beginner at detecting auras knew that this was bad news.

"What is taking you guys so long?" he shouted.

He turned towards a group of even more heavily armored men who were working a large device that looked like a howitzer.

"It's ready, sir," said one of them. "This plasma blaster can reduce an army tank to slag. It should bust through that dome in one shot.

"All we need to do is set the intensity, set the stream to bolt width, then…"

"Masterson!" snapped Descartes. "Stop explaining it, and just do it!"

"Yes sir!" he said. "Everyone, eye protection to max!"

All the Centurions adjusted their visors.

"Firing in three…

"Two…

"One…

"Fire!"

The weapon fired a blast of white-hot flame mixed with plasma at the barrier, and all of Duelatopia looked towards the Museum District as it was lit up against the night sky.

The Centurions looked. The pavement in front of them had been melted into molten tar…

However, the barrier was still there.

"Impossible!" shouted Majors. "We didn't harm it at all?"

Descartes looked at it.

"Yes, you did," he said. "You didn't destroy it, but you cracked it good. Another blast should smash it to pieces. How long before that thing can recharge?"

"Fifteen minutes," sighed Masterson. "At the earliest."

"Let's hope whoever is up there can hold on that long," said Descartes.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**(A: 2,000) -------------------- (R: 4,500)**

Anastasia stared at Rasputin as smoke poured from her toga and hair. Fortunately, she didn't seem to be hurt much.

"It isn't over yet, Rasputin," she said.

"Oh?" he asked. "Take a look at my Calculator."

Everyone looked at The Calculator.

"That's right," said Rasputin. "Since a new Monster was summoned, its Attack Score was recalculated and reset. There are ten Levels worth of Monsters on the field now…"

(3,000/0)

"Did you think I put it in this deck solely because it fit the theme?" he asked. "I had a much smarter reason. If it ever loses Attack Points due to the Field Spell, its points are reset as soon as a new Monster is summoned.

"Attack her directly! Number cruncher!"

"ANNE!" shouted everyone.

The Calculator shot a beam of energy that resembled Mathematician's blast at Anastasia…

"I activate my other Trap!" shouted Anne. "Draining Shield!"

Her other facedown card lifted, and a dome of energy shot up. The blast plowed into it.

"WHAT?" shouted Claret. "You had that set… And you let Brain Dragon's attack hit you…"

"How many times are you guys going to forget that you can't surprise me?" asked Anastasia. "I can quote the descriptions and rulings of every single card in the game from memory! I was just too close to the game to be caught off guard by your strategy!

"I knew that The Calculator was still there, I knew that its Attack Score was reset, and I _knew_, most importantly, that it was stronger than Brain Dragon. So I waited to use Draining Shield.

"So… Anything else, Rasputin?"

Everyone on Yumi's side except Yumi herself breathed a sigh of relief.

**(A: 5,000) -------------------- (R: 4,500)**

"People, don't breathe easy yet," she said. "Anne is in big trouble."

Rasputin frowned. That last move had cost him every card in his hand. He had expected to win on that turn.

"You bet she is," he said. "The turn is yours, and it may be your last."

"Fine," said Anastasia. "And since your Draw Paradox is gone, our Draw Phases are back to normal."

She drew a card. She looked at it and quickly set it on the field, and a facedown Monster appeared.

"Go ahead," she said.

"That all?" said Rasputin, drawing a card. "Well, Brain Dragon has an effect that you might be interested in. During my Draw Phase, I get to draw two extra cards. Then I put any two cards from my hand back on the top of my deck in any order."

He made two extra draws.

He frowned.

"Disappointed?" asked Anastasia, with a grin. "It seems that even manipulating your chances isn't helping much."

Rasputin took two of the cards, and placed them on the top of his deck.

"Brain Dragon, attack!" he shouted.

Brain Dragon shot its thunderous blast at the facedown Monster, blowing it to bits.

"Since you obviously didn't see my Monster before your Brain Dragon blew it to smithereens," said Anastasia, "I should tell you that it was my Morphing Jar."

Both of them discarded what was left of their hands, and made five draws.

"You know…" said Ren, "I often wonder about that term… Just what _is_ a smithereen, exactly?"

"Will you shut up?" shouted Erik. "Anne is trying to save our lives here!"

"Save your lives?" laughed Claret. "She can barely save herself. Making that challenge was the most foolish thing she's ever done. Never before has an angel as young as her invoked such a powerful dictum."

"Hey, watch it," said Anastasia. "I can tell that you're pretty young yourself, Claret, as least as far as demons are concerned. For demons, being five-hundred years old is considered sweet sixteen."

Claret scowled.

"Rasputin…" she said. "Win this duel quickly… She's really getting on my nerves…"

"I'm trying!" he shouted. "Calculator, let's try it again."

The Calculator fired its number cruncher, and Anne screamed as it plowed into her.

She gasped for breath.

**(A: 2,000) -------------------- (R: 4,500)**

"Your move," said Rasputin.

"Then I draw…" said Anastasia, making a draw.

"I play… Pot of Geed," she said.

She played a card from her hand, and then drew two more cards.

Then a Spell Card appeared on her side of the field.

"Next, I play A Feather of the Phoenix. So I toss one card…"

She slipped Toon Summoned Skull into her discard slot.

"And one card from my Graveyard goes to the top of my deck."

Toon Kingdom slipped out of her discard slot, and she placed it on the top of her deck.

"Next, a new Spell Card, the powerful Lucky Shamrock!"

The Spell Card that appeared had the image of a shamrock with three leaves, one green, one orange, and one purple.

"I pay 1,000 Life Points to use this card. Then I get to draw three cards. If those three happen to consist of a Spell, Trap, AND a Monster, I gain 2,000 Life Points, for a net gain of 1,000."

"HA!" laughed Claret. "No-one could be that lucky!"

"We'll soon see…" said Anastasia.

She drew three more cards.

She grinned and turned them forward…

They were Toon Kingdom, Toon Gemini Elf, and Dark Coffin.

Claret gasped as a golden glow surrounded Anastasia.

"Next, up," said Anastasia, playing another Spell Card, "I remove five more cards from play, to play Toon Kingdom again!"

In another explosion of energy, Toon Kingdom rose out of the void again. It spun around, and opened again.

"Next, Premature Burial!" she shouted.

She played the card, and Toon Dark Magician Girl appeared again, laughing with glee. (2,000/1,700)

"I'm just getting warmed up," said Anastasia. "Attack Rasputin directly!"

Toon Dark Magician Girl flew at Rasputin, holding her staff above her head.

"Oh no…" he muttered.

The Toon Spellcaster walloped him over the head with the staff, knocking him down on his rump. When he opened his eyes, a small flock of cartoon birds were circling his head.

"SHOO!" he shouted, shooing them away.

"Hey, Rasputin!" shouted Ren. "Because of your own Field Spell, your Brain Dragon turns from almighty titan, to world's biggest wimp!"

Rasputin and Claret both gasped. It was true. Brain Dragon roared as its Attack Score plunged to only 800. The Calculator fell to 1,000.

_My Dragon can't even defeat a Toon Masked Sorcerer now,_ thought Rasputin. _But I still have one surprise left…_

"Now I play, Magical Mallet," said Anastasia, playing another Spell Card. "I'll reshuffle the four cards I have left, and draw four new ones."

She placed her four cards – Toon Defense, Dark Coffin, Spell Reproduction, and Toon Gemini Elf – into her deck, and quickly shuffled. Then she quickly drew four times.

She looked at them.

"I play one card facedown, and end my turn."

A facedown card appeared in a burst of light.

"Finally…" muttered Rasputin.

**(A: 2,200) -------------------- (R: 2,500)**

He drew one card from his deck.

"I use the effect of Brain Dragon again," he said, drawing two more cards.

He looked over the cards in his hand.

"I shift Brain Dragon and The Calculator to Defense Mode."

Brain Dragon curled up in its coils like a serpent. The Calculator scrunched down and shielded itself.

"Next, I play the Spell Card, Impenetrable Formation. This Spell Card boosts the Defense Score of one of my Monsters by 700 points, so long as I have at least two Monsters and all of them are in Defense Mode."

Brain Dragon's Defense rose to 3,000.

"What's the point?" asked Sam. "Doesn't he know by now that Toons can attack directly?"

"Not for long," said Rasputin. "Next, I Equip my Dragon with Ring of Magnetism."

He played the card, and four sparking nodes appeared, surrounding Brain Dragon. Then, wires of pure electricity connected the four nodes, forming a ring. Brain Dragon fell to (300/2,500)

"It may lower my Dragon's points, but it becomes the only target that can be attacked, directly or otherwise. And should you manage to summon a Monster that could destroy it…"

He played another card.

"I play The Dark Door. And so long as this Door remains open, both of us may only attack with one Monster per turn. Did you get all that?"

"Yes, I got all that," said Anastasia, crossing her arms. "And it seems you're making a pathetic attempt to stall.

"You will fail.

"Maybe," said Rasputin. "It's your move."

Anastasia drew a card. She added it to her hand.

"Actually," she said, "I choose to end my turn without making any move."

"Then once again," said Rasputin. "I draw three cards…"

He made three draws. He looked them over.

"And place two on the top of my deck."

He casually placed two cards on the top of his deck, as if he didn't care what the were.

"Now," said Rasputin. "I summon my Armageddon Knight."

He played the card, and a cold wind blew through the void. A dark figure appeared on the field. It was a Warrior in rusty, worn armor, holding a cutlass, wearing a tattered, red scarf over his mouth. (1,400/1,200)

Ren suddenly took notice. It was apparently a Dark Warrior he had never heard of before.

"When Armageddon Knight is summoned," said Rasputin, taking his deck, "I get to send any Dark Monster I desire from my deck to the Graveyard."

_Really?_ thought Ren. _I should look into this guy…_

Rasputin got what he wanted, and discarded it.

"Your Knight is in Attack Mode!" shouted Anastasia. "That means the effect of your Impenetrable Formation is no longer valid."

Brain Dragon's Defense fell to 1,800.

"True," said Rasputin. "So, I'll shift The Calculator to Attack Mode as well. And now that there are a total of fourteen Levels worth of Monsters on my side of the field…"

The Calculator stood up… (4,200/0)

"Attack her Toon Dark Magician Girl!" he shouted.

The Calculator fired its number cruncher.

"Activate… Shrink!" shouted Anastasia, as her facedown card lifted up. "Time for some division."

The Calculator shrunk to half its size, and to an Attack Score of 2,100.

"It's still stronger than your Toon!" shouted Rasputin.

Toon Dark Magician Girl simply laughed. She stretched like rubber, and the blast missed her.

Anastasia grinned, and held up a Toon Alligator that she had taken off the top of her deck.

"Toon Kingdom has an added effect that the normal Toon World doesn't have," she said. "So long as I remove the top card on my deck from play, my Toons are invincible."

"So be it," said Rasputin. "But you still lost 100 Life Points, so due to my Field Spell, your Toon still loses that many Attack Points."

Toon Dark Magician Girl fell to an Attack Score of 1,900.

"I set one card facedown," he said.

A facedown card appeared in front of him.

"Finally, a Spell Card," he said, playing a card. "It's called Grey Matter. With Brain Dragon on the field, this lets me retrieve a Monster from my Graveyard…"

A card slipped out of his discard slot.

"…but there are two conditions. I can't use it until next turn, and when I finally decide to use it, I have to pay 1,000 Life Points.

"It's your move."

**(A: 2,100) -------------------- (R: 2,500)**

_That's clearly the card he tossed with Armageddon Knight's effect,_ thought Yumi. _What could it be?_

Anastasia drew a card.

"That Calculator of yours is a big problem," she said. "So I'm getting rid of it taking out your Dragon in one fell swoop.

"I play Brain Control."

She played the card, and the sinister-looking brain appeared in front of her.

"I just pay 800 Life Points, and your Calculator becomes mine."

Two arms reached forward, and grabbed the robot, pulling it over to Anne's side.

"Let's recalculate, shall we?" she asked. "My Toon Dark Magician Girl is Level Six, plus the Calculator's two Levels…"

The Calculator punched the equation again…

(2,400/0)

"Calculator, attack his Brain Dragon. Number cruncher."

The Calculator shot its blast at Brain Dragon…

"Go! Negate Attack!" shouted Rasputin.

His facedown card flipped up, and a vortex of energy swallowed the blast.

"Well then…" said Anastasia. "I can still use your Calculator to summon something else…

"I sacrifice it and my Toon Dark Magician Girl…"

Toon Dark Magician Girl and The Calculator leapt up into Toon Kingdom and the great book slammed shut…

Toon Kingdom crackled with eerie, ominous energy… It slowly opened…

"A double sacrifice?" said Sam. "That could only mean… Manga Ryu-Ran, or…

"Oh… no…"

Flying out of the book was the largest Toon yet. It was a cartoon version of one of the most famous Monsters in existence, right down to the blue eyes and white scales. It let out a deep, throaty laugh as it looked at Rasputin.

"Meet the mightiest resident of Toon Kingdom!" shouted Anastasia. "The Blue-Eyes Toon Dragon!"

(3,000/2,500)

"Your uncle must be rolling over in his grave," muttered Erik to Sam.

"No he isn't," muttered Sam. "My uncle was cremated. But even so, I doubt he'd approve of this…"

"People, cheer up!" said Chelsea. "Sure it's a ridiculous mockery, but Anne is gonna win! That thing can blow Rasputin's Brain Dragon to bits!"

"Uh, guys," said Yumi. "You do realize that it can't attack this round? Anne already used her Battle Phase."

"Unfortunately, Yumi is right," said Anastasia. "In fact, since this Toon is Class-A, it can't attack on the round it's summoned anyway. That's why I attacked with The Calculator first. But for now, I'll play Pot of Avarice."

She played the card, and five cards slipped out of her discard slot: Toon Dark Magician Girl, Toon Goblin Attack Force, Toon Summoned Skull, Dark Rabbit, and Toon Cannon Soldier. She shuffled them into her deck and drew two cards.

She looked at her cards.

"I set one card facedown, and end my turn."

A facedown card appeared in a flash of light.

**(A: 1,300) -------------------- (R: 2,500)**

"Then I draw…" said Rasputin, drawing a card.

"Hold it, Rasputin!" shouted Anastasia. "I'm chaining this to your Draw Phase!"

One of her facedown cards lifted.

"It's one of my dad's favorite Traps," she said. "Gorgon's Eye."

A weird creature appeared over Anastasia. It looked like a mass of swarming snakes with an eye in the center.

"Yeah, I know, the version we use now isn't as powerful as the one he used in Duelist Kingdom, but it works for me. It disables the effects of all Monsters in Defense Mode until the End Phase."

"But that means…" said Rasputin.

"It means you can't use Brain Dragon's ability to draw two more cards," answered Anastasia.

Rasputin looked at the card he had drawn, which was a second Brain Dragon. It was useless. He heard Claret's voice again, full of anger.

_Rasputin, I've had enough,_ she said. _Time to go for broke… Use what you have, and finish her…_

"I move Knight of the End into Defense Mode," he said, as the Warrior knelt and held his sword by his side. "This means, by the way, that the effect of Impenetrable Formation is active again."

Brain Dragon's Defense rose to 2,500 again.

Rasputin played the card he had just drawn.

"Now, I pay 1,000 Life Points to set the Monster I retrieved with Grey Matter."

He placed a card on his Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared.

"I end my turn."

**(A: 1,300) -------------------- (R: 1,500)**

Anastasia drew. She smiled when she saw what the card was.

"That's a Warp Fiend, right?" she asked, pointing to the facedown Monster. "You can't fool me, Rasputin. Like I said, as the daughter of the game's creator, I was privy to information on every card in the game."

"Warp Fiend?" asked Yumi. "I… don't like the sound of that…"

"It's a Level Four Monster with 2,400 Attack Points and zero Defense Points," said Anastasia. "But it can't be Normal Summoned or Special Summoned. And if you Flip-Summon it, you have to have Relativity Field in play, or it is destroyed.

"But if you manage to do that… You can send Relativity Field to the Graveyard so it can destroy all cards on the field except itself."

Everyone gasped.

"Yeah, you're right," said Rasputin. "But I'd like to see you try to stop me. Because of my Ring of Magnetism, you can only attack my Brain Dragon. And because of my Dark Door, you only get one attack."

"Read the fine print," said Anastasia. "The Dark Door says I can only attack with one Monster per Battle Phase. If I had two Battle Phases, I could indeed attack with two Monsters."

"What are you talking about?" said Rasputin.

Anastasia played a Spell Card.

"I play Toon Table of Contents," she said.

Toon Kingdom's pages started to turn quickly. Then they opened, naturally, on the table of contents.

"Now I can search my deck for any card with the word 'Toon' in its name, and add it to my hand."

She took her deck, and quickly got what she wanted. She put her deck back.

"Now, onto business. I pay 500 Life Points so that my Dragon can attack.

"Blue-Eye Toon Dragon…

"Attack! White Lightning!"

Finally, it let out a mighty blast of energy, and the Brain Dragon exploded.

"Well… just how do you intend to get a second Battle Phase?" asked Rasputin.

"With this!" said Anastasia, playing another Spell Card. "It's called Toon Rollback!"

Toon Kingdom started to fold and change shape, and an old fashioned movie reel appeared on it. Colorful film started spilling out of it.

"This Spell rewinds my turn back to my first Main Phase, so I can indeed repeat the Battle Phase."

"Hold on," said Rasputin. "I happen to know that Toon Rollback does have a limitation. You do get a second Battle Phase, but any Monster that attacked in the first one isn't allowed to attack again."

Anastasia grinned.

"You thought I used Toon Table of Contents to search for Toon Rollback, right?" she asked. "Well, I didn't…

"I sacrifice Blue-Eyes Toon Dragon to summon Toon Dark Magician Girl again!"

Blue-Eyes Toon Dragon vanished into grains of light, and the much cuter Toon appeared again. She winked at Rasputin. (2,000/1,700)

Anastasia's supporters started cheering.

"Attack him directly and end this!" shouted Anastasia.

She flew at Rasputin, and cast a bright burst of magic at him, knocking him on his back.

**(A: 800) -------------------- (R: 0)**

"Well," said Chelsea, with a smile, "as one great cartoon character would say…

"Th-th-th-that's all folks!"

Anastasia gestured, and her Disk vanished. Claret looked at Rasputin with fire in her eyes.

She grabbed him by the neck.

"You big idiot!" she shouted. "Do you have any idea what you've…"

"Unhand him at once," said Anastasia, quietly.

"Shut up, Anne!" shouted Claret, "or I'll…"

"You'll do nothing!" shouted Anastasia.

She merely pointed, and Claret winced in pain. She dropped Rasputin.

"Your proxy lost," said Anastasia. "So you lose. Thus, the full effects of the challenge now come into play… And this is a rule that not even the Queen of Chaos herself could weasel out of.

"That means your powers can't affect me, the winner, in the least.

"Furthermore, I am allowed to inflict you with any punishment I desire. And since you turned his life into a misery that has lasted centuries, it's gonna be a dire one."

Claret glared at her nervously. Then she grinned.

"So…" she said, sheepishly. "What's it gonna be? You gonna seal me in a block of ice at the Arctic? Maybe chain me to a rock at the bottom of the sea?"

"I'm contemplating those and several other options right now," said Anastasia, her eyes narrowing.

"Well before you do," said Claret, "consider this… What about Rasputin?"

"What about him?" asked Anastasia.

"You all are fools," said Claret. "The immortality serum… It was a sham. Nothing created by alchemy can stop a man from aging. It was noting more than some stuff that demons drink the same way humans drink lemonade.

"I was personally the one who was keeping him from aging all this time. I connected my life force to his via a special silver cord.

"You do anything to me, the cord will break. Know how long he'll survive after that?

"Minutes. He can't live without me."

Anastasia paused. She looked at Rasputin.

Claret chuckled.

"Hasn't he suffered enough, Anne?" she asked. "Will you kill him to punish me?"

She didn't see Rasputin getting to his feet behind her. He pulled the crucifix out of his jacket pocket.

"Face it, Anne," said Claret, "you're in a no-win situ…"

Then Rasputin grabbed her in headlock, holding the holy symbol in front of her.

"Don't count on it," he growled.

"A crucifix?" she laughed. "Please, that little thing is too weak to…"

Then her legs buckled, and she fell to her knees.

"It's made of cold-forged iron, Claret!" shouted Rasputin. "This was going to be my backup plan in case you didn't fall for the wine trick!"

"Cold-forged iron?" said Yumi.

"It's poison to demons," said Rasputin. "Anastasia, what are you waiting for?"

"But…" said Anastasia.

"You won, Anne!" shouted Rasputin. "Now punish her! I can't hold her forever!"

"But Rasputin, you'll…"

"Don't be stupid!" shouted Rasputin. "If you forfeit your prize, she'll kill your charge and her friends. Who is more worthy of life, Anne, six young children or a big idiot like me who's already lived far longer than he has had a right to?"

Anastasia closed her eyes.

She pointed at Claret, and an aura of pure light surrounded her. Claret screamed as holy energy seeped into her body…

After a few seconds, she was gone. Rasputin fell to his knees again.

There was dead silence in the room.

"Gee, Anne," said Ren. "What did you do to her?"

Anastasia sighed.

"She's been banished," said Anastasia. "Locked away somewhere safe. Rest assured, she'll never trouble the mortal world again."

"Rasputin!" shouted Yumi.

She ran up to the man who had been her foe for so long. Already he had changed dramatically. His hair and beard had doubled in length, and was grey, and his skin was wrinkled and covered with liver spots.

"What's happening to him?" shouted Yumi.

Anastasia shook her head.

"He's dying, Yumi," she said. "His true age is catching up to him. And there's not a thing I can do. Not even the Archlords can save a man from dying of old age…"

"Rasputin…" said Yumi, sadly.

"Yumi…" whispered Rasputin. "Yumi… You aren't done…"

He weakly lifted up his hand, which held a single card.

"My… partner… He lurks offshore... in a hidden keep. His plan was to kidnap you from your bed if Claret and I failed…

"But if you use this, you can go to him… You can finish the job…"

"Rasputin…" repeated Yumi.

"Don't feel sorry for me," said Rasputin. "Heaven knows, I don't deserve it… Besides… For the first time in centuries, I don't fear death…

"In fact… I almost welcome it…"

"Rasputin!" shouted Yumi.

It was too late. His body crumbled into dust, leaving only his clothes, Duel Disk, and the crucifix.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Cassandra looked at the Ten of Swords. Then she sadly looked at The Emperor.

She placed The Emperor facedown on the table.

"Rasputin Lamont was a man whose life once held promise," she said. "He was chosen by Heaven to save a church from a demon…

"But the demon returned, and her treachery and lies led him down a path of ruin…

"We can only hope that now he's managed to find…

"…a small measure of peace."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Yumi's eyebrows furrowed in anger.

She looked at the card that Rasputin had handed to her.

"It's a Field Spell called The Glass Menagerie," she said.

"So what are we gonna do?" asked Ren.

Yumi activated her Disk. She opened the Field Slot and placed the card inside it.

"I'll tell you what we're gonna do!" she shouted. "We're gonna end this once and for all!"

The door appeared, and opened.

"Whoever you are, I'm coming after you!"

"I'm gonna help you," said Sam.

"If you are going, so am I," said Erik.

"Me too," said Ren.

"Me three!" shouted Chelsea.

They heard the shouts of the Centurions. They were rushing up the stairs.

"Enrique," said Yumi, "you try to tell them what happened. We've got a bone to pick with someone."

"Si," said Enrique. "Good luck."

The five duelists ran through the door.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

On the other side of the door, they were met by a surprise.

They were on a pathway made of light, hovering over the ocean.

Duelatopia was behind them…

In front of them, a few thousand feet away, was a large, beautiful temple, seemingly made of glass.

It shimmered in the moonlight, which seemed unhindered by the clouds covering Duelatopia.

"The Glass Menagerie, I presume?" said Sam.

"Well, people…" said Yumi, "Rasputin was kind enough to give us the means to get here with his last ounce of strength…

"So let's end this once and for all…"

They started walking towards the shimmering temple, as its owner waited…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

On another plane of existence, in a realm where the sun never shone, there was a vast palace built of gold and skulls. Whoever the skulls had once belonged to was a question that most folks who had seen the place had quickly decided they were better off not knowing.

The master of this palace strode through the halls. He was one of the oldest denizens of the planes… He had come into being before the terms Good and Evil were defined, and all there was were Law and Chaos. He cared little when he was labeled as Evil… It was a term he didn't care for.

He pushed open the doors to his favorite chamber in his palace.

Inside the vast chamber were hundreds of huge gemstones. Each one was likely worth a fortune, but they had a purpose aside from wealth.

Clearly visible when you looked at one was a human form trapped inside each of these gemstones, sealed like a fly in amber. This room was his prison for his most important enemies.

The gems were powerful magical artifacts called soulgems. It took him many years and an incredible amount of wealth to build even one of them. However, he was so ancient, he had hundreds of them, far more than any other being who knew how to make them. Even Graz'zt and Orcus didn't own more than ten.

When a soulgem was enchanted, it had to be attuned to the body and soul – or just the soul, if dead – of one specific mortal. The soulgem would then be able to hold that mortal, and none other.

But, if prisoner was successfully captured using it, there was no escape. The prisoner was trapped forever, unless he granted release.

He passed by the gems, observing some of his trophies. Here was a noble knight who had campaigned against his forces… Here was a princess whose father had defied him. The occupants were fully conscious, and able to see him. They despised him, of course, but they were pretty much helpless. Some of them had no-one but themselves to blame, having been imprisoned after losing a wager of some sort that they shouldn't have made – or even worse, having given up their freedom in exchange for someone else's release, which was ultimately not granted. This entity rarely kept his word.

He walked to an empty gem. It was an incredibly powerful one, made of adamantine crystal, even harder than diamond. This one he had prepared with more care than the others.

Under his helmet, his eyes narrowed.

It was prepared to hold one that would be his greatest prize…

It was prepared for Yumi Mouto…

All that was needed was for one of his most trusted cultists to send her here.

_What may be the endpoint for our heroes is in sight. But will it be the end of their troubles, or the end for Yumi? Answers will come as the final enemy is confronted, and Yumi will attempt to win what she needs to finally do what her grandfather couldn't…_

**0**

**0**

**0**

**ARMAGEDDON KNIGHT (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,400  
**DEF:** 1,200

**Card Description:** When this card is Normal Summoned, Flip-Summoned, or Special Summoned, you may select one DARK Monster from your deck and send it to the Graveyard.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**THE CALCULATOR (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Thunder/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level:** 2  
**ATK:** ?  
**DEF:** 0

**Card Description:** The base ATK of this card is equal to the combined Levels of the face-up Monsters you control x300.

_Note: "Armageddon Knight" and "The Calculator" are real cards that will be released in the United States next month in "Phantom Darkness"._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**MATHEMATICIAN (Monster Card) **

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Spellcaster/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level:** 3  
**ATK:** 1,500  
**DEF:** 500

**Card Description:** When this card is Normal Summoned, Flip-Summoned, or Special Summoned, discard the top card from your deck to the Graveyard. When this card is destroyed as a result of battle, draw one card from your deck.

_Note: "Mathematician" was first used by Bastian in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "The Duel Off (Part Two)". Creative credit goes to the creators of that episode._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**LAPLACE, THE FIEND MATHEMATICIAN (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fiend/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,000  
**DEF:** 1,000

**Card Description:** When this card is removed from the field, your opponent takes direct damage equal to 300 times the number of cards on the field.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**BRAIN DRAGON (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Dragon/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level:** 8  
**ATK:** 2,800  
**DEF:** 2,300

**Card Description:** This card cannot be Normal Summoned or set. This card can only be Special Summoned via the effect of "Battle Constants". When this card is face-up on your side of the field, draw an additional two cards during your Draw Phase. Then, select two cards from your hand and return them to the top of your deck in any order.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**DRAW PARADOX (Trap Card)**

**Continuous Trap**

**Image:** Bird's eye view of a Duel Disk with the owner making a draw.

**Card Description:** When this card is active, neither player can draw during his/her own Draw Phase. Instead, each player draws one card during their opponent's Draw Phase.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**SCHRODINGER'S CAT (Spell Card)**

**Continuous Spell**

**Image:** A cat in a white tuxedo holding a cane, balancing a top hat on its tail.

Card Description: When you draw cards outside of your Draw Phase, (except via the effect of "Schrödinger's Cat"), you may shuffle them back into your deck, and then draw cards equal to the number of cards you shuffled back into your deck.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**BATTLE CONSTANTS (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** The Brain Dragon amid a maelstrom of energy.

Card Description: Remove from play one Monster, one Continuous Spell Card, and one Continuous Trap Card on your side of the field. Special Summon one "Brain Dragon" from your hand or deck.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**RELATIVITY FIELD (Spell Card)**

**Field Spell**

**Image:** A black silhouette of a duelist casting a rainbow-colored shadow in the forefront.

**Card Description:** When a player takes battle damage or effect damage, each Monster he has face-up on the field loses Attack Points equal to the amount of Life Points he lost.

_Note: The proceeding six cards were first used by Dr. Einenstein in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "It's All Relative". __Creative credit goes to the creators of that episode._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**WARP FIEND (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fiend/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 2,400  
**DEF:** 0

**Card Description:** This card cannot be Normal Summoned or Special Summoned. If there is no "Relativity Field" face-up on the field at the time this card is Flip-Summoned, destroy this card. When this card is face-up on your side of the field, you may send "Relativity Field" on your side of the field to the Graveyard to destroy every card on the field except this card. Until the End Phase of the turn after you use this effect, you may not Normal Summon, set, or Special Summon another Monster.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**GREY MATTER (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** The Brain Dragon coiled around a giant human brain.

**Card Description:** You may activate this card when you have a "Brain Dragon" face-up on your side of the field. Select one Monster Card from your Graveyard and add it to your hand. You may not Normal Summon, set, or Special Summon the selected Monster on the turn you use this card. When you choose to Normal Summon, set, or Special Summon the selected Monster, pay 1,000 Life Points.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**LUCKY SHAMROCK (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** A shamrock, with one green leaf, one orange leaf, and one purple leaf.

**Card Description:** Pay 1,000 Life Points. Both players see the top three cards on your deck. If those three cards consist of one Monster Card, one Spell Card, and one Trap Card, increase your Life Points by 2,000. Either way, add the three cards to your hand.

_Note: "Lucky Shamrock" first appeared in "Mandate of Heaven"._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**TOON KINGDOM (Spell Card)**

**Continuous Spell**

**Image:** A pop-up book with a cartoon castle in its pages, flanked by large torches.

**Card Description: **Remove the top five cards from your deck from play to activate this card. This card's name is treated as "Toon World" while face-up on the field. If a Toon Monster that you control is attacked, you may remove the top card on your deck from play to prevent it from being destroyed as a result of the battle.

_Note: "Toon Kingdom" was first used by Pegasus in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Duel For Hire". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**TOON ROLLBACK (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** A film reel spilling out a roll of colorful film.

**Card Description:** Activate this card during your Main Phase 2 when "Toon World" is face-up on your side of the field. Your turn returns to Main Phase 1. Monsters that have already attacked this turn cannot attack again this turn, except via a card effect.

_Note: "Toon Rollback" was first used by Alister (disguised as Pegasus) in the original anime episode "Deja Duel! (Part One)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**THE GLASS MENAGERIE (Spell Card)**

**Field Spell**

**Image:** An ancient temple hovering in the night sky made of pure glass, surrounded by shimmering stars.

**Card Description:** Ritual Monsters cannot be destroyed by Spell Cards, Trap Cards, or Monster effects. If a Ritual Monster is destroyed by battle, the owner may Special Summon from his Graveyard the Monster(s) used as Tribute to summon the Ritual Monster.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**Yumi: Let's end this battle, people… In this temple, the Rod of the Ancients lies… And I'm not leaving without it!**

**Sam: The one who has it isn't just going to give it to you.**

**Chelsea: After all he's put us through, I don't want him too!**

**Ren: Right! He deserves to be pummeled for it!**

**Erik: Let's get this over with…**

**Anastasia: Coming up next: "Deck of the Primordial Scion; Darkest Before the Dawn".**

**It won't be pretty…**


	60. Darkest Before the Dawn

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Deck of the Primordial Scion**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Darkest Before the Dawn**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

The five duelists approached the great temple, which seemed to get much larger as they approached it. Its great doors loomed before them.

"Uhm… Big, isn't it?" asked Ren.

Anastasia appeared, a tired look on her face.

"Yumi… Children…" she said with a sigh. "I'm afraid I can't help you any more than watch now. My energy is too spent from enacting such a sacred clause."

"That's okay, Anne," said Yumi. "You take it easy."

"Be warned," she said. "There is more evil power inside this temple than I have ever felt before, not in my mortal life or beyond. I believe that it is some shrine devoted to an evil power of some sort… Likely a powerful one with connections to demons.

"May the powers of good walk with you."

The huge doors swung open. They walked inside.

They entered a great hall, where the glass theme was still predominant. The term "Glass Menagerie" was fitting. Along the walls were statues of animals, beasts, and fairy creatures, all made of glass.

"I really hope those are just statues and they weren't once real," muttered Erik.

They walked down the hall, and their footsteps echoed.

"Man, it's quiet…" said Chelsea.

"Yeah…" said Ren. "Three quiet…"

"Three quiet?" asked Yumi.

Ren nodded.

"That's even quieter than too quiet," he said.

Everyone groaned.

_Maybe he was better when he was brainwashed…_ thought Yumi.

At the far end of the hall was a dais, on which was a cushioned chair.

"So now what?" asked Chelsea. "Man, this place looks expensive… It must have cost a fortune…"

"More than you think," said a voice. "But the wealth of its owner is considerable."

They all looked around.

"Up here," said the voice.

They all looked at the dais…

Sitting there was the strange man in the midnight-blue robe and hood. And he was holding the Rod of the Ancients.

"Okay, fellah," said Yumi, "I want some answers! Who the Hell are you!"

The man chuckled. He lowered his hood.

The Pharaoh appeared, his eyes narrowing.

"I know who he is…" he said, ominously.

Yumi was shocked when he said the name.

"People…" she said. "This is Unus the Undying himself…"

The man on the throne grinned. He got up, and started to walk down the dais.

"I see my reputation proceeds me," he said, in a strange accent. "Unus the Undying, the last of the Sorcerer Kings, master of dark magic…"

"Clearly, 'Undying' was more than just a title…" said Sam.

"Heh, I wish it was…" muttered Unus. "No, Sam, as much as I would have liked people to think I was the avatar of some dark god, I'm currently no more immortal than you are."

"I don't understand," said Yumi. "What's been going on? How have you survived? What is the point to all this?"

"So many questions, Yumi…" said Unus, fingering his Rod. "But I'll explain before we have to fight, which seems to be inevitable now… That Rasputin apparently had more of a spine in him than I thought.

"All of the Sorcerer Kings achieved power in different ways… We were actually only related to each other via our common goal, and via the Shadow Charms. I took a rather… dangerous path."

A Duel Disk appeared on his arm, one that seemed to be made entirely of glass. He reached into his robe, and took out a small stack of cards. There weren't nearly enough for a full deck. (There were exactly ten.)

"I'll tell you my story by comparing it to the story of this individual," she said, activating the Disk.

He played a card, and a tall figure appeared in front of him. It was a handsome Warrior in black armor, holding a steel sword.

"Warrior Dai Grepher?" asked Ren. "How are you like Warrior Dai Grepher?"

"In lots of ways," said Unus. "It's a sad story… One that most folks can't piece together, seeing as no-one has all the parts…"

He played a card, and Warrior Dai Grepher vanished as a familiar Spell Card appeared – The A. Forces. Everyone noticed that Grepher was on the artwork, heroically leading a group of fellow Warriors into battle.

"He was once a powerful and brave soldier," said Unus, "who fought for many noble causes…"

He played another card, and Array of Revealing Light appeared on the field, another card with Grepher's picture.

"…and one day, he discovered a force that was strange to him… Magic. A force that could shape the world in more ways than a mere sword could."

He played a third card, and Morale Boost appeared in front of him. The picture depicted Grepher holding the Wicked-Breaking Flamberge.

"The Warrior sought to acquire magic, and obtained a mighty sword. It gave him strength and vigor, and for the first time, he knew what true power was…

"But one day, he met a Warrior who would become his hated rival…"

He played a new card, and Simultaneous Loss appeared in front of him. The picture showed him fighting Warrior Lady of the Wasteland, with both of their swords flying from their hands.

"This female warrior was his greatest challenge to date, and the battle between them ended in a stalemate. As did every battle between them for a while…

"But she became stronger…"

He played a new card, and Dimension Wall appeared. This time, Grepher was fighting D.D. Warrior Lady, and she was using a portal that caused him to strike himself with his own sword.

"She found new power, and became able to control the dimensional boundaries. She faced him again, and he was soundly defeated. To seal her victory, she banished him to the void, hoping he'd be gone forever…

"But he got lucky…"

He played another card, and a Trap called Dimensional Inversion appeared. It showed Grepher appearing out of a portal of light.

"The warrior struggled, and eventually found his way back to the mortal world. He burned for revenge, but his rival was too powerful now. He needed power of his own to defeat her. But what magic would he harness to get it?

"The warrior burned with fury. He became more violent. His honorable fighting ways became brutal and bloody…"

A new card appeared, a Trap called The Paths of Destiny. It showed Grepher facing two paths in a dark wood, one leading to light, and one leading to darkness.

"He was faced with a decision. He was offered power from two sources. One promised light and warmth, one promised might and strength. He took the second path… Into darkness…"

He played another card, and the Spell Card Falling Down appeared. It showed a picture of Grepher slowly changing into a fiendish form.

"With this choice, the warrior had to make sacrifices… He gave up his human body, surrendering it for that of a demon…"

Unus played the final card. It was Sakuretsu Armor.

The duelists watching got the point well. Once Grepher had gotten his power and became a Fiend, the first thing he did was slaughter his former comrades.

"And he finally got the power he once wanted. The magic he sought was now his…"

Unus chuckled as the card faded away.

"An amusing little story, isn't it?"

"Stuff it, Unus!" shouted Yumi. "What does this have to do with you?"

"Virtually the same thing happened to me," said Unus. "I won't tell you who the rival was who defeated me in my youth, but I will say she was a powerful priestess. So I decided to obtain my power from a different source, and eventually steal the power from her source.

"I made a deal with a powerful demon lord. The same one that Claret served after she left Malcanthet. A powerful Scion of Chaos. This lord gave me responsibilities, and so long as I fulfilled them and did a few favors, I'd possess great magical abilities.

"Fortunately for me, unlike Grepher, I got to keep my good looks."

Yumi's eyes opened.

She reached into her side deck and took out the Chaos Necromancer card.

_Rasputin was trying to warn me…_ she thought. _In a moment of sanity, he dropped me a clue as to who was truly behind the whole plot… A sorcerer who worshipped Chaos…_

_A real chaos necromancer…_

"Anyway…" continued Unus, "calling myself 'the Undying' was nothing more than a title to intimidate the common folk. After all, any great sorcerer worth his salt can probably make himself live as long as he wants to…

"I soon became one of the most powerful of the Sorcerer Kings. I formed my grand plan. I proposed to the others the plan that involved stealing the power of the gods to make us truly immortal and omnipotent, power enough to rule over all of creation.

"My plan was pretty grandiose… I'll leave it up to the imagination what the specifics were. Suffice to say, it involved an outright attack on the realms of the Egyptian gods.

"All of them seemed ready to agree, but that meddler Machius stepped in and protested. He said there was a fatal flaw in my plan that would result in our doom. He filled their heads with the possibilities of failure and divine punishment. And they all had doubts.

"I told them they all had a choice. They could follow me, or they could give up their goals and dreams that they had worked so hard for. I said I would prepare our assault.

"I was suspicious of Machius. So I started work on a spell, which would make the Sorcerer Kings my slaves should they turn against me. But Machius was wise to me. He enchanted his Crown to protect himself. Then, he visited each of the Sorcerer Kings, one by one, proposing a different plan. One by one, they turned against me, and joined him.

"I prepared to cast my spell to gain them back, but I did so too late. They cast a powerful ritual, drawing on the power of the Earth itself, in which their physical bodies were sacrificed, and their souls ascended to a higher form. Their Charms were hidden for future heroes to find, and they left the world behind, traveling to a paradise realm that they had formed with their fantasies.

"And I was alone… My work was a failure. And cut off from the symbiosis I shared with them, most of the powers I had gained on my own were gone.

"And my demonic patron was not about to keep giving me the ones he provided. He had stood to gain much from my plans, which would now never see fruition. As punishment, he dragged me to the Abyss and tossed my Rod to the same place where the others had stashed theirs.

"For ages, I was his prisoner, sealed in a soulgem. I was helpless, and crushingly bored… My only company besides my captor were the other prisoners.

"But three years ago, he offered me a second chance…

"You see, Yumi, he knew that you needed the Shadow Charms. He also knew that one of his servants, Claret, was manipulating a powerful duelist who desired immortality, and thus could use the Shadow Charms. So he offered me my life back, so long as I delivered you to him.

"I was set free and returned to Earth, not having aged a day due to the preservative powers of the prison gem I was kept in. I was met by Claret. Working with demons was nothing new to me. So we began planning our grand trap, using Rasputin as a patsy. I only needed to make a clean kill or a capture to complete my job; but we didn't dare make an outright attack. Ever since the Mandate was rescued and strengthened, alarms are sounded in Heaven whenever demons try to attack mortals. To avoid retribution by celestial forces, we were forced to work in secrecy. We decided to strike while you were collecting the Charms.

"However, I didn't count on a few things. The other Sorcerer Kings were still watching Earth, and they were determined that my plan would not succeed. They remembered well my plan to enslave them. Since they still had strong ties to their Charms, they helped Machius ensure that his Charm, the Crown of Souls, would reveal itself first. They hoped you would win it, knowing that it would make you safe from my magic even if your enemies won all seven of the other Charms. Since you did, the chances of a successful outright assault went from slim to almost nonexistent.

"We were forced to resort to questionable methods. We came close to succeeding when Rasputin beat you the first time. Having Claret put the Power Wall card on the top of his deck just when he needed it ensured his victory. And I was even able to use a powerful spell to seal that meddling Anastasia in a magical cell that would hold her until I was done. Since I was in charge of that duel, I was able to override Machius's spell for a few brief minutes when you were defeated.

"Unfortunately, when I tried to grab your soul, an energy source that I couldn't identify grabbed it first."

_Jaden…_ thought Yumi. _Thank goodness…_

"Fortunately," said Unus, "Rasputin never truly won the Charm. Since I was alive and well, it was still mine, even though he believed it was his. Only I was able to tap its secrets at that point…

"But anyway…"

"But why?" asked Yumi. "Why does this… patron of yours want me?"

"Don't you know?" asked Unus. "With you as his prisoner, we won't have that prophesy to worry about."

Yumi just looked at him.

"You mean… Your spiritual guide never told you?" he asked.

"His memory isn't too good…" said Yumi.

"No matter…" said Unus, his eyebrows narrowing.

His Disk activated again.

"Normally, Yumi," he said, "now that you're here, I could simply banish you to my master's realm with one simple spell. But with your Crown still enchanted with that idiot Machius's spell, my magic still can't touch you. So we will duel. I'll wager my Rod against your Crown.

"And should you refuse, I'll banish all four of your friends, who have no protection at all. And maybe I'll crash this whole temple into the center of Duelatopia's hotel district while I'm at it."

Chelsea held onto Ren, her eyes wide with fright.

"Don't worry, guys," said Yumi. "I can beat him."

"No you can't," said Unus. "Know why? Because I've been watching you for three years. I've studied every one of your duels. There's not a single card you could draw that could surprise me. And the same goes for your four lackeys."

He lifted up his cloak slightly, and then tucked the Rod into his belt behind him.

Yumi stared at him.

She took the last deck out of her bandoleer. It was her second deck.

"Wrong, Unus," he said. "Here's one deck that can surprise you."

"Yumi!" said the Pharaoh's voice. "Think this over carefully… We haven't used that one even once…"

"I know…" muttered Yumi, "but it's the only deck here that Unus doesn't know about. It's the only way we stand a chance."

She placed it in her Disk. Both Disks activated.

"Yumi!" shouted Erik.

He ran up to her.

"Erik?" she said.

"Yumi, eat this…" he said.

"Erik, what are you…" she asked.

Before she could say anything else, he quieted her by giving her one of the chocolate truffles.

"Just chew and swallow," he said. "I finally figured out what they were really for."

Yumi slowly chewed. Then she nodded, and turned to Unus.

"You want me, Unus?" she asked. "You're gonna have to beat me first!

"Game on!"

**(Yumi: 8,000) -------------------- (Unus: 8,000)**

"Bury this guy, Yumi!" shouted Ren.

"Tear him a new one!" shouted Sam.

"Silence," ordered Unus, making his first draw. "This is why I hate teenagers. Whatever your new strategy, mine will crush you.

"I set a card facedown, and then summon 8-Claws Scorpion."

A facedown card appeared in a flash of light, and then a large, ugly Insect appeared. As it name implied, it was a scorpion with eight sharp pincers. (300/200)

"Huh?" said Erik. "That's no stronger than a Kuriboh… I'm guessing it has some sort of effect…"

"Yeah…" said Sam. "When it attacks a Monster that's facedown, its Attack Score becomes 2,400… But Yumi will destroy it before he can…

"Oh no… Weak Dark Monster plus facedown card… Yumi…"

Yumi glared at him. Then she smirked a little.

"I draw one card…" she said, making a draw.

"And my Trap activates!" shouted Unus. "Crush Card Virus!"

His Trap lifted up, and 8-Claws Scorpion exploded into a burst of vile spores. Yumi closed her eyes as the spores splattered on the cards in her hand and deck.

"Now, all cards in your hand, and the ones you draw for three turns that have 1,500 Attack Points or more are destroyed!"

"NO!" screamed Ren.

"Gee, Unus," said Yumi. "I hate to be a party pooper, but…"

She turned her hand of cards forward.

"…as you can plainly see, every Monster I have right now is immune to your Virus."

Everyone looked…

It was true. The Monsters in Yumi's hand consisted of Mystical Elf, Battle Footballer, Sangan, and Giant Soldier of Stone. The other two cards were Heart of the Underdog and a Trap that no-one recognized.

"Uhm…" said Ren. "Well, her grandfather used the Elf and the Soldier, but…"

Unus gave her a strange look.

"It still affects the Monsters for this turn and your next two!" he said.

"Sorry, Unus," said Yumi. "I'll let you in on a secret… Your Virus won't affect a single card in my deck."

"Her whole deck doesn't have one powerhouse?" asked Sam. "What sort of crazy deck is this?"

"Oh, just wait," said Chelsea. "It's gonna bring down the house!"

Unus looked at Chelsea.

_Bring down the house?_ thought Unus. _Something's up… Clearly, this isn't the Yumi Mouto I've been studying…_

"Anyway…" said Yumi, "I'll set a Monster in Defense Mode, and then play Heart of the Underdog."

A facedown Monster appeared, and then the Continuous Spell Card appeared.

"This card lets me…"

"Yes, yes, I know what it does," said Unus. "I helped design the decks Rasputin gave to your brainwashed friends, including Sam's. And it won't help you."

"It's your move," said Yumi.

Unus drew a card and looked at it.

"I activate… Pot of Greed," he said.

The wicked jar appeared, and he drew two cards.

"Next, I play the Spell Card, Instant Fusion. Since you own a copy of this card, Yumi, I'm sure you know what it does. I simply relinquish 1,000 Life Points, and I get to bring a low-level Fusion Monster to the field.

"And I choose to summon Reaper on the Nightmare."

A ghostly fog crept over the room, and a sinister creature emerged from it. It was a specter dressed in a tattered cloak, holding a scythe, mounted on a mummified horse. (800/600)

"That's a pretty useful Monster," said Yumi. "But there's one problem… Since you used Instant Fusion to summon it, it can't attack, and it will be gone when you end your turn."

"That's exactly why I'm going to sacrifice it," said Unus.

Reaper on the Nightmare vanished into the dark fog again.

"I summon Giant Axe Mummy."

A huge creature loomed over the field. The name was quite fitting. It was clearly a mummy, it was clearly huge, and the weapon it held was a big axe. (1,700/2,000)

"Now for the fun part," said Unus. "Axe Mummy, attack her facedown Monster with undead axe smash."

Giant Axe Mummy roared, and charged at the facedown card. Sangan appeared on the card, and was smashed to pieces by the blow.

"Thanks a bunch," said Yumi, taking her deck. "I'm sure you know what Sangan can do. Like I said, its effect can let me search for any Monster in my deck. Of course, since the card I'm taking doesn't count as drawn, it's not affected by your Virus anyway."

She added the card to her hand and reshuffled.

"I end my turn…" he muttered.

**(Y: 8,000) -------------------- (U: 7,000)**

Yumi drew a card.

"I have to show this to you because of the Virus," she said, "but it isn't even a Monster."

She showed him the card. It was a Spell Card called Dark Burst.

_What does that do?_ thought Sam.

"I'll set this in Defense Mode, and end my turn," said Yumi.

A facedown Monster appeared.

Unus frowned and drew a card.

"Hmph!" he said, looking at his hand.

"I'll also set a Monster in Defense Mode, and set a facedown card. And since the only Monsters you could have set are ones with high Defense, that will conclude my turn."

Yumi drew a card, and looked at it.

She turned it forward, showing Reckless Greed.

"I set a new Monster in Defense Mode," she said.

A second defensive Monster appeared.

"My turn ends, as does the effect of your Virus."

"And mine begins…" said Unus, making a draw.

"I flip my Des Lacooda into Attack Mode," he said.

His facedown Monster flipped up, revealing a decaying camel swathed in mummy wrappings. (500/600)

"By Flip-Summoning this Monster, I get to draw one card."

He made a draw.

"Giant Axe Mummy, attack the facedown Monster on the left!"

Giant Axe Mummy lumbered towards the facedown card with its axe. It groaned, and raised its weapon…

Then, Mystical Elf appeared on the card, kneeling with her hands folded. (800/2,000) A dome of force appeared around her, and the axe slammed into it. Giant Axe Mummy tumbled back, landing on its behind.

**(Y: 8,000) -------------------- (U: 6,700)**

_8-Claws Scorpion would have come in really handy,_ he thought. _If I hadn't wasted it…_

"Humph… So be it," he said. "At least now I can activate my Trap Card…"

His facedown card lifted.

"Bottomless Shifting Sand."

The whole arena floor changed, and each Monster, and both duelists, were now up to their ankles in sand dunes.

"When this Continuous Trap is in effect," said Unus, "every time my opponent ends her turn, the face-up Monster with the highest Attack Score is destroyed."

"Smooth move," said Ren. "I see one thing wrong with that… The strongest Monster on the field is your Giant Axe Mummy, stupid!"

"But my Trap doesn't effect facedown Monsters," said Unus. "And both Giant Axe Mummy and Des Lacooda have the ability to switch into facedown Defense Mode once per turn. I don't think Mystical Elf has the same ability."

Both of Unus's Monsters vanished, and were replaced by facedown cards.

"With that, Yumi, my turn once again concludes."

"Fine," said Yumi. "I draw one card…"

She drew.

"And since the card I drew was Aqua Madoor, I get to draw again, due to my Heart card."

She drew again.

"I drew Charcoal Inpachi, so I draw a third time."

She drew again.

"Okay, this card doesn't fit the bill…"

"What's the point of this deck?" asked Sam. "Are all her Monsters Normal ones with high Defense? How can she attack with them?"

"She has her ways," said Chelsea.

"First, I'll place a facedown," said Yumi, fitting a card into her Disk.

A facedown card appeared in a flash of light.

"Now, I'll shift Mystical Elf into Attack Mode."

"Huh?" said Unus, as Mystical Elf stood up.

"Attack the facedown Monster on the right!" shouted Yumi.

Mystical Elf shot a blast of sparkling energy from her palms, and Des Lacooda appeared on the card before bursting into a cloud of dust.

"Didn't expect that, did you?" asked Yumi. "So much for you making extra draws. I'll set another Monster in Defense Mode, and end my turn."

A facedown Monster appeared. Mystical Elf screamed as she was sucked under the sand and disappeared.

"You fight well…" said Unus, drawing a card. "But it will all be for naught…

"I flip Giant Axe Mummy into Attack Mode."

The card flipped, and Giant Axe Mummy appeared again. (1,700/2,000)

"Man, he's gonna pull the same trick again!" shouted Erik.

"Attack!" shouted Unus.

Giant Axe Mummy rushed at the facedown Monster. Battle Footballer appeared on the card as its axe fell. (1,000/2,100)

"I activate a Trap!" shouted Yumi, as her facedown card lifted. "Cross Counter! Now my Footballer can blitz your Giant Axe Mummy, taking it out and dealing you double the damage!"

Battle Footballer slugged the huge mummy in the stomach. The Zombie dropped its axe and exploded into a burst of dust and wrappings.

"Ergh…" said Unus.

"Just because my deck is a defensive one, doesn't mean I can't trash your Monsters," said Yumi.

**(Y: 8,000) -------------------- (U: 5,900)**

"Very well, young warrior…" he said.

He placed all of his cards but one in his Disk. Four facedown cards and one facedown Monster appeared on the field.

"Four facedown cards?" said Chelsea. "This guy doesn't fool around."

"My move…" said Yumi.

She made a draw. She made a sinister smirk.

"Well, Unus…" she said. "Seems I have a decision to make…"

"What?" he said.

"Well, the card I drew is certainly a Normal Monster… But if I show it to you to use the effect of Heart of the Underdog, my strategy will no longer be a secret."

Unus just stared at her.

"The silent, type, huh?" asked Yumi. "Very well… I choose to use the effect…"

"Show me!" ordered Unus.

Yumi flipped the card around.

Ren, Sam, and Erik gasped. Chelsea smirked and nodded. Unus just stared at it blankly.

The card was Right Arm of the Forbidden One.

"_Exodia?_" shouted Sam. "Yumi, how long have you been sitting on this deck?"

Yumi drew another card.

"Hmm, not a Normal Monster," she said, adding it to her hand.

"Well, Sam," she added, "the story behind this deck began after Duelist Kingdom. As you know, Weevil Underwood threw my grandfather's original Exodia cards that were given to him from _his_ grandfather into the ocean. My other grandfather recovered two of them, but as it turned out, even they were ruined.

"When he got home, grandpa secretly started looking for replacements, if only for a symbolic purpose. It was harder than it seemed. The ones belonging to the Rare Hunter he beat in Battle City were bootleg forgeries, and he had too much pride to take them for his use. In the end, he retired before finding all the cards he needed for a proper Exodia Deck.

"But then, my dad worked on it. And doing so took _his _whole career…

"And I took over after that. The final card for this deck was added two weeks ago…

"See… This deck is the product of three generations of work."

"Which will only make its defeat more tragic," said Unus. "I'm neither scared nor any less confident of my ability to crush you, Yumi. You should know better than anyone, Exodia is far from unbeatable."

"We'll see, won't we, wise guy?" she said, playing a Spell Card. "I play The Shallow Grave."

"Now we must both Special Summon a Monster from our Graveyards in facedown Defense Mode."

Two facedown Monsters appeared, one on Yumi's side of the field, and one on Unus's.

"Next, I'll set a new Monster in Defense Mode…"

Another facedown Monster appeared on her side of the field.

"And my Trap Cards activate!" shouted Unus.

One of his facedown cards lifted.

"First, Ceasefire! All Monsters are revealed!"

Two Monsters appeared on his side of the field in Defense Mode. One was Giant Axe Mummy. (1,700/2,000) The other was a Monster that looked similar to Des Lacooda, but not as decayed. (500/1,500) On Yumi's side, Mystical Elf (800/2,000), Giant Soldier of Stone (1,300/2,000) and Charcoal Inpachi (100/2,100) appeared.

"Also, you lose 500 Life Points for each Effect Monster."

"Fortunately," said Yumi, "all of mine are Normal Monsters."

"But mine aren't," said Unus.

Yumi groaned as a fiery aura surrounded her.

**(Y: 7,000) -------------------- (U: 5,900)**

"Now, Needle Ceiling!" he shouted, as another facedown card lifted. "Since there are more than four Monsters on the field, all face-up Monsters are wiped out!"

A shower of spikes rained down from the ceiling. Everyone gasped as all five Monsters were impaled and blown to shards.

"You see?" said Unus. "I'm more than prepared…"

Yumi sighed.

"I end my turn…" she said. "Attack me if you want, I don't care."

"You'll care in a minute!" he said, drawing a card.

"You have only two cards in your hand!" shouted Yumi. "That means Bottomless Shifting Sand's weakness comes into play, and it's destroyed."

The Trap Card shattered, and the sandy dunes disappeared.

"So be it…" said Unus. "I activate my last two facedown cards…"

His two facedown cards lifted…

"Two more Traps?" exclaimed Erik, as they lifted. "What could they be?"

Dark smoke flowed from the two Trap Cards…

Two ugly creatures slithered out. From the waist down, they were large serpents. From the waist up, they were human – mostly. They had two heads, one human-like, and one that was a snake. They each clutched a sharp kopesh in one hand and a decorated shield in another. (1,600/1,800 x2)

"Offhand…" said Sam, "I'd say Embodiment of Apophis is a good guess…"

"Nothing to defend you now!" shouted Unus. "Attack her, my warriors!"

The two demons slithered towards Yumi. She staggered back with the first, strike, and with the second, she cried out in pain and fell to her knees.

She gasped for breath… She held her chest, where her heart was pounding. It was actually like she had been struck by two real swords…

**(Y: 3,800) -------------------- (U: 5,900)**

Unus chuckled.

"While you're picking yourself up," he said. "I'll set another facedown card, and play Mirage of Nightmare."

The Continuous Spell and the facedown card appeared.

"Hey!" shouted Chelsea. "This guy is stealing my act!"

"I should thank you, Chelsea," chuckled Unus. "You're the one who gave me the idea for this combo!"

Yumi got up. Her eyes narrowed.

She frowned as she drew a card.

"Since this is Chelsea's combo, you know I get to make four draws," said Unus, as he quickly drew four cards.

"Then, Emergency Provisions!"

His facedown card lifted up, but what happened next was very unusual. A tentacle with a fanged mouth on it sprouted out of his stomach, and devoured the Mirage card.

"Uhm… I didn't expect that…" muttered Yumi.

"Truthfully, neither did I," said Unus, as the tentacle vanished. "But when you work for the Scion of Chaos, unusual things tend to happen.

"You should have seen my old castle back in Egypt. Once I commissioned a carpenter to build a throne, but when I tried to sit in it for the first time, it walked away. My chef once prepared crown roast, and when he took it out of the oven, it was roast duck.

"And don't even get me started on my art collection. The portraits and statues I had never had the same expression on their faces twice.

"And you know what? I enjoyed it. I'd never have chosen to serve such a being if I didn't."

Yumi glared at him.

She looked at the card she had drawn. It wasn't a Normal Monster, but it was something she could use.

"You know, Unus," she said, "I'm getting sick of this secrecy. Does this demon lord you worship even have a name? Or is that the whole point? Is he so chaotic that he can't decide on a permanent name?"

Unus smirked.

"He has a name," he replied. "He also has a motto that his cultists use. It states, 'Power told is power lost'. In other words, when you discover powerful knowledge, use it for yourself and don't share it, and you'll be more powerful as a result.

"The only reason I was willing to share my plan with the other Sorcerer Kings was because I needed their help."

"And you would have sold them to your master as slaves when you were successful!" shouted Sam. "Am I right?"

Unus chuckled.

"You're all very smart," he said. "Anyway, you'll all find out his name soon enough…"

"Yeah, well…" said Yumi. "I'm gonna use my own knowledge to wipe out your snakes."

"Oh?" said Unus. "How?"

"By exploiting the same weakness that my grandfather Joey exploited when he dueled Odion. Those things are both Monsters and Traps, and are affected by cards that affect both kinds of cards.

"Here goes my Heavy Storm!"

She played the card, and a furious storm blew through the Glass Menagerie. Yumi's supporters cheered as the two Embodiments of Apophis were eroded into sand, and Yumi's Heart of the Underdog blew to pieces.

She played another Spell Card.

"Next, I play Magical Mallet. I think I'll reshuffle four of my cards."

She took four of her six cards and placed them in her deck. She shuffled, and then drew four times.

She looked over her hand.

"I place a Monster in Defense Mode, and that ends my turn…"

**(Y: 3,800) -------------------- (U: 6,900)**

Unus looked at her as he drew.

_She clearly has more than one piece of Exodia in her hand now…_ he thought.

He grinned as he looked at the cards in his hand.

_But I can destroy her whole deck with one swift stroke!_

He placed two cards in his Disk, and two facedown cards appeared.

"Your move…" he said.

"No Monsters?" said Ren. "He's nuts."

"Not really," said Chelsea. "He was right. I doubt Yumi's deck has any Monsters that could really hurt him by attacking."

Yumi drew a card.

"I place one card facedown, and bolster my defenses," she said.

A facedown card, and a second facedown Monster appeared.

"That will be all."

"Then it's my move!" shouted Unus.

He drew a card.

"I activate a Trap Card," he said, as a facedown card lifted. "Multiple Destruction. That means we each toss our whole hands and draw five new cards."

Yumi rolled her eyes, and discarded her hand.

"Since I'm discarding three cards, I lose 300 Life Points," said Unus, "but who cares…"

"Look, buddy," said Yumi, "if you think that making me discard the pieces of Exodia is going to stop me from beating you…"

"Yes, I know, I know…" said Unus. "Any Exodia duelist worth his salt has lots of ways to recover Monsters from the Graveyard…"

He looked at his five new cards.

"But let's see you recover once I activate this…"

Another of his facedown cards lifted.

"NO!" screamed Chelsea.

"Book of Life!" exclaimed Unus. "Now, I can remove a Monster in your Graveyard from play to revive a Zombie from mine. So, let's take a look…"

The Monster cards in Yumi's Graveyard appeared in front of him.

"Nice…" he says. "Looks like you had three pieces of Exodia in your hand a minute ago…

"I think I'll banish this one…"

He pointed to one card – the central piece. Exodia the Forbidden One itself.

"No…" said Chelsea.

She slumped to the ground.

"Yumi's doomed…"

"Now…" said Unus, "as per the effect of Book of Life, I raise Reaper on the Nightmare from my Graveyard."

The ghostly reaper appeared again, astride its demonic horse. (800/600)

"By the way, this Monster has the ability to attack directly…"

Reaper on the Nightmare flew at Yumi, and slashed at her with its ghostly scythe.

"And it has another ability… Now one card in your hand is destroyed."

The Reaper's eyes glowed, and a beam of light hit a card in Yumi's hand. It shattered to bits.

"Nice shooting, Tex!" laughed Yumi. "That card you just hit was a little guy called an Electric Snake. Since your card's effect made me discard it, I get to draw two new cards!"

She drew twice.

Unus chuckled.

"As if it mattered," he said. "I end my turn by summoning Wandering Mummy."

He played the card, and not one, but two embalmed corpses appeared. As far as mummies went, these ones seemed rather typical. They moaned softly. (1,500/1,500)

**(Y: 3,000) -------------------- (U: 6,600)**

"It's your move, Yumi," he said. "You can either continue, or you can yield."

"I choose to continue," said Yumi.

Unus gave her a strange look.

"But why?" he asked. "Are you that stubborn? A piece of Exodia is gone… Your deck is dead."

"_Wounded _Unus," said Yumi. "My deck is wounded.

"But it's not dead yet."

She made a draw.

"I set two more facedown cards," she said. "And then I end my turn."

Two new facedown cards and a new facedown Monster appeared.

Unus drew a card. He looked at the odd Spell.

_Clearly, she has a card that can restore Monsters that have been removed from play,_ he thought. _I must defeat her before she draws it…_

_I expected Spellcasters, not this… If she defeats me, it's all over… So much planning will be wasted…_

He closed his eyes.

_Dark Master…_ he thought. _Great Scion of Chaos… I humbly request permission to channel the great power that only you can give. I will use it to win this duel, and deliver to you the prize you have desired for so long._

He paused.

A cold chill went through him.

He opened his eyes and smiled. His request for permission to had been granted…

"Reaper on the Nightmare," he ordered, "attack her directly again!"

"Not so fast!" shouted Yumi. "Go, Spellbinding Circle!"

Her Trap Card flipped up, and a shimmering circle with a pentagram inside it surrounded the Reaper.

"Unfortunately for your Reaper," said Yumi, "when it's targeted by a card effect, it's destroyed."

Reaper on the Nightmare burst.

"Very well…" said Unus. "First, I will summon the Seven-Armed Demon…"

He played a card, and a hideous creature appeared. It was, as the name suggested, a demon with seven arms, except that the odd one was growing out of its skull. It had grey skin, tangled, long hair, and large, leathery wings. (666/666)

"Ugh!" said Chelsea.

"This scares you, Chelsea?" asked Unus. "This is only a Normal Monster. The true terrors of my deck haven't shown up yet…

"I just keep this in my deck for shock value… And maybe as another way to use Crush Card Virus…

"But these demons are the rank and file… the grunts, if you may, of my patron's army. They may be weak individually, but a horde of several thousand of them can often get the job done. And while these armies typically suffer a casualty rate of seventy to ninety percent in most battles, it hardly matters… In the Abyss, where weak demons sprout up like weeds, these troops are quickly replaced."

"And I thought our wars were bad," muttered Erik.

"You haven't seen war until you've seen the Blood War, Erik," said Unus. "Compared to the Blood War, all conflicts on Earth are no more than casual disagreements. A single Blood War battle costs the lives of more fiends than all of World War II cost the lives of humans. In all areas."

Everyone in the room was speechless. They were thinking right now that Unus was crazy.

At least, they _hoped_ he was crazy. Because if he wasn't, what reason did he have to lie?

Yumi shook her head.

_If this was well known,_ she thought, _sins wouldn't exist… Who would risk damnation knowing that the punishment for an evil life was so horrible?_

"Anyway," said Unus, "I play… Altar of Mist."

The whole arena became shrouded in misty smoke, and a structure of sorts appeared behind Unus. It was a four-pillared, canopied altar on a dais, whose architecture suggested Greco-Roman.

"Yumi," said the Pharaoh's voice, "this card is bad news…"

"The Big Five, right?" asked Yumi.

"Yes," said the Pharaoh. "They used it to summon their F.G.D. quicker. After three of his Standby Phases, Unus will be able to get any Ritual Spell Card he wants from his deck. He's clearly planning something big.

"And I'm afraid we can't stop him. That card is indestructible."

"Well, swell…" said Yumi.

"It's your move, young warrior," said Unus. "Let's see how much progress you can make before my Altar lets me summon my ultimate Monster."

Yumi made a draw.

"I'm going to activate my Trap Card, Unus," said Yumi. "Heck, while I'm at it, I'll activate both of them."

Her two facedown cards flipped up.

"Do you realize you activated two copies of the same Trap?" asked Unus.

"They're called Break the Seal," said Yumi. "When I have one, it does nothing. But when I have two, I can ditch both of them to take a piece of Exodia from my deck, and add it to my hand."

The two Trap Cards vanished into grains of light.

"What's Yumi doing?" asked Chelsea, as Yumi looked through her deck. "How can she win?"

"She's up to something…" said Sam.

"Continuing," said Yumi. "I flip my Avatar of the Pot into Attack Mode."

One of her facedown Monsters flipped up. It was a rocky, muscular statue whose head looked like the Pot of Greed. (1,200/1,300)

"Now, I can activate his effect. By sending my Pot of Greed to the Graveyard from my hand, I can draw three cards instead of two."

She discarded the Spell Card, and then drew three times.

"Now then… Avatar… Get that ugly thing out of my sight! Attack Seven-Armed Demon with money shot!"

Avatar of the Pot laughed. It threw a punch at the Fiend, and it connected with its jaw with a sound that sounded like the ringing of a cash register. Seven-Armed Demon flew backwards and shattered into pieces.

"That's what's called putting your money where your opponent's mouth is," said Yumi. "Next, I sacrifice my Avatar to summon Millennium Shield."

Avatar of the Pot crossed its arms and nodded. It vanished, and a large, steel shield with the Eye of Wdjat on its front appeared, hovering in the air. (0/3,000)

"You _summoned_ Millennium Shield?" shouted Unus. "That was the dumbest move I've ever seen! That means it's in Attack Mode, with zero Attack Points! It's utterly worthless now!"

"Show some respect," said Yumi. "This card is the exact card that was in my grandmother Rebecca's original deck. She was kind enough to give it to me when she heard I was building this deck.

"And as for it being worthless…

"I play Mystik Wok. Now I can sacrifice it, to gain Life Points equal to its Defense Score."

The Spell Card appeared, and Millennium Shield vanished.

"I end my turn. And since my hand now consists of seven cards…"

She discarded a D.D. Trainer.

**(Y: 6,000) -------------------- (U: 6,066)**

Unus made a draw. He shrugged.

"I summon Royal Keeper," he said.

He played the card, and another mummy appeared. This one was wearing a broken tutan mask made of wood and a leather kilt, and carried a spear and a leather shield. (1,600/1,700)

"This plan of yours to assault the realm of the gods," said Yumi. "Did it perchance involve raising a legion of undead soldiers?"

"None of your business," said Unus. "That's all for my turn…"

"Psst, Sam," whispered Erik. "How is Yumi gonna win?"

"Well, she has to get back the Exodia cards in her Graveyard, and the one that's been removed from play," Sam whispered back. "It depends on how lucky her draws are.

"Getting the ones in her Graveyard back is the easy part. Every Exodia duelist has copies of Backup Soldier, and things like Monster Reincarnation.

"As for the one Unus banished… Well, I'm not sure."

Yumi drew a card and looked at it. It was Gravity Bind.

_Let's look at the situation,_ she thought. _Two Exodia pieces are in my hand, two are in my Graveyard, and one has been removed from play…_

_And in just two rounds, he's going to bring out something big…_

_But I've got at least one thing in my favor… Most of my recovery cards are still in my deck… And there are only ten cards left in my deck, so my chances of drawing them are better than he may think._

She placed Gravity Bind in her Disk, and a new card appeared facedown.

Then, she placed another card on her Disk, and a second facedown Monster appeared.

"Your move," she said.

Unus drew a new card.

"Humph," he said. "You're trying to stall, and it won't work… I'm pretty sure my deck has more cards left in it than yours. Exodia Decks never have more than the forty-card minimum."

He placed a card in his deck, and a facedown card appeared.

"That's all for now, so let's see what else you can do."

Yumi made a draw.

"I play… Monster Reborn," she said. "Now I can bring back my Millennium Shield in Defense Mode."

The holy ankh appeared, and Millennium Shield appeared again. (0/3,000)

"All right, Unus…" she said, with sweat running down her face. "I'm more than prepared for whatever you intend to summon…

"So who is it? Dark Master Zorc? Reshef the Dark Being?"

"Those two upstarts?" said Unus, with a laugh. "Once my ultimate Monster defeats you, you'll _wish_ you had been facing them!"

He drew a card. The Altar of Mist became shrouded in spooky smoke, and it vanished. A card appeared in Unus's hand.

"But first thing's first. I play my own Monster Reborn. And I'll bring back a Monster that was destroyed when I used Needle Ceiling. My 3-Hump Lacooda."

The ankh appeared again, and an odd creature appeared. It looked like a camel with three humps, covered with mummy wrappings. Unlike Des Lacooda, this one looked alive and healthy, even though it was drooling. (500/1,500)

"Next, I activate a Spell Card," he said, as his facedown card lifted. "Inferno Reckless Summon. I'll summon two more Lacoodas."

Two more of the odd camels appeared in front of him.

"I don't have any more Millennium Shields, Unus…" muttered Yumi.

"Too bad," said Unus. "Now I activate their effect. When three of these Beasts are on my side of the field, I can sacrifice two of them, and then draw three cards."

Two of the 3-Hump Lacoodas vanished, and he drew three times.

""Perfect," he said. "Now… Before my star appears, I'm going to summon the one who will act as the sacrifice.

"Now, in all honesty, I can't take credit for obtaining this card… Rasputin's spies stole it from I2's vaults when they stole that Obelisk copy that Ren used. Rasputin was going to use this card himself, but…"

He chuckled.

"…he was afraid of it. Heck, very few people wouldn't be.

"I, for one, am not…

"I sacrifice my three Monsters…"

Wandering Mummy, Royal Keeper, and 3-Hump Lacooda erupted in black flames. They were quickly consumed…

"Three sacrifices?" shouted Erik. "What in blazes…"

"I summon one of three mighty devil gods, a beast created to destroy other gods…

"I summon a creature known and feared as… the Wicked Eraser!"

With a bellowing roar, an enormous creature burst through the glass floor behind him. Yumi and her friends recoiled from fright, as the huge, serpentine, winged devil that seemed to combine the worst aspects of Dragon and Fiend loomed over the field. It seemed to be made of metal, rather than flesh, and was covered with sharp edges.

"You know how this Monster works?" asked Unus. "Its Attack and Defense is 1,000 for every card on your side of the field. I see four right now…"

(4,000/4,000)

"Go, Gravity Bind!" shouted Yumi.

Her Trap Card flipped up.

"Sorry, Unus," she said. "But now your Monster can't attack."

Unus laughed out loud.

"I wasn't _going_ to attack with it, Yumi," he said. "The Wicked Eraser has another effect. If it's destroyed, every card on the field goes with it."

"If that's the case, then I _won't_ destroy it," said Yumi.

"You misunderstand," said Unus. "It has yet another effect. I can order it to self-destruct with but a single command.

"Wicked Eraser… Destroy…"

The Wicked Eraser started glowing with a dark, fiery energy…

Yumi braced herself as the huge Fiend burst, and her Gravity Bind, as well as her Millennium Shield, Soul Tiger, and Giant Soldier of Stone were incinerated.

Yumi looked in disbelief. Where her three Monsters had been were now only piles of ash.

"So much for that, Yumi," said Unus. "Ready to meet the Scion of Chaos I've been talking about? The Ritual Spell I have summons none other than his avatar."

"You gotta be kidding…" said Yumi.

"Let me tell you some of his history, Yumi," said Unus. "You may think that demons are just demons, but there are actually a couple of different races of them.

"The predominant race, the one which succubi belong to, are called the tanar'ri. They've ruled the Abyss for a long time…

"But that was not always the case.

"Demons are beings that represent Chaos and Evil. Most would say that the tanar'ri are evil first and anything else second. But once, the Abyss was ruled by ancient race of demons that were chaotic first. This race is dwindling today… Some think that in mere centuries from now, it will be extinct.

"Now, they are truly an ancient race. Quite simply, they were around before mortals were created…"

He chuckled.

"Oh, Sam? You might be interested in knowing that the demons whom the Dark World Fiends were based upon were members of this race. Yes… They had a grand army… But they were decimated in a battle with the Wind Dukes of Aaqa, and most of their power was lost… They never truly recovered, and their empire was easy prey when the tanar'ri rose to power…

"They gained back some of their power when the cards were made, and they gained the status of Duel Spirits. Brron attempted to restore them to true power in recent years by awakening their true leader, but that accursed Jaden Yuki defeated him…"

"Their true leader…" said Sam. "Reign-Beaux?"

"Reign-Beaux is an avatar of an even stronger demon," said Unus. "One whose name I won't speak here…"

Sam looked at him in wonder. Certainly, there had been no Monster in that Dark World Deck that was even stronger than Reign-Beaux…

"But I'm not concerned with them," continued Unus. "The most powerful member of this race… He was ancient even when his race was numerous.

"Legends often connect him in some way to another ancient demon called Pale Night, a member of the race known as the Mother of Demons. No one is sure whether the two of them are siblings, lovers, allies, rivals, or enemies. In the chaotic workings of the Abyss, all could be true at one time or another. 

"Some folks claim that, through his wives and concubines, he sired the progenitors of many modern races of demons. Still others say that every tanar'ri living today can retrace its bloodline to him.

"Some sages go even further, saying that he mated with many ancient material world female monsters, and the fruits of these unions were evil creatures that troubled many famous heroes. The Gorgons… the Chimera… the Grecian Sphinx…

"You getting all this?"

"Hanging on to every word…" said Yumi, nervously, with sweat pouring down her face.

She was defenseless, and facing an attack from something that sounded like the most horrible demon in existence. She had never been more scared in her life.

"This ancient being can harness the raw power of Chaos in the very core of the Abyss," said Unus. "He's the one who I pledged my devotion to…

"I play the Ritual Spell Card, Awakening of the Primordial Scion."

The Spell Card appeared on the field. It was an odd picture, of an iron helmet inlaid with strange runes, superimposed over a starry field.

"This Ritual doesn't work like most. To pay the cost, I must remove from play from my hand, field, or Graveyard, one Monster who must be Level Ten or higher. And since demons hate devils, I'll use The Wicked Eraser."

The Wicked Eraser appeared behind him, and was consumed by dark flames.

Unus pulled the Rod of the Ancients from his belt. It started to glow with golden fire, as he started to chant:

_**Whispered secrets from a shattered age,**_

_**Power sought by scholar and sage,**_

_**Ancient wisdom, lore of old,**_

_**Flawless armor, forged from gold,**_

_**Law is twisted; Reality tossed…**_

_**Come from secrets veiled and lost!**_

"Now… I summon my dark master…

"Shogarr, the Dread Emperor!"

The whole chamber went dark…

A bright glow formed in the center of the arena. Yumi watched, as the Monster appeared. It suggested a knight-like warrior, broad and tall, clad completely in armor. Nothing showed from under it – even his eyes were not visible inside the helmet's visor. The armor itself was very well-made, seeming made of pure gold, equipped with a purple, velvet cape. Oddly, this knight had no weapon. (2,500/2,000)

"What the…" said Ren.

"He traded in a Monster with 4,000 Attack Points for one with 2,500?" asked Chelsea. "It makes no sense!"

"So, Yumi…" said Unus. "What do you think of Shogarr?"

"Uhm, Unus," said Yumi, "I kinda expected the ancient lord of chaos and the father of the demon race to be stronger… And scarier…"

"No kidding," said Sam. "This certainly isn't Ha Des's father…"

"Wasn't his father the titan Chronos?" asked Erik.

"Oh yeah…" she muttered.

"Silence!" shouted Unus. "I'll teach you to respect him… And you will. Shogarr, attack Yumi directly with chaos gaze."

Shogarr didn't move at first…

Then his eyes appeared from beneath his helmet. Yumi froze in fear…

The Dread Emperor simply stared at her without blinking. Yumi cringed. He wasn't even touching her, but this seemed worse than anything she had experienced up to this point… She wanted to look away, but she couldn't escape those eyes…

Finally, after the longest fifteen seconds of her life, the eyes vanished, and Shogarr's helmet went dark again. Yumi fell to her knees.

**(Y: 3,500) -------------------- (U: 6,066)**

"What… What's going on?" she said, clutching her chest. "I feel… I feel so cold…"

A realization came to her…

…her heart wasn't beating…

Unus grinned.

"Let me explain what Shogarr has done to you, Yumi," he said. "You're almost dead… Only his will is keeping you alive, and he will only allow you to live long enough to prepare for what you are about to see."

"What do you mean?" asked Yumi. "You mean… You've won and he's toying with me?"

"In a way," said Unus. "You can survive if you manage to win, but the odds are against it now…

"You see, Yumi, as the Scion of Chaos, Shogarr's physical body is Chaos incarnate. You see a humanoid man in armor before you, but that's really a disguise.

"Most of the time, he hides his features behind his armor… He never removes it, unless he wants to execute a living victim personally. His face is so horrific, reality rejects it.

"No living creature can view him without his armor without dying instantly, overwhelmed by the ultimate Chaos. In fact, when the spirits of those who have fallen victim to this power are contacted, they can't describe or remember what they saw. It defies description.

"But… He doesn't need to remove the armor to show a victim his face. He has other ways.

"Since he succeeded in a direct attack, you'll get a view of his face… After you've completed three of your End Phases."

"But that means…" said Yumi.

Unus nodded.

"When that happens, it's all over," he said. "You lose. And you die.

"By the way, Yumi, this Monster has another ability. He may have only 2,500 Attack Points, but he can't be destroyed in battle, and I take no battle damage from any attacks directed towards him. And even if you should destroy him with a card effect, it won't change the situation. You'll still perish after three of your turns. This is only an avatar… Shogarr himself is eternal."

He fit a card into his Disk.

"I set a facedown, and my turn ends. Your three turns start now."

Yumi got up, shivering with fright.

She felt her chest again. Not even a tremble.

Her skin was cold. She looked at her arms… They were pale.

Technically, this was an automatic win condition. On some small level, she knew that. But she also knew the truth…

Shogarr's attack was a curse, and the three rounds she had were meant to frighten her before its full effect was enacted.

"Yumi!" shouted Ren. "Don't give up! I was in a similar situation!"

"You were?" groaned Yumi.

"So long as you can draw, there's still hope!" shouted Ren.

Yumi closed her eyes. She made a draw.

She looked at the card.

"I activate my Trap Card," said Unus.

His facedown card lifted.

"I don't need to do this," he said, "but I like seeing you squirm. I pay 500 Life Points to activate Soul Demolition. Since I have a Fiend-Type Monster on my side of the field, I get to remove a Monster in your Graveyard from play. And I choose Left Leg of the Forbidden One."

The Exodia card appeared above Yumi's head and faded into nothing.

"You forget," said Yumi. "I also get to banish one of your Monsters. And I choose your Reaper on the Nightmare."

The Zombie appeared behind Unus, and dissolved into mist.

"Easy come, easy go," said Unus. "That's the way it is sometimes…"

"And so is this…" muttered Yumi. "I play Burial From a Different Dimension."

She played a Spell Card.

"So, Exodia the Forbidden One and Left Leg of the Forbidden One go back to my Graveyard."

She slowly slipped the two cards into her discard slot as Unus seethed with anger.

"I play Silent Doom," she said. "Then I play a facedown card, and I end my turn."

Millennium Shield appeared in Defense Mode. (0/3,000) Then a facedown card appeared.

"Make your move…"

**(Y: 3,500) -------------------- (U: 5,866)**

"Draw…" said Unus.

He drew a card.

"Again, this is hardly necessary," he said, "but I might as well. I Equip my Monster with the Demon Hatchet… Better known as the Axe of Despair."

He played the card, and an ugly axe appeared in Shogarr's hands. (3,500/2,000)

"By the way, Yumi," he said, "Shogarr only uses his power as a last resort. Like all demons, he much prefers to fight! Legends state that he has been able to decimate whole armies by himself.

"Shogarr, destroy her Monster!"

The Dread Emperor hurled the axe, and Millennium Shield was blasted to pieces.

"Millennium Items…" said Unus. "Bah. Nothing but toys to folks like him…"

Shogarr gestured, and the axe appeared back in his hand.

"I end my turn…" he growled. "Your move…"

Yumi drew another card. She glanced at it.

She held her head, and wobbled a bit.

She placed it in her Disk, and it appeared facedown next to the other one.

"That's all," she said.

"YUMI!" screamed Sam.

"You can't help her, Sam," said Unus, drawing a card. "Seems I can end this early.

"Attack her directly!"

"I activate my Spell Card," groaned Yumi, as one of her two facedown cards lifted. "Scapegoat…"

The Quickplay Spell lifted, and in a flash of light, the four multicolored Sheep Tokens appeared. (0/0 x4)

"Seems I'm safe from your attack," she said.

"Annoying fuzzballs," growled Unus. "Shogarr, attack…"

He paused.

"Oh… why bother…

"I end my turn, Yumi. Make your move. Remember, once it's over, so is this duel… You lose…"

He chuckled.

Yumi was sweating more than ever now.

She looked at Shogarr, whose eyes were now glowing red, like hot coals…

_Seven cards left in my deck…_ she thought, a mind full of fog. _Yumi… this is NOT the time for a bad draw…_

She quickly drew a card.

She felt a small surge of energy when she looked at it.

"I play… A Feather of the Phoenix," she said. "Now, I discard Left Arm of the Forbidden One to place Exodia the Forbidden One on the top of my deck."

She tossed the card, and another card slipped out of her discard slot. She placed it on the top of her deck.

"Next, I activate my last facedown card… Backup Soldier. Now, since I have at least five Monsters in my Graveyard, Left Leg of the Forbidden One, Left Arm of the Forbidden One, and Right Arm of the Forbidden One all return to my hand."

The facedown card lifted, and three cards slipped out of her discard slot.

Unus chuckled.

"So now what?" he asked.

"Unus is right…" muttered Chelsea. "The last piece of Exodia is on the top of her deck… And Yumi won't get a next turn to draw it…"

"Don't worry…" said Ren with a smile. "I kinda have a feeling that Yumi won't need a next turn…"

"Ren is right…" said Yumi. "There's one card in my hand that isn't a piece of Exodia…"

She tossed a card on her Disk. Then she fell on her behind.

"I summon Poison Draw Frog…"

A small Monster appeared. It was… Well, it was a frog. That was the best way to describe it. (100/100)

"Huh?" said Unus.

"Attack… Shogarr…" muttered Yumi.

Poison Draw Frog let out a loud ribbit, and hopped towards the Dread Emperor…

Shogarr's eyes glowed in incredible anger. Beams of energy shot from them, and Poison Draw Frog burst into flames. Yumi cringed in pain.

**(Y: 100) -------------------- (U: 5,866)**

Yumi gasped for breath…

…but then, she felt a thump in her chest. Her heart was beginning to beat.

"You just wiped out almost all your Life Points," chuckled Unus. "What were you trying to prove?"

"I still have enough left…" moaned Yumi. "And Poison Draw Frog has an effect you might want to know about… When it goes from the field to the Graveyard while in a face-up position…"

A look of horror crossed Unus's face.

"…you get to draw one card…" he said.

Yumi slowly made a draw.

Thunder flashed…

An enormous summoning circle, similar to the Spellbinding Circle, appeared in the center of the arena, and a huge, hulking form rose out of it. The form appeared from the shadows… It was none other than the fully assembled form of the mighty god Exodia the Forbidden One, his wrists and ankles bound by chains.

He gave a mighty yank with his right arm, and the chain holding it snapped. He gave a yank with the other arm, and the chain holding that one broke. Then he took one step forward, shattering the chains holding his legs.

"I should thank you, Unus," said Yumi, as she slowly stood up. "It's been almost sixty years since a Mouto has been able to say these words…

"Exodia…

"…_OBLITERATE!"_

The Forbidden One threw up his arms and then threw a beam of pure, burning energy forward, in a wave towards the other side of the field. The Axe of Despair flew from Shogarr's hand and exploded against the wall. Even so, it seemed like the demon lord was unwilling to give up. He struggled against the burning wave, pushing towards Yumi, trying to reach for her… But before he made it halfway, his legs gave out, he toppled backwards, and the Dread Emperor burst in an explosion of fiery, multicolored energy.

Unus the Undying screamed and was thrown violently against the dais behind him. His Duel Disk fell from his arm and his cards scattered.

**(Y: 100) -------------------- (U: 0)**

"Guys…" said Ren, "I never get tired of seeing Yumi kick butt!"

The Rod of the Ancients appeared in Yumi's hand. She sighed, and took a deep breath.

"Well…" she said. "Man, that got the blood flowing. Seriously…"

She walked up to Unus, with Exodia looming behind her. The mighty deity cracked his knuckles.

Thunder started to roll.

"You have a lot to answer for, Unus," she said. "You've put us all through Hell, attacking us, forcing us into deadly games, brainwashing my friends, and giving me a splitting headache that's even worse than the one I got at the Yui Maki concert I went to last year… And now that I have all eight of the Shadow Charms, I'm going to see to it that you are punished…"

"What are you going to do?" muttered Unus.

Yumi paused.

She noticed a glow behind him.

"Nothing," she said, with a shrug.

She waved her arm, and the Forbidden One vanished.

"WHAT?" shouted Sam. "Nothing? Yumi, this jerk's partner made me dress like a slut, and you're gonna let him off?"

"Yes," said Yumi. "You see, now he has to go back to the real Shogarr and explain why he failed, and why this whole campaign he planned was a waste.

"I remember how Dispater turned one of his minions into a statue of iron for defying him. Now, if that's how a fiend of Law punishes a failure, I _really_ feel sorry for a minion of a fiend of Chaos that messes up!"

The glow behind him had formed into a portal.

"Actually… I find it hard to feel sorry for you at all… Seems you have some explaining to do, Unus."

Then Unus screamed as a mob of tentacles shot out of the portal and grabbed him, pulling him through.

Yumi let out a big sigh.

"So…" said Ren. "Does this make you the new Exodia Empress?"

"Dark Magician Girl is still my favorite card," she replied. "But who knows… Using this deck would have been fun if my life hadn't been wagered… I won't put it away just…"

Then the portal started to glow again. Yumi looked towards it.

Then another tentacle reached through. It shot towards Yumi…

"Yumi!" screamed Ren.

Yumi instinctively lifted the Rod of the Ancients. It and the other seven Charms on her body glowed.

The tentacle fell, and shriveled into dust. The portal vanished.

Yumi sighed.

"I think Shogarr is about ready to give up for now…" she said.

Then the whole building shifted. Something was happening.

"No he isn't!" said Yumi.

"What the Hell?" shouted Sam.

The Pharaoh appeared next to Yumi.

"Yumi!" he shouted. "I was afraid of this… Shogarr has cancelled the magic maintaining this temple. It's going to lose all its power and crash into the ocean in a few minutes.

"We have to be off of it before it does!"

"People!" shouted Yumi. "This temple is gonna crash! Let's split!"

The Glass Menagerie started to shake. As they fled, the statues shattered into shards.

They approached the doors, only to find that they were closed tight.

"We're trapped!" shouted Erik.

"We'll see about that…" said Sam, drawing a card from her Disk. "Shogarr isn't the only powerful demon lord around here…"

She looked at it, and placed it on her Disk.

Dark Ruler Ha Des appeared in a burst of fire and smoke.

He threw up his arms, and his black flames shot at the doors. Then were reduced to molten glass.

"Thanks," said Sam, as they ran through.

Then they stopped short.

The pathway of light was no longer there.

"Uh…" said Chelsea. "Anyone have a Monster who can fly?"

"My Kiryu and two Pitch-Dark Dragons can," said Ren, "but if Dark Blade is any indication, they probably can only carry three of us…"

"So what do we do?" shouted Sam. "Draw straws to see who lives and who dies?"

She looked down.

"Jumping is out of the question… Hitting the water at this height would be like hitting cement…"

Then there was a loud screech. They looked in front of them.

A huge creature was flying towards them. It looked like a giant, golden, oriental dragon, with huge, feathered wings, and a stern face.

"That's Majestic Mech – Goryu," said Erik.

The giant Fairy hovered in front of them, and nodded its head, motioning for them to mount it.

"I don't know where it came from," said Chelsea, leaping on its back, "but I'm not complaining!"

They all held onto the Mech's back, as it flew towards Duelatopia, as the Glass Menagerie fell into the sea, where it sank like a stone…

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It was now two AM.

The exhausted duelists were sitting on a curb outside of Clock Tower Prison, surrounded by Centurions. Sam was thankful that one of them had given her a bathrobe.

Ren chuckled.

"You know…" he said. "That story Unus told… I'll never look at Warrior Dai Grepher the same way again. I never knew that D.D. Warrior Lady and Warrior Lady of the Wasteland were the same person…"

"The Trap Card Karma Cut supports that theory," muttered Yumi. "It shows Warrior Lady of the Wasteland being sucked into a portal. Most assume that she gained power in the Different Dimension, and came back as a much different Warrior."

They watched as Louis and Nicholas were led out of the Clock Tower in handcuffs.

"You know…" said Yumi, "I almost feel sorry for Nicholas… He's probably going to rot in juvie until he's eighteen, and then who knows what next."

Nicholas laughed when he heard this.

"Oh please, Yumi!" he said. "I'll never spend time in jail! I know so much dirt about so many gangs in the European underworld… I just have to cut a deal with Scotland Yard, and I'll be given informant status, and get off with probation.

"Of course… They'll have to give me a new identity and relocate me… So…"

"You can make a deal with the Yard when we hand you over to them," said a Centurion. "Now get moving."

"Tell you what, I'll call you," said Nicholas, as he was led away. "You're in the Domino City phone book, right?"

"I still don't know why that Majestic Mech saved us," muttered Chelsea. "You know… It seemed like a Monster that would have come from Olga's deck…"

"Speaking of Olga," said Commander Descartes, who had walked up, "once we have her, we can shut the book on this whole thing. I wonder where she is?"

"I can answer that," said a voice.

They all looked up. It was Maria.

"Maria?" asked Yumi.

The old woman smirked.

She touched her necklace, and it glowed…

Her face started to melt, and run like wax. Then it started to reshape. Her hair started to change.

Everyone gasped…

Where Maria's face had been, Olga's was now.

She sighed. She approached Descartes and lifted her hands.

"I surrender," she said. "I've had enough."

"Wait!" shouted Yumi, getting up. "I want some answers, Olga!"

Olga sighed again...

_The last enemy has fallen. Yumi now has all of the Charms. Maybe now Yumi and her friends can sleep easily. But so much remains unanswered. What will Yumi do with the Charms now that she has them? One more duel remains, but preparation must be done… But first, our friends are deserving of the whole story…_

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**BREAK THE SEAL (Trap Card)**

**Continuous Trap**

**Image:** A hand picking up a mess of scrolls with runes written on them, over a cracked, stone surface, through which a glowing eye is peering out.

**Card Description:** When you have two copies of this card face-up on your side of the field, you may send both of them to the Graveyard to search your deck for a Monster with the words "Forbidden One" in its name and add it to your hand.

_Note: "Break the Seal" was first used by Marcel in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Breaking of the Sacred Seal!". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**ALTAR OF MIST (Spell Card)**

**Continuous Spell**

**Image:** An outdoor, Grecian-style altar shrouded by mist.

**Card Description:** On your third Standby Phase after this card is played, destroy this card and add one Ritual Spell Card from your deck to your hand. This card cannot be destroyed by any card effect except its own effect.

_Note: "Altar of Mist" was first used by the Big Five in the multi-part original anime episode "Merger of the Big Five". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**AWAKENING OF THE PRIMORDIAL SCION (Spell Card)**

**Ritual Spell**

**Image:** An iron helmet, superimposed over a starry field.

**Card Description:** This card is used to Ritual Summon "Shogarr, the Dread Emperor". To activate this card, you must remove from play from your hand, your side of the field, or your Graveyard, one Monster that is Level Ten or higher.

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**SEVEN-ARMED DEMON (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fiend/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level:** 1  
**ATK:** 666  
**DEF:** 666

**Flavor Text:** _A demon with seven arms. Its abilities are a mystery._

_Note: This card was never used in an actual duel in the anime. In the original anime episode "Evil Spirit of the Ring", it was shown in a flashback where the merchant who sold Bakura's father the Millennium Ring also showed it to him. Also of note, its ATK and DEF were changed to 1,000 apiece in the dub._

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**SHOGARR, THE DREAD EMPEROR (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fiend/Ritual/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level:** 10  
**ATK:** 2,500  
**DEF:** 2,000

**Card Description:** This card can only be Ritual Summoned via the Ritual Spell Card "Awakening of the Primordial Scion". You must also remove from play from your hand, your side of the field, or your Graveyard, one Monster that is Level Ten or higher. This card takes no battle damage and cannot be destroyed as a result of battle. At the end of your opponent's third End Phase after this card has made a successful direct attack, you automatically win the duel. The soul of the loser of a duel in which this card is summoned becomes the property of Shogarr.

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**Ren: You did it, Yumi! You got all eight of the Shadow Charms!**

**Sam: Well, I for one want to know what all the trouble we went through to get them was about. I want answers!**

**Yumi: Don't worry, everyone, we'll get them. Now that we have some time to relax, some explanations can be made.**

**Coming up next, "Revelations; Secrets from the Past and Present".**

**Anastasia: The final duel will take place soon… But first, Yumi, you must learn your past, and what your future holds…**


	61. Revelations

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**CHAPTER SIXTY**

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**Revelations**

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**Secrets from the Past and Present**

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Olga bowed her head silently as Descartes cuffed her hands behind her.

"This is crazy…" said Yumi. "Olga… Maria was you the whole time?"

Olga smirked.

"Well, think about it, Yumi," she said. "Did you ever see me and Maria together in the same place?"

"How could you have been Maria?" shouted Sam, standing up. "Maria was the one who warned me about your Valkyrie Deck! Are you saying that you _wanted_ me to beat you, so you told me about your deck beforehand?"

"Yeah, we want answers, Olga!" shouted Chelsea. "Just who's side were you on?"

Olga sighed. She turned her head towards Descartes.

"All right," he said, taking hold of her shoulders. "Sit down, and we'll hear it. But I'm going to be watching you closely."

He slowly lowered her to the ground.

"Where to start?" sighed Olga.

"At the beginning," said Yumi.

"My mother died giving birth to me," said Olga.

"Well, maybe not _that_ far back," said Yumi.

"I have to," said Olga. "You see, my father was a lawyer, a very rich and respected man for a big firm in Liverpool. But he didn't have much in the way of family except his wife. When she died giving birth to me, I was all he had left.

"He once showed me a photo of my mom… She had beautiful, sea-green eyes, and long, honey-blonde hair… Just like mine…

"Anyway, he became fiercely protective of me… The greatest treasure he had. He often called me 'Angel' as a pet name… As you know, when I got interested in Duel Monsters for the first time, he pulled some strings to get me one of the rarest Fairies in existence, the Neo-Parshath.

"But he forbade me from ever touching a Disk, saying I would have to wait until I was much older… The thought of me being hurt from a direct attack from an actual holographic duel frightened him to no end.

"Father always told me, that if he had to protect me with his last ounce of strength, he'd do it.

"I first saw Rasputin when I was ten. I knew him as an acquaintance of my father. Eventually, I saw him as a family friend, and grew to trust him. If my father was involved in any illicit activities, I don't know, and I forgive him for all of them.

"But little did I know, Rasputin's relationship with my father wasn't really very friendly. Maybe I heard them arguing on occasion, but this happened with a lot of adults I knew. I never asked him what the arguments were about… It was none of my business.

"You see, my father owned something that Rasputin wanted. I'm still not sure what it was. I assume it was some artifact dealing with alchemy. My father wouldn't sell it for some reason. I guess it had value that he couldn't put a price on. Maybe it even belonged to my mother.

"When I was fourteen years old, Rasputin got tired of dealing with him through legitimate means. He hired a thug of sorts to break into our house and find the item of interest, and make off with it. He told the thug when my father and I would be out, so as to give him plenty of time to get in, grab it, and get away.

"But this criminal got greedy. He saw all the artwork and other expensive items that were in our townhouse. So he started stuffing his bag with everything he could see that was valuable. He was so bold as to take the most valuable heirloom we had, a gem-encrusted tiara that dated back to the time of Louis the XIV that I estimate was worth six figures. A common thug like him could never have successfully fenced it.

"He wasted time until we came home, and caught him in the act.

"The thug wasn't about to let himself be arrested, and he thought that the value of what he had taken was worth committing any crime now. He had come armed. When my father confronted him, the thug pulled a gun, and shot him.

"I didn't have time to do much at that point. The thug at first decided to shoot me too… But then he realized something. He realized that an attractive fourteen-year-old girl was in front of him, helpless and at his mercy.

"I was cornered, and facing rape from a killer… But it seemed that he had made his last mistake…

"You see, his shot had not killed my father right away. And my father never went anywhere without his own gun. As the thug approached me, turning his back to his first victim, my father managed to aim his own gun, and fire a shot that went through the assailant's skull.

"For his greed and his raw lust, he paid the ultimate price.

"Unfortunately, the wound my father had suffered was too much. My father had said that if he had to protect me with his last ounce of strength, he'd do it. Turns out that he had to make good that promise."

She sighed. A tear fell down her cheek.

"The police were summoned, and as you might expect, I was a sobbing wreck. Then Rasputin showed up. He played the part of a caring friend, saying that he could help me through this tragedy by volunteering to become my new guardian. I had no idea that the thug had been working for him, and it was either that or the orphanage. I was fourteen years old… No-one would have ever have adopted me at that age. So I said yes.

"What I didn't know was, Rasputin had many motives for wanting to adopt me. Maybe he was a _little_ compassionate about what had happened. Maybe he felt a little regret, and more than a little responsible, because a life had been lost due to him hiring a scoundrel instead of a thief with more sense. But he saw some opportunities. One, he saw a chance to obtain a protégé. Two, if I was his ward, he'd have legal use of anything that my father bequeathed to me in his will until I reached the age of consent. So Rasputin would be able to use that item that he had wanted after all.

"I might have never known the truth, if not for one thing…

"Rasputin had actually hired two thugs. They were brothers, in fact. The other one served as lookout while the other went through the house. When the brother came to him to demand compensation, stating that his brother was dead because of the job, Rasputin refused. He said that the burglary was botched because of his brother's greed and gross incompetence, a murder had been committed for no reason, and he didn't pay for stupidity.

"The thug threatened to report him to the authorities, but Rasputin reminded him that anyone connected to my father's death would be held accountable, including him, and he couldn't afford as good a lawyer as Rasputin could. Not to mention the fact that there were several outstanding warrants for this man already.

"The thug was forced to leave with nothing. He burned with rage, and grief over the death of his brother. Why he cared for such scum, I'll never know.

"But he had one idea for revenge.

"I remember it quite clearly. He confronted me one day, while I was buying a sandwich from a vendor in Piccadilly Circus. He quickly told me that he was the brother of the man who had killed my father, and that he was working for Rasputin at the time.

'He fled before I could find a policeman. The police later found his body – he had committed suicide, put a gun to his head.

"I did my own investigating… I found out proof that it wasn't a lie… But the proof I found was inadmissible evidence that no legal authority would accept. Going to the police would get me nowhere. And the one person who might have been a witness to the truth was dead.

"Even if Rasputin didn't intend to kill my father, I held him responsible. I wanted him to answer for the crime somehow…

"It was around that time that Rasputin's plans became known to me. I decided to start planning my own agenda… One that would bring him down… One that would avenge my father… In the meantime, I was becoming a duelist of no small skill. And Rasputin didn't object to me using a Disk. Nor did I.

"I'm not proud of some of the things I did… the crimes I committed. But I kept telling myself that I was committing crimes with the intent to stop a greater evil.

"I took a big step forward when Rasputin found this…"

She nodded to the necklace.

"It's an alchemic device called the Plasmage Jewel. It shapes flesh. Rasputin intended to use it to make himself look young and handsome.

"But he made a mistake. Before using it on himself, he decided to test it. He bribed a homeless man to convince him to be a test subject.

"And the Jewel has a strange condition attached to it. If you use it to shape another's flesh, you can never shape your own. And if you use it to shape your own, you can never shape another's.

"Since Rasputin saw it as now worthless, he put it in cold storage. But I took it, and was able to form my identity as Maria. A spy who could infiltrate his organization from right under his nose, and never be caught because of the flawless disguise. He'd never suspect me."

"Whoa…" said Ren.

Olga nodded.

"This was how I allied myself with Cassandra," she said. "I visited her as Maria when I found she worked in Duelatopia. We dueled, and I used my Sanctuary Deck. She defeated me, mostly because her Monsters were Fairies, and benefited from my Field Spell. But she had an interest in helping you, Yumi, so we decided to keep in touch.

"So, all through Duelatopia, I used my close proximity to Rasputin to give you all the help I could. Rasputin knew there was a traitor, but he didn't know how close that traitor was."

She chuckled.

"I was even able to help you, Yumi, when he cast the spell to brainwash your friends. That bastard Unus told me to inspect the decks he designed to give to you all, making sure they were… up to par. I slipped copies of three cards into each of them: Cemetery Change, Infernal Transaction, and Exchange of the Spirits. I hoped that the duelist's ability to get most of his own deck back in the middle of a duel might help break the spell. And with Erik, it worked.

"I tried to help you too, Chelsea, when Unus ordered me to duel you. I used my Sanctuary Deck, hoping that its holy power would protect us both from the evil Shadows, regardless of who won. When it did, I used the Shadows to my advantage, using Goryu to escape from the Clock Tower.

"The final thing I had to do was send you Goryu while the Shadows were still lingering, so you wouldn't drown. I had a feeling that The Glass Menagerie could be used as a giant deathtrap if all other plans failed.

"And now that Rasputin is gone, and the true evil behind him is vanquished…

"My father can rest in peace…"

Yumi remembered something.

_When I dueled Cassandra,_ she thought, _she told me that I might find an ally from the most unlikely of places… How right she was…_

Then a sudden thought occurred to her.

"Wait!" she said. "If Maria never existed… She never fought in Battle City… That Divine Mallet card…"

Olga grinned.

"It belonged to a real champion of Battle City," she said. "Odion Ishtar."

"That makes no sense," said Yumi. "Odion had no Warriors in his deck."

"Not the deck everyone saw," replied Olga. "The Trap-heavy deck that he used was more than a match for Joey…

"But think about it… The match-ups for the finals were determined at random. What if he had to duel Yugi or Kaiba?"

There was a long pause.

"His Traps would have been worthless against Obelisk or Slifer…" muttered Yumi.

Olga sighed.

"I met him on a trip to Cairo last year… He's an old man now, but still robust and vigorous due to his very healthy diet and exercises. He showed me his Warrior Deck… It's full of strange Monsters, sort of like the Warrior equivalents of Gravekeepers.

"I was shocked when he gave me that card. He asked for nothing in return, even though it was priceless. He said that he felt it might be needed again."

She sighed.

She turned towards Descartes.

"That's all I have to say…"

The Commander lifted her to her feet.

"Olga…" said Yumi.

"Good luck, Yumi," she said. "And please, don't worry about me. I'll be able to cut a deal with the Yard too. Who knows? Maybe we'll see each other again…"

As Olga was led away, Yumi let out a big sigh.

She wanted to know more…

But more than anything right now, she wanted to sleep…

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Yumi slept more soundly than she ever did, until about nine in the morning.

She felt very secure. Sheena and Descartes were taking no chances. Two armed Centurions each were guarding outside the doors to their rooms, with orders not to let anyone in under any conditions. They also had orders to restrain them if they appeared brainwashed and tried to leave.

Finally, Yumi sat up and yawned.

She turned, and saw the eight Shadow Charms on the floor next to her bed.

All eight of them were hers…

The Pharaoh appeared sitting next to her.

"Quite a night, wasn't it?" he asked.

She nodded.

"Yumi…" he said. "I was… meditating while you were asleep… And it seems that the Charms have done their job…

"It's like they opened a floodgate. It's all coming back to me. I know who I am…

"And I know who you are…"

Yumi looked at him strangely.

"The girl in the vision…" she said.

"It was you in a past life," he replied. "A girl whom I rescued… One whom was also targeted by a worshipper of Chaos…

"Lie down, Yumi, it's quite a story…"

Yumi lay down on her back, as he began to speak.

"When I was Pharaoh," he started, "I employed an alchemist of my own. His name was Zoman.

"Now, Zoman wasn't a very nice guy. He was overweight, he drank too much, had a perverted sense of humor… And he squandered his money on luxuries. I often regretted employing him.

"Nothing he ever did broke the law, but I was suspicious… So I had my more loyal servants keep an eye on him.

"One day, he did something that was brought to my attention… His focus shifted on a merchant… A young girl with blonde hair and violet eyes…"

"Me?" said Yumi.

"I'm certain of it," he replied. "She seemed innocent enough. She was nothing more than a basket weaver who sold her wares in the outdoor market.

"But Zoman reported to the authorities that she had seduced his nephew, and had taken money from him. That she was a prostitute and a thief. He ordered her arrested. Accusations from high-class men against lower-class citizens are usually taken seriously.

"I believe that the judge who oversaw this case was bribed. She was sentenced to be auctioned at a slave market.

"I discovered this, seeing as I was already keeping an eye on Zoman, and I smelled a rat. Now, as Pharaoh, I could have easily overturned the judge's ruling… But I worried about the girl's safety. I feared that if I did, she might be the victim of murder, one that would go unpunished.

"It was clear to me what Zoman intended to do.

"The night before the auction, I went to take a look at this girl at the prison where she was kept. I was wearing a hood and a cloak, keeping my face covered, so she didn't recognize me. She assumed I was just somebody checking out the available 'merchandise'. She wouldn't give up her pride, and refused to speak to anyone.

"I knew just by looking at her then, that there was something special about this girl… She wasn't just a basket weaver…

"So I attended the auction personally. When the girl's lot came up, as I expected, Zoman bid a great deal of money. Then, I bid triple, shocking everyone.

"Zoman was visibly upset. I decided to see how far he was willing to go. He bid double that amount. Then, I bid triple _that_ amount.

"There were no bids after that."

"Uh… Exactly how much money are we talking about here?" asked Yumi.

The Pharaoh smirked.

"Suffice to say, a lot," he replied. "I had some money set aside that I was going to use to build a set of obelisks. But unlike most Pharaohs of the time, I cared a great deal more for the lives of my subjects than I did for monuments."

He lifted up the Puzzle and looked at it.

"My father was the same way. He ordered these things created, but he certainly did _not_ approve of the cruel method in which my uncle created them…"

"The Millennium Items?" asked Yumi.

The Pharaoh nodded.

"Ninety-nine human lives had to be sacrificed," muttered the Pharaoh. "A whole village was murdered… The victims' blood, flesh, and bone mixed with the gold that was cast to forge the seven items…"

"Okay, now I don't want to wear this!" shouted Yumi.

"Well," said the Pharaoh. "When my father learned of how they were made, he offered his own soul to the gods of Egypt as penance for the horrific act. It spared me from divine retribution… But not from everyone's. One of the survivors of that massacre was… Well, it was the spirit that possessed Bakura."

Yumi looked at him intently.

"But anyway… Where was I?"

"The slave auction…" said Yumi.

"Yes," said the Pharaoh. "There was a lot of whispering and talk behind my back for a few weeks. Many folks thought I had wanted a new concubine. Apparently that was what the girl herself thought, because she was paralyzed with fear when I spoke to her for the first time. It took a lot of gentle reassurances before she would trust me.

"Zoman looked at me and her with angry looks every time he passed. But he didn't dare raise a hand. The law of the time stated that if a man destroyed another man's property, which included killing a slave, he would have to pay the owner twice the amount the owner had paid for that property. Zoman couldn't come close to affording that much. That, of course, was my whole plan. It was my way of protecting this girl until I figured out his scheme.

"I decided to keep the girl as an unofficial guest until I knew what was going on. In the meantime, I had her taught a few things. She learned to read and learned a few skills that were more useful than basket weaving.

"And in the times when Shadow Games threatened, and I had to defend myself, she watched with wide eyes. She was excited by things that would have sent most commoners fleeing in panic.

"But nothing prepared me for what happened one day…

"I took it upon myself to show her some of the stone tablets used for summoning the Shadow creatures. She touched one, and to the surprise of both of us, the demon inside emerged.

"I started to cast the spell that would seal it back in the tablet. She screamed and yelled at it to get away from her…

"…and I was shocked when it obeyed.

"I realized that there was power inside this girl. Something deeper ran within her. I had to know what.

"Finally, Zoman took a great risk. He attacked the girl outright when he thought I wasn't looking. But I was. A duel of spells between the two of us ensued, and he was no match for me.

"When he collapsed, I gave him a choice. He could either hang for treason, or he could tell me what she was to him.

"He broke down like the coward I knew he was, and started telling the whole story. He was working for one of the Sorcerer Kings – I realize now that it was Unus – who had worshipped a Scion of Chaos. Unus had told him to bring him the girl, so that the prophesy opposing the Grand Rebirth wouldn't occur. He couldn't tell us more.

"We found him dead in his cell the next morning. From what we saw, he had apparently died of fright."

"I doubt Unus and Shogarr thought of him as anything more than an expendable lackey," said Yumi, shaking her head. "Much like they regarded Rasputin."

"Well," continued the Pharaoh, "I had my sages search every book in my libraries for information on the Grand Rebirth, and we found out what it was… It was a plan set forth by this Scion of Chaos that he mentioned. Obviously, it's Shogarr's master plan.

"Legend's state that if something called 'the Great Helm' is constructed and used at the time of a particular aligning of the stars, the Dread Emperor will be able to perform some sort of ritual that will merge the dimensions together, destroying Order and restoring it to the Chaos that was present before the worlds were formed. From it, he can recreate the world… Shogarr's version of a perfect world. A world where Law doesn't exist…"

Yumi shivered.

"But we also discovered the prophesy," said the Pharaoh. "When he finally puts this plan into play, he will be opposed by a young woman of fair skin and golden hair.

"You are the one who will oppose Shogarr, Yumi. He tried in your past life, and he tried again now to imprison your soul so that his plan would be unopposed. But you've escaped him so far.

"Yumi… It's quite possible that you've died and been granted a new life many times over the millennia. Maybe once this battle occurs… Maybe if you manage to defeat him, that won't be needed any more. You'll be able to live out the rest of your life with no worries…

"And once you pass on… You'll pass on with the memories of everyone you've been with you… Including that basket weaver I rescued."

"Wow…" said Yumi. "That's a lot to take in…"

The Pharaoh chuckled.

"You know, Yumi…" he said. "Just before I gave her freedom, I promised her I'd duel her when she was skilled enough…"

Yumi looked at the eight Charms. She walked towards them.

"You don't have to, you know," he said. "You have all eight… You could have the power that the other Sorcerer Kings obtained…

"You could have the power of a goddess…"

Yumi lifted up the Crown of Souls.

"The power of a goddess…" she sighed.

"You know…" she said. "There's an old saying… With great power comes great responsibility… If you have power, you have to be responsible.

"But what if you have godlike power? It would give you godlike responsibility!"

She shook her head.

"I'm not ready for that…

"We'll do the ceremony…

"I'll wish you luck…"

The Pharaoh bowed his head.

"You forget, Yumi…" he said. "You need more luck than me in this duel…

"Because this test is twofold. Not only will success prove that the King of Games can take defeat…

"But that he leaves behind a successor who is worthy of the title."

Yumi slowly nodded.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The noon sun shone down on the Colosseum, as the whole crowd cheered for Yumi, as she stood on the central platform.

Sheena lifted Yumi's hand.

"I give you, ladies and gentlemen," she said, "one who not only triumphed in our tournament, but the one who made a fool out of the terrible Demons of Chaos, and likely saved Duelatopia! I give you the true Queen of Games!"

The crowd cheered again.

Behind her, White Rain started to play again. It was slow, easy tune this time.

The lead singer stepped forward, and started to sing:

_**They're drenched in blood,**_

_**Or caked with mud,**_

_**You yell and scream when one of them arrives…**_

_**There is no denying,**_

_**And I'm not lying,**_

_**Monsters lead such interesting lives.**_

_**They live in ooze,**_

_**They've paid their dues,**_

_**No mothers, sisters, moms or dads or wives…**_

_**Honest, I'm not lying,**_

_**There's simply no denying,**_

_**Monsters lead such interesting lives.**_

_**When you see them coming down the street,**_

_**You'd better not have weights tied to your feet.**_

_**They'll steal your heart,**_

_**Tear you apart,**_

_**Limb from limb,**_

_**On a whim…**_

_**They'll suck your brains,**_

_**And eat your remains,**_

_**They'll slice you up with little forks and knives…**_

_**They're never merry,**_

_**They're oh so scary,**_

_**Yes, Monsters lead such interesting lives.**_

_**They're independent fellah's…**_

_**They don't live nine-to-fives…**_

_**Yes, Monsters lead such interesting lives…**_

There were more cheers.

"That was more from White Rain's latest CD," announced Sheena. "'Monsters Lead Such Interesting Lives', once an obscure song written by Mel Tormé.

"Yes, it was a tiring night last night. A lot of our guests were attacked, but we can safely say that this invasion of Chaos was successfully thwarted.

"And here to present the first of two prizes to our champion…"

Sam stepped out onto the field grinning, wearing a leopard-skin, leather bikini, and holding a huge, novelty check over her head. She only smiled when everyone started taking her picture. She started blowing kisses to the crowd.

She was embarrassed, of course, but it was a small price to pay to get back into good graces with Ha Des. She considered herself lucky he hadn't spirited her off to some nether reason and locked her in his dungeons.

She was the Consort of Ha Des again. And she wouldn't make the mistake another time.

She stepped up on the platform and handed it to Yumi.

"Just one word of warning, Yumi…" she said. "Wait 'til next year!"

White Rain started to play some background music.

"Now, Yumi…" said Sheena, putting her arm around her, "as you know, as winner, you are entitled to anything you want, that KaibaCorp can provide. If you need more time to think about it…"

"Actually, Sheena, I know just what I want," said Yumi.

She cleared her throat.

"I want access to KaibaCorp's collection of Duel Monsters cards, in order to construct two decks.

"I promised a very important duel with someone… And both me and my opponent need new decks for it."

Sheena nodded.

"Very well," she said. "You needn't even leave this island. We have an impressive collection right here. And should you need anything we don't have, we can have it here in three hours max.

"Once the closing ceremonies end, you can get right on it if you desire."

As White Rain started to play again, Ren whispered to Chelsea.

"Is this duel going to be what I think it is?" he asked.

"I don't see what else it could be…" she replied.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Cassandra sat at her table, on which were now two cards:

The High Priestess, which represented Yumi, and The Hierophant, which represented the Pharaoh.

She took the card off the top of her deck, and placed it below the two cards.

She smiled.

The card bore the image of a woman dancing inside a laurel wreath, surrounded by two wands, a cherub, and eagle, a lion, and a bull.

"The World…" she whispered. "The symbol of the end of one life…

"…and the beginning of another…"

She placed the cards back in the deck, and then put the deck away.

Then she stood up, and left the room.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

It was now four o'clock in the afternoon.

Yumi had to admit, Sheena's claim was an understatement. The card library in Duelatopia was very extensive.

For the past two hours, she had followed a specific pattern. First she looked up the card she needed on the computer's database. Then she went to one of the hundreds of storage bins in the huge library she was in, and looked through it until she found the card. Then, she carefully added the card to the deck she was constructing, and started again.

Right now, she was at the computer looking up the thirty-fourth card. It was the last card she'd need here for her own deck. She had already had the last six.

_Bingo!_ she thought, as the card's image came up on the screen. _Once I get it, we'll be half-done…_

She walked over to another one of the bins…

As she lifted out the card, the silence was broken.

"Yumi?" said a voice.

Yumi turned, and saw Sheena.

"Yes, Ms. Arachne?" she asked. "I hope we aren't being a hassle with all that's been happening…"

"Yeah…" said Sheena. "We're gonna have our hands full cleaning up the damage and vandalism that those demons caused. The insurance company is never gonna believe this… We'd sue Shogarr if we could, but my lawyers can't think of a way to file lawsuits against extraplanar entities…"

"Demon lords live like kings in their luxurious palaces, while whole worlds suffer from the sins they've created," muttered Yumi. "And until the battle between Good and Evil reaches a decisive victory by Good, they'll likely never face retribution for any of it…"

"I know…" said Sheena. "Whoever said that crime doesn't pay and that cheaters never prosper were idiots.

"But anyway, a few things… First, some Centurions with frogman training found the Glass Menagerie submerged about a mile off the coast. There's nothing valuable inside. We have no way to remove it, but since glass isn't toxic, it shouldn't be a problem.

"It might even help the environment in the long run. It will eventually become overgrown with coral, and become a small reef for aquatic wildlife.

"The biggest concern is, The Wicked Eraser apparently vanished along with Unus. But I don't think it will be showing up again.

"The important thing is, Shogarr seems to have abandoned the place.

"Also… The shrine is ready."

Yumi looked at her closely.

"What shrine?" she asked.

"The shrine below Clock Tower Prison," said Sheena. "Where the sacrifice and the ceremony will take place."

Yumi looked at her.

"You lost me…" she said.

Sheena sighed.

"Yumi…" she said, "as you know, Siegfried was chosen by one of the Archlords to protect the Mandate…

"But there were other Archlords, and each of them chose a mortal as a protector.

"One of them chose me…"

Yumi's eyes opened wide.

"I'll never forget it, Yumi…" she said. "I was just a poor girl, sitting out in the yard of the orphanage in Santa Fe one evening, when a beautiful man with radiant feathered wings appeared before me. He told me he needed help with something important. Then he told me what he needed done.

"I didn't know why he even bothered with someone as insignificant as me. But he told me that he had two reasons. The first one was, that while I was pure of heart and soul, I was among the last people that the ones looking for the Mandate would look for information about it. The second reason was, he saw potential in me, potential for great things.

"This gave me hope… Hope for a brighter future. I agreed. He kissed me, and as our lips met, the responsibility he bore became mine.

"When Siegfried was putting the final touches on Duelatopia, he decided it might be best to get many of the Chosen Ones together to defend it. And as the richest one and the one with the most political power, he was given far more abilities than the rest. He had ways to find the others. So his reasons for hiring me were twofold.

"But even he didn't know that we would fall love…"

She sighed.

"And the others?" asked Yumi.

"Some of them are retired, a few have passed away," said Sheena. "Some are still around. Cassandra is one of them."

Yumi's eyes opened wide again.

"Yes, Yumi," said Sheena. "She's much older than you think. She's used her psychic abilities to channel the Astral Plane to age much slower than normal. She isn't truly immortal, but she'll likely outlive both of us.

"But anyway, I knew well that because of the Mandate, the first attempt at the ceremony had to be interrupted. So a few years ago, I received instructions for its completion by the successor of the one who gave me that duty.

"The real purpose of Clock Tower Prison was to serve as an… antenna of sorts, to channel divine energy into a shrine in the subbasement below it. It will serve as the perfect place to perform the sacrifice… And the Ceremonial Duel that has been delayed for so long… Fortunately, neither Rasputin nor Unus ever found it.

"In the meantime, I was able to use the structure to draw power from the strange energy source that this island still possesses. That's how several Centurions, including the Eliminators, came to possess actual supernatural abilities… Abilities that were, in the past, only illusion.

"So… Whenever you and your opponent are ready…"

She turned and left the room.

Yumi quickly added the card she had just gotten to the deck.

Then, she took six cards from a pouch on her belt.

Four of them were Monsters from her old deck. The other two were the ones Mystara had given her.

She added the six cards to the deck, and then gave it a thorough shuffle.

Then she placed it in a deck case.

"All right, Pharaoh…" she said. "Your turn…"

Her Puzzle glowed, and the change overtook her in a flash of light.

Yumi's eyes opened, with her spiritual guide looking through them.

Slowly, he sat at the computer, and started again, just as Yumi had…

…albeit with a different taste in card strategy.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

At seven o'clock, Ren and Chelsea were waiting outside of Clock Tower Prison.

Ren was looking at a single Duel Monsters card. Chelsea looked over his shoulder as he was looking at it.

It was Armageddon Knight.

"Ren, I can't believe it!" she shouted. "You stole that from Rasputin's deck!"

"I did not!" replied Ren. "I was _given_ it. They told me that they gave the deck to Nicholas. So I went to see him in the brig and asked him if he wanted to make a trade. And he said I could just have it. He said he was giving all of Rasputin's cards away. Something about not wanting to be reminded of the past…"

He sighed.

"I really hope that Sheena's promise to give us a ride back to Domino on her private jet was good," he said, looking at his watch, "because the boats home are leaving in half an hour. And I still have to read _Great Expectations_ to finish my summer reading list. Frankly, my expectations about the book aren't too great."

"Don't worry," said Sam's voice. "The book is good, and so is mom's promise."

She and Erik walked up.

"And you two are here, because?" asked Chelsea.

"Yumi invited us," said Erik. "She promised us a duel between herself and the original King of Games. At first I thought that meant her grandfather was showing up, but she told us it was someone even better than him."

"And personally," said Sam, "I'd turn down an invitation to eat with the Emperor of Japan to see Yumi get trashed."

"Actually, Sam," muttered Chelsea. "We have to pray that Yumi can win. Otherwise, her opponent won't get another chance for another five-thousand years."

"Say what?" said Sam.

As she was thinking about this, Yumi walked up.

"It's time…" she said somberly.

She walked past the gates of Clock Tower Prison, which were still broken due to Enrique's blasting them down, and towards the entrance. They all followed.

The door opened, and Sheena was right inside. Yumi nodded, Sheena nodded back, and they all went in.

"You want to explain this to me?" asked Sam. "Because I'm kind of confused…"

"Okay, here's what I know," said Chelsea. "You know that guy who took over for Yumi when she was too tired to duel Erik?"

"Yeah…"

"Well, he's Yumi's opponent. For this duel, if Yumi wins, he gets to, quote, pass on to the other side, unquote.

"And once he's there, he'll try his best to make sure that the Shadow Games end. Forever.

"But if Yumi loses… Well… The future is uncertain…"

"And how the heck are they going to duel each other if they share the same body?" asked Sam.

"Dunno," said Ren. "Looks like we'll find out…"

Sheena took a small remote control pad out of her pocket.

"Watch your feet," she said, hitting a button on it.

A compartment in the floor opened up, and a spiral stairway unfolded, going down. Erik nearly fell down the stairs.

"Could have warned us…" he said.

Yumi walked down first, and Sheena was close behind. The others followed. Down the stairway was a stone corridor, lit by torches.

Yumi looked around. She felt a strange chill…

At the end of the hallway was a large, circular chamber. Someone was waiting at the entrance.

"Cassandra?" said Yumi.

"Hello Yumi," said the fortuneteller. "It's almost come full circle now, hasn't it?

"When we first met, I peered into your future… But I have reached the limits of what I can see in you.

"We'll soon see how my final prediction concerning you is to be interpreted."

She pointed to the far end of the chamber. There was a statue made of marble, depicting a powerful deity with the head of a falcon.

"Re-Horakhty, the Pharaoh of the Gods," said Cassandra. "The Sorcerer Kings all attempted to gain their powers without aid from him or any other gods, and with the exception of Unus, they succeeded. The gods didn't take kindly to this neglect…

"Now Yumi… Once their Charms are handed over to Re-Horakhty as a sacrifice, the Sorcerer Kings will be able to influence and watch the mortal world no longer. They'll have their paradise realm, but they'll be alone in it. It will keep them and their influence in as much as it keeps others out.

"And the ceremony will be allowed to begin."

Yumi sighed. She looked at the statue.

"You hesitate?" said Cassandra.

"Well, yeah…" said Yumi. "I mean, I feel dirty… I don't mind giving him the Rod… But the others… They kinda helped me beat Unus…"

"Do not mistake that for benevolence, Yumi," said Cassandra. "They did so because they wanted Unus to lose. The other Sorcerer Kings had one goal when they ascended, leaving their Charms behind – for another Sorcerer King to rule the world as their heir, and spread their glory. But they didn't want it to be Unus. And Rasputin didn't fit the bill, as far as they were concerned.

"That is why they helped you. They saw you as a much more worthy candidate.

"So, Yumi… You can either hand them over to Re, or you can do as they desire. I warn you, with such power in your hands, you will not be able to resist the temptation forever…"

Yumi sighed. She walked up to the statue.

Cassandra was right. It was a choice between trusting the King of the Gods or a group of sorcerers who had already displayed human vices taken to the extreme. That was no choice at all.

She took the Sword of Tsunami from around her waist, and fastened it around the statue's waist.

"Matter," she said. "The building blocks that form the world…"

She took the Cat's Cradle Comb and placed it in a nook where the statue's ear would be.

"Energy," she said. "Power that fuels motion."

She took the Talisman of the Mind from around her neck, and placed it around the statue's neck.

"Thought," she said. "Intelligence to know fact, and wisdom to know truth."

She took the Ring of Spirits from her finger and placed it on the statue's left index finger.

"Time," she said. "The flow that takes us from beginnings to endings and starts new beginnings."

She took the Gale Shield and slid it on the statue's right wrist.

"Order," she said. "The power of law that keeps the universe from collapse."

She took the Horn of Chance, and placed it around his waist.

"Chaos," she said. "The freedom that all sentient creatures need to keep sane."

She slowly removed the Crown of Souls. She looked at it for a second, and then placed it on the statue's head.

"Life," she said. "The greatest miracle of Heaven. The spark that empowers all beings."

Finally, she placed the Rod of the Ancients in his left hand.

"Entropy," she said. "Everything that lives must one day die. Every structure that stands will eventually crumble… All things must come to an end."

She stepped back. She had none of the Charms now. All she had now was the clothes on her back, two deck cases on her belt, and a Duel Disk.

The statue started to glow.

Everyone watched as it started to glow with blinding light… The light enveloped the whole chamber in a soft glow…

It slowly started to subside… And when it had ended, the eight Shadow Charms were gone.

Then Yumi started to glow. She closed her eyes, and a ghostly form stepped out of her body.

It slowly started to solidify. Everyone watching was amazed as they saw him appear, looking like an older and more pronounced version of her grandfather in his Battle City days.

He closed his eyes, and a Duel Disk of his own appeared on his arm. One of the two deck cases on Yumi's hip vanished, and a deck appeared in the tray.

"I take it no more needs to be said, Yumi," he said.

Yumi nodded.

"Let's make this count…" she said.

The two Disks activated.

"Game on!" they both shouted.

_The final duel to decide the fate of the Pharaoh, one which was interrupted so long ago, will finally commence. The last duel of Duelatopia is at hand. What will be the outcome? That may be something that not even Cassandra can predict…_

**0**

**0**

**0**

**Sam: If I wasn't seeing this with my own eyes, I wouldn't believe it.**

**Ren: It's something, all right. This may be Yumi's true test.**

**Chelsea: But even if she wins, then what? How can she duel if this guy leaves?**

**Cassandra: That's why she is dueling the Pharaoh and none of you are. She must prove she can continue without him. For her future may be one that even I can't predict.**

**Coming up next, "Yumi versus the Pharaoh; Unwritten Future".**

**The final chapter of "Yu-Gi-Oh! Legend of the Sorcerer Kings"!**

**Coming Friday. You won't want to miss it…**


	62. Unwritten Future

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**CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE**

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**Yumi versus the Pharaoh**

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**Unwritten Future**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

As the onlookers watched, Yumi and the Pharaoh stared each other down…

**(Yumi: 8,000) -------------------- (Pharaoh: 8,000)**

"So, uh…" said Sam. "Tell me again who we're rooting for?"

"Like I said before, Sam," said Chelsea, "if Yumi can't beat this guy, he can't go to his just reward. So we basically have to hope she can…

"Well, we have to hope she can do something that only a select few have done. Defeat the true King of Games!"

"Time to start beating around the bush, Yumi," said the Pharaoh, making his first draw. "We both know that this isn't going to be pleasant…"

He chose a card from his hand.

"I summon… Enigma, the Creator."

The Monster that appeared as he played the card was one that no-one in the room had seen before. It was a tall, mummified figure, wrapped in burial linens, wearing a cape and golden tutan mask. (1,200/1,200)

"Whoa," said Ren. "Never saw that guy before."

"I wouldn't be surprised if we saw a whole slew of new cards in this duel," said Erik. "But that Monster is likely one of his weakest."

"I end my turn," said the Pharaoh, with a slight smirk.

Yumi glared at him, as she made a draw.

_He put a weakling in Attack Mode with no protection,_ she thought. _Clearly he's leading me into something._

Well, I won't bite yet…

"I'll set a card facedown, and have someone defend me," she said.

A facedown card and a facedown Monster appeared.

"Your move."

"Having cold feet, Yumi?" asked the Pharaoh, drawing a card. "Being nervous in a time of crisis might let your enemies get the better of you…

"I sacrifice Enigma to summon Dark Red Enchanter!"

Enigma vanished into grains of light, and a strange Spellcaster appeared. As his name suggested, he wore red robes, along with golden shoulder pads, and a fancy, crown-like helmet. He carried an elaborate staff with a solar disk design on its tip. (1,700/2,200)

"Uhm…" said Yumi. "I've seen stronger Level Six Monsters…"

"He's stronger than you think," said the Pharaoh. "By summoning him, he gains two Spell Counters, and his Attack Score goes up by 300 for each one."

Two rubies appeared on Dark Red Enchanter's staff, and he glowed with red light. (2,300/2,200)

"He'll also gain one whenever a Spell Card is played. For now…

"Attack! Crimson blast!"

A blast of burning, red energy shot from the Enchanter's staff. Mystical Elf appeared on the facedown card. She cringed before bursting into shards.

"And my Enchanter has another effect," continued the Pharaoh. "I can expend two of his Counters to destroy one card in your hand."

Dark Red Enchanter fell back to an Attack Score of 1,700, and a thin beam of red light shot at Yumi, striking one of her cards. It vanished.

"I end my turn," he said.

"Pharaoh one, Yumi zero," muttered Ren.

"At least no Life Points have been lost yet," said Chelsea.

"I'll wager even money that will change soon," said Sam.

"Don't sell Yumi short, young ones," said Cassandra. "She was strong enough to reach this point… She is strong enough to at least attempt to finish it."

Yumi drew a card.

"I summon… Sage of Silence!" she exclaimed.

She played the card, and a beautiful woman wearing a pure white dress, cloak, and bonnet appeared, holding a knobbed staff. (1,400/1,000)

"Now, facedown card activate!" she said, as her facedown card flipped up. "Reinforcements! This gives my Sage a 500-point boost."

Sage of Silence grew to an Attack of 1,900.

"Attack Dark Red Enchanter!" ordered Yumi. "Spell of Silence!"

Sage of Silence calmly lifted her staff, and Dark Red Enchanter gasped as he was surrounded by a soft, white glow. The glow intensified, until he simply disappeared.

"Sage of Silence has an added effect," said Yumi. "When she destroys one of your Monsters, you aren't allowed to use Spells Cards during your next turn.

"I throw one card facedown, and end my turn."

A facedown card appeared. Sage of Silence fell back down to an Attack Score of 1,400.

**(Y: 8,000) -------------------- (P: 7,800)**

The Pharaoh drew a card, and looked at Yumi.

_She's clearly trying her hardest,_ he thought. _I have a feeling this is only the preamble._

He played two cards. A facedown card and a facedown Monster appeared.

He nodded.

"Not much in the way of words, are you?" asked Yumi, drawing a card.

She looked at it for a second and added it to her hand.

"Sage of Silence, attack!"

Sage of Silence cast a beam of light at the facedown card. The Monster that appeared was a Fiend of some sort, very atypical for a Fiend, with horns, wings, claws, and a long tongue.

The beam of light hit it, and it vanished.

"I don't know what that was," said Chelsea, "but it was _ugly_!"

"It was a Mad Reloader," said the Pharaoh. "Since it was destroyed, I get to discard two cards…"

He took Blast Magician and Miracle Restoring from his hand, and then discarded them.

"…then I get to draw two replacements."

He made two draws. He looked at the cards.

Yumi sighed. This was tricky.

"It's your move," she said.

The Pharaoh made a draw again.

"I'll defend myself with this again," he said.

A new defensive Monster appeared.

"And that's all for now."

"If he doesn't take out Yumi's Sage," said Erik, "his Spell Cards are going to be out of commission for as long as she can wipe out his Monsters."

"I hear you," said Sam. "For a legendary duelist, he isn't putting up much of a fight."

Yumi made a draw.

"Sage of Silence, attack again!" she shouted.

The Sage started to cast her spell again.

"Sorry, Yumi," said the Pharaoh, "but here's where the real duel starts! Activate Magic Cylinder!"

His facedown card lifted, and Yumi's eyes opened wide. Her Spellcaster's blast shot back at her and hit her in the chest, causing her to stagger backwards.

Yumi panted for breath.

"I set a new Monster in Defense Mode," she said, "and that will be all."

A facedown Monster appeared next to Sage of Silence.

**(Y: 6,600) -------------------- (P: 7,800)**

The Pharaoh drew.

"I summon someone more familiar," he said. "Breaker the Magical Warrior."

He played the card, and a dark shadow appeared. Breaker leapt out of it. (1,600/1,000) –) (1,900/1,000)

"Now I can use his effect…"

Breaker's Attack Score fell to 1,600. His shield glowed, and Yumi's facedown Mirror Force lifted up and shattered.

"Next, I flip my facedown Monster into Attack Mode," he said. "The Magical Plant Mandragola."

The card flipped up, and a frightening creature appeared. It looked like a large carnivorous plant, with purple vines, and yellow flower petals around its toothy pod. (500/200)

"By Flip-Summoning this creature, Breaker gains back his Spell Counter, bringing his Attack Score back to what it was before."

Breaker glowed, rising to an Attack Score of 1,900.

"Breaker… Attack the Sage of Silence!"

Breaker slashed his sword downward, sending a wave of dark energy towards the Sage. She let out a pitiful scream before exploding into shards.

"I end my turn," he said. "I trust you have more in you than that Yumi."

Yumi smirked.

"Oh, just wait…" she said. "You haven't seen anything yet!"

**(Y: 6,100) -------------------- (P: 7,800)**

She drew a card. She added the card to her hand, and looked them over.

_It's almost complete…_ she thought. _I have almost everything I need to bring out my secret weapon._

_Let's just hope he bites._

"I choose to pass," she said. "Your move."

The Pharaoh looked at her strangely as he drew a card.

"Breaker, attack her facedown Monster!" he shouted.

Breaker slashed with his sword. Shining Angel appeared on the card, and was blown apart.

"Thanks!" exclaimed Yumi. "Now I can bring out part one of my secret weapon… One of the cards that Mystara gave me as a reward for beating her…

"I summon Silent Magician LV4!"

In a burst of pure, white energy, a short, humanoid creature appeared on Yumi's side of the field. It looked like a young girl, wearing fancy, silver and blue robes, and a triangular helmet. She carried a short scepter with an orb on the end. (1,000/1,000)

The Pharaoh slowly turned a card on his Disk.

"I move Mandragola to Defense Mode," he said.

Magical Plant Mandragola curled up, and shielded itself with its tendrils.

"Then I set a new Monster in Defense Mode."

A facedown Monster appeared.

"And I end my turn."

"I believe I see the purpose of Yumi's deck," said Sheena.

"Oh?" asked Chelsea.

"It's the polar opposite of her usual one," said Sheena. "She's concentrating on Light Spellcasters instead of Dark ones.

"And I know why that is. The Pharaoh has lived a life of darkness ever since he was bound to the Puzzle. Yumi is hoping that the Light will penetrate the darkness and finally bring daylight to his soul…

"Which will lead to the greatest Light of all…"

_I know what Silent Magician can do, Yumi,_ thought the Pharaoh, _but it will take awhile before I draw five times… And with Breaker on the field, and Old Vindictive Magician facedown, she won't survive that long._

"My move…" said Yumi, drawing a card.

She looked at it.

"I play Nobleman of Crossout."

The Pharaoh gave a look of surprise as a sword impaled his facedown Monster, blowing the card to bits.

_Yumi has certainly prepared,_ thought Cassandra. _She knew that Flip-Effect Monsters play an important role in any Spellcaster Deck. So she knew enough to include that Spell Card._

_She may yet stand a chance._

"Next up, I play the Spell Card, Contingency Fee," said Yumi, playing a card. "This requires you to draw until you hold six cards, and for each one, I gain 1,000 Life Points."

The Pharaoh drew one card and looked at it.

"And let's not forget my Magician's ability," said Yumi. "Every time you draw one or more cards, she gets stronger."

Silent Magician glowed, and rose to an Attack Score of 1,500.

"Silent Magician, wipe out his Mandragola!"

Silent Magician shot a blast of stars and sparks from her scepter, and the odd vegetation was incinerated.

"I place one card facedown, and then play Swords of Revealing Light."

First a facedown card appeared. Then she played a Spell Card, and a flurry of swords shot towards the Pharaoh's side of the field, forming a cage of glimmering blades.

"I end my turn."

**(Y: 7,100) -------------------- (P: 7,800)**

The Pharaoh drew a seventh card. Silent Magician glowed again, rising to an Attack Score of 2,000.

_He might be useful,_ he thought, looking at the card.

"Trap activate," said Yumi.

The Pharaoh looked, as Yumi's facedown card lifted.

"Heck had this card, remember?" she said. "It's called Greed Pact. Now we both draw one card."

The Pharaoh smirked. Both of them drew, and Silent Magician rose to an Attack Score of 2,500.

He looked at the card.

_Breaker could destroy her Swords,_ he thought, _but where would that get me?_

_Better just stall for now…_

"First I move Breaker into Defense Mode, and set another Monster in Defense Mode," he said.

A facedown Monster appeared, and Breaker knelt, covering himself with his shield.

"Now, three facedown cards."

Three facedown cards appeared in flashes of light.

"I end my turn."

Yumi drew a card.

"Time for another boost," she said. "I play Card of Sanctity."

She played the card, and a flash lit up the ceiling and coins showered over them.

"Humph," said Sam, crossing her arms. "I wish I could make a deck with any cards I wanted to…"

"Sam, behave," said her mother. "Yumi promised she'd give the rarer ones that they took back once this is over."

The Pharaoh drew two cards, while Yumi drew five. Silent Magician rose to an Attack Score of 3,000.

The Pharaoh's eyebrows narrowed. It seemed that Yumi would succeed in summoning her strongest Monster…

However…

He had just drawn _his_ strongest. And he would be able to summon it first.

"I summon Magician's Valkyria," said Yumi.

She played the card, and the familiar female mage appeared, brandishing her staff. (1,600/1,800)

"I activate Threatening Roar!" exclaimed the Pharaoh.

One of his facedown cards flipped up, and a bellowing roar echoed through the hall.

Yumi smirked. She wasn't planning on attacking with that many facedown cards on his side of the field anyway.

She looked over her hand.

"I end my turn," she said.

The Pharaoh made a draw. Silent Magician grew to an Attack Score of 3,500.

"Does she have a limit?" asked Ren.

"Yes," said Cassandra. "And she just reached it. If the Pharaoh doesn't get rid of her this round, the process will be complete, and Yumi will be able to summon someone who may well be unstoppable."

"All right, Yumi," said the Pharaoh. "Time to show you true power…

"First, I use Breaker's effect to destroy your Swords."

Breaker's shield glowed, and the Swords of Revealing Light shattered.

"Now, I summon Sangan."

He played the card, and the spherical, three-eyed Fiend appeared on the field. (1,000/600)

"Next," he said, "I Flip-Summon Witch of the Black Forest."

His facedown Monster flipped up, and the grim-faced, black-robed witch appeared. (1,100/1,200)

"Now… I play Polymerization, to fuse my Witch and Sangan together…"

He played a Spell Card, and the Fiend and the Spellcaster swirled into a murky blur…

"I summon… Sanwitch!"

A strange creature appeared on the field. It was a short, chubby guy wearing a white robe, a headdress, and a veil. The only part of his face that was visible were his eyes, which resembled Sangan's. He carried a crooked staff. (2,100/1,800)

"Heh, heh," chuckled Erik. "Cute!"

"Don't underestimate that guy," said Sheena. "I think the Pharaoh is planning something big."

The Pharaoh took his deck.

"Since both the Witch and Sangan went to my Graveyard, both their effects activate…"

He chose two cards from his deck, and added them to his hand.

"Next…" he said, "I discard one card from my hand, in order to Special Summon someone new… Meet The Tricky!"

He discarded one card, and an ominous portal appeared on his side of the field. Another weird creature flew out of it. He was dressed in a yellow and black harlequin outfit, with a red question mark over his chest, and one over his face. He also wore a blue cape. (2,000/1,200)

"I'm not done," he continued. "I activate a facedown card…"

One of his two facedown cards lifted, and Monster Reborn appeared.

"I'll bring back the Monster I just discarded… Mind on Air!"

In a burst of darkness, a much creepier Spellcaster appeared. It was a woman with blue skin, wearing a leather leotard. The top half of her skull had been replaced by a dome made of a glass-like material. (1,000/1,600)

"It's a summoning frenzy!" shouted Sam.

"Mind on Air isn't a combat-oriented sorceress," said the Pharaoh. "She focuses more on telepathic powers. And she's good at her specialty, so much that she can see through your eyes, and reveal the cards in your hand. So let's take a look."

Mind on Air's eyes glowed. Yumi let out a cry of surprise, and her own eyes started to glow.

The images of the five cards in her hand appeared above her: Rocket Warrior, Pikeru's Circle of Enchantment, Magician of Faith, Level Modulation, and Shield Crush.

"Now that that's done with," said the Pharaoh, "I sacrifice Mind on Air and Sanwitch…"

The two Spellcasters vanished into orbs of dark energy…

"To summon my most powerful Monster! Appear, Sorcerer of Dark Magic!"

In an explosion of energy, a new Spellcaster appeared on the field. He resembled Dark Magician at first glance, but was even darker, with a more decorative costume and staff. His eyes glowed with pure power. (3,200/2,800)

"Good lord…" muttered Ren. "Yumi's dad mentioned this Monster once or twice, but I never thought I'd actually see him…"

"Seeing is believing…" said Chelsea. "I think her grandfather only used him once, and that was in the duel where Kaiba was being manipulated by Anubis. This guy was even able to take down the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon before Kaiba defeated him with the Blue Eyes Shining Dragon."

"I don't think I have to remind you," said Yumi, narrowing her eyes, "my Silent Magician is safe from attacks so long as Valkyria is on the field."

"Then that's who I'm taking out first," said the Pharaoh. "Sorcerer, attack Magician's Valkyria with celestial blast!"

Sorcerer of Dark Magic cast a mighty spell of burning dark magic at the female mage. She hollered and was blown to bits. Yumi shielded herself from the impact.

"I place a card facedown," said the Pharaoh, "and my turn is over."

A new facedown card appeared.

**(Y: 5,500) -------------------- (P: 7,800)**

"About time," said Yumi, drawing a card.

She looked at it, and added it to her hand.

"Now that Silent Magician has gotten as strong as her Level Four form can possibly get," she said, "I can sacrifice her to summon her evolved form!"

Silent Magician began to glow with blinding light…

When the light subsided, the child Spellcaster had been replaced by an adult version of herself, tall and commanding, who glowed with pure radiance.

"Meet the most powerful Spellcaster in the Duel Monsters universe," said Yumi. "Silent Magician LV8!"

(3,500/1,000)

Everyone watching was speechless. Finally, Erik spoke.

"Wow," he said.

"She's beautiful…" said Chelsea.

"Silent Magician…" ordered Yumi, "attack his Sorcerer with solar blast!"

Silent Magician's eyes glowed. She aimed her scepter…

"Activate Trap!" shouted the Pharaoh, as one of his facedown cards lifted. "Staunch Defender! Now, I can draw your attack away from my Sorcerer, and towards Breaker!"

Silent Magician cast a beam of pure, burning light, and Breaker the Magical Warrior was obliterated.

Yumi sighed.

"I end my turn," she said.

The Pharaoh drew a card.

He looked at it somberly.

"Yumi…" he said. "You know that the true God Cards are gone…

"But a few remnants of their power are still around. The accessories for them are few in number, but a few powerful Spells and Traps remain that Pegasus designed when he created them…

"I play Divine Evolution."

A Spell Card appeared on his side of the field. It bore the picture of Slifer's silhouette inside a stained glass window.

"This card's effect is simple, but powerful. It permanently increases both scores of a Monster by 1,000 points. And it was one of the select few Spell Cards that would affect a God Card for longer than one turn."

Sorcerer of Dark Magic glowed with an aura of golden flames… (4,200/3,800)

"Attack Silent Magician!" shouted the Pharaoh. "Celestial blast!"

Everyone watched in horror as the Sorcerer cast his mighty spell, and Silent Magician was blown to atoms.

"No…" said Chelsea. "Yumi lost her best Monster…"

"Tricky," ordered the Pharaoh, "attack Yumi directly with trick illusion."

The Tricky cast a collage of swirling lights and colors towards Yumi, knocking her over on her back.

**(Y: 2,800) -------------------- (P: 7,800)**

Sam shook her head.

"It might as well be over," she said. "I don't know what else Yumi could have that could stand up to that guy, and she's already losing bad…"

Yumi slowly got up. She took some deep breaths.

"My move…" she said.

She drew a card.

She smirked when she saw what it was.

"Sorry, but this isn't over yet," she said. "My Silent Magician is coming right back."

"Silent Magician LV8 is a NOMI, Yumi," said the Pharaoh. "How can you…"

He stopped.

"That's right," said Yumi, playing a Spell Card. "You saw the card in my hand with Mind on Air's effect, right?

"I play Level Modulation! This lets me disregard Silent Magician's summoning requirements, and bring her back from the Graveyard, so long as I let you draw two cards."

The Pharaoh drew twice, and then Silent Magician appeared again, looking a little pissed. (3,500/1,000)

"You forgot one thing," said the Pharaoh. "She can't attack this round."

"Then I'll have to get rid of your Sorcerer another way," said Yumi, taking the card she had just drawn. "I play Enemy Controller."

She played the card, and a huge video game control pad appeared in the air.

"Go!" said Yumi. "Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, A, B, and... Start. Move Sorcerer of Dark Magic to Defense Mode."

Sorcerer of Dark Magic crouched and shielded himself with his staff.

"Now that that's done," said Yumi with a smile, "I play… Shield Crush."

She played the card, and a blast of energy shot from it. Sorcerer of Dark Magic exploded in a fiery burst of black flames.

"Wow… again…" said Erik.

"And with that," said Yumi, "I end my turn."

The Pharaoh drew a card slowly.

He added it to his hand and then turned the card on his Disk. The Tricky knelt in Defense Mode.

"That's all I can do," he said.

"Then watch out!" said Yumi, drawing a card.

She sighed as she added it to her hand. She was going to hate herself for this later…

"I summon one of my grandfather Joey's favorite cards," she said. "Meet Rocket Warrior!"

She played the card, and a cute little toy robot wearing rocket-like armor, holding a sword and shield, appeared next to Silent Magician. (1,500/1,300)

The Pharaoh looked at The Tricky and his facedown card.

_Time to make a decision,_ he thought. _If I use my facedown card now, I can block both of her attacks… But then, my chances of beating Silent Magician fall to almost zero._

"Rocket Warrior," shouted Yumi, "attack The Tricky!"

With a whir, Rocket Warrior changed shape, becoming more rocket than warrior. It blasted at The Tricky, and he exploded into shards.

"Silent Magician…

"…attack directly."

Silent Magician cast her spell, and an explosion of pure light centered on the Pharaoh…

When the light subsided, he was breathing heavily…

**(Y: 2,800) -------------------- (P: 4,300)**

"This is incredible!" shouted Chelsea. "Yumi just turned this around 180 degrees!"

The Pharaoh smirked.

"Not bad," he said. "You've never been stronger Yumi…

"…but then, I'm not finished yet either…"

He drew a card.

"I play… Graceful Charity."

He played the card, and the angel of charity appeared once again. She gave him a more optimistic look than she had been giving everyone lately…

It seemed to be a look of hope…

He drew three cards. He looked them over before discarding Pitch-Black Power Stone and Anti-Spell.

He looked over his new cards.

"I set a Monster in Defense Mode, and another facedown card."

The two concealed cards appeared.

"That will be all."

"Then it's my move," said Yumi.

She drew.

"Rocket Warrior, attack!"

Rocket Warrior flew at the facedown Monster. Apprentice Magician appeared on the card, and was blown to pieces.

"You know what happens when Apprentice Magician is destroyed, Yumi," he said.

Another facedown Monster appeared.

Yumi pointed, and Silent Magician fired her solar blast. A second Apprentice Magician was incinerated.

"I activate my Trap," said the Pharaoh, as his facedown card lifted. "The Grave of Enkindling. Now, both players can Special Summon a Monster from their Graveyards in Defense Mode, on the condition that they stay in Defense Mode."

The Tricky appeared back on his side of the field. (2,000/1,200) Magician's Valkyria appeared on Yumi's side of the field. (1,600/1,800)

"I set another Monster in Defense Mode…" said Yumi, "and I end my turn…"

A facedown Monster appeared on her side.

The Pharaoh drew.

He looked at Yumi.

"Oh no…" said Ren. "I recognize that look… That's the same look that Yumi gives right before she kills her opponent."

"Now we know where she got it from," said Sam.

She was nervous. She was no stranger to that look.

The last facedown card on the Pharaoh's side of the field lifted.

"I activate Tricky's Spell 4," he said. "Now, by sacrificing The Tricky, I get one Tricky Token for each Monster on your side of the field."

The Tricky faded into a blur, and four duplicates of him appeared, all crouching in Defense Mode. (2,000/1,200 x4)

"He was able to conjure up four Monsters with 2,000 Attack Points each?" shouted Chelsea. "That's not fair!"

"Well," said Sheena, "if memory serves me correctly, those tokens can't attack. But they are useful in other ways…"

"Next…" said the Pharaoh, "I play Tribute to the Doomed."

"Sorry," said Yumi, "that won't work. Silent Magician is immune to all your Spell Cards."

"She's not who I'm aiming for," said the Pharaoh.

He played the card and discarded another. Magician's Valkyria screamed as she was hit by bolts of fiery energy. She burst into pixels.

"Now…" said the Pharaoh, "I sacrifice two tokens to summon my real headliner…

"Appear!"

Two Tricky Tokens vanished…

Out of the shadows, he appeared. Yumi had summoned him so many times. She never imagined that she'd be facing him.

She looked Dark Magician in the eye. (2,500/2,100)

"He's still not strong enough…" she said, nervously.

The Pharaoh revealed a new Spell Card.

"I play Gift of the Martyr," he said. "I'll sacrifice another Tricky Token, to boost Dark Magician's Attack Score."

Another token vanished, and Dark Magician grew to an Attack Score of 4,500.

"Attack Silent Magician! Dark magic attack!"

Dark Magician cast his bolt of burning magic. Silent Magician screamed, and then burst into shards for the second time.

**(Y: 1,800) -------------------- (P: 4,300)**

"Wonderful," said Sam. "Now we're going around… in circles."

Yumi closed her eyes.

She slowly drew a card.

"I move Rocket Warrior to Defense Mode," she said.

Rocket Warrior knelt and hid behind its shield.

"And now I play… Monster Reborn!"

She played the card, and the holy ankh appeared, glowing with golden light.

"Now I'll bring back a Monster from my Graveyard… And she's just been waiting to come out."

"She?" said Ren. "It can't be…"

In a soft glow, Dark Magician Girl appeared on Yumi's side of the field. (2,000/1,700)

"You know," said Ren, "it may have been a long duel, but I don't remember Dark Magician Girl being sent to her Graveyard."

"Wait…" said Sheena. "I think I know… She was the card that she lost when he used Dark Red Enchanter's effect…"

Yumi nodded.

"I have a feeling," said Sheena, "that this may have only begun…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Everyone watching the duel, even Cassandra, only saw the duel. They saw Yumi with Dark Magician Girl on her side, and the Pharaoh with Dark Magician on his.

Only the two duelists saw what was truly happening.

Their two Monsters were right now hovering in the air in the center of the arena. Dark Magician was holding Dark Magician Girl in a gentle embrace. Each of them had sad looks on their faces.

"I had always hoped it wouldn't come to this," said the voice of the older Spellcaster.

He sighed.

"But I suppose it was inevitable…"

A tear fell down Dark Magician Girl's cheek.

"I couldn't be an apprentice forever," she replied, sadly. "We both knew that… We both knew that I'd have to grow up someday… That I'd have to make my own identity…

"And we both new that this would happen, no matter how much it would hurt us both."

Dark Magician closed his eyes.

"Do you really think you can do it?" he asked.

Dark Magician Girl looked at him. She slowly nodded.

"Then consider this your final test," he said. "Good luck, my apprentice…"

They let go of each other, and floated back towards the opposing sides of the field…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Yumi's eyes narrowed.

_It all comes down to a struggle between the teacher and the student,_ she thought. _Silent Magician and Sorcerer of Dark Magic were both big helps for both of us, but this will be the true contest. This is the sort of monomythic moment that struggles like this are all about…_

_So, let's do it._

"Dark Magician Girl…" she shouted, "obliterate the last Tricky Token! Dark burning attack!"

Dark Magician Girl cast her dark spell, and the final token was blown to pieces.

"I throw down three facedown cards, and end my turn," she said.

Three facedown cards appeared with three flashes of light.

The Pharaoh drew a card. He looked at the Spell Card.

_Yumi is no idiot,_ he thought. _She's well aware that Dark Magician trumps Dark Magician Girl by 500 points._

_So obviously, one of those facedown cards is something that will repel an attack… Possibly even something that will even make Dark Magician Girl stronger._

_But I have another way to defeat her…_

"I won't fall for that, Yumi," he said.

"First I'll summon Skilled Dark Magician."

He played the card, and the younger, black robed mage appeared. (1,900/1,700)

"Now I play this… The Spell Card, Thousand Knives!"

Dark Magician started to cast a spell, and a swarm of sharp daggers appeared in the air around him.

"As a magician by trade, he often practiced a knife-throwing act, Yumi, and his apprentice was always willing to be the target for him.

"Unfortunately for her, this time, he doesn't intend to miss her."

Dark Magician pointed, and the knives flew towards Dark Magician Girl.

"Well he's going to anyway!" shouted Yumi. "Spell Card activate! Magical Pigeons!"

A Quickplay Spell on her side of the field lifted, and a huge top hat appeared on her side of the field. Dark Magician Girl dove inside it. The knives struck the top hat, and it burst, sending a flock of pigeons flying across the room.

When the flock subsided, two of the pigeons were sitting where the hat had been. (0/0 x2)

"You remember this card, don't you?" asked Yumi. "You used in your rematch with Raphael. It lets Dark Magician Girl hide from your assault by turning herself into two pigeons."

The Pharaoh looked hard at Yumi's side of the field.

"I still have his normal attack," said the Pharaoh. "Attack Rocket Warrior!"

Dark Magician cast his spell, and Rocket Warrior exploded in a burst of light.

"I end my turn," he said.

The two pigeons vanished, and Dark Magician Girl reappeared.

Yumi drew a card.

"Perfect!" she said, playing it. "I give Dark Magician Girl an Equip Spell. It's called Mist Body."

A glowing, white mist surrounded Dark Magician Girl.

"So long as this card is in play, Dark Magician Girl is immune to death from battle.

"But Skilled Dark Magician isn't…"

Dark Magician Girl cast her powerful spell, and Skilled Dark Magician exploded into shards.

"That's all for my turn," she said.

**(Y: 1,800) -------------------- (P: 4,200)**

The Pharaoh drew a card.

_Let's consider,_ he thought, looking at it. _Her facedown Monster can't be Old Vindictive Magician. If she had any in her deck, they would have been removed from play when mine was when she played Nobleman of Crossout._

_It's likely either Magician of Faith or Crystal Seer. If I attacked either, Yumi would gain an advantage._

_And Yumi knows that if she Flip-Summons either of them herself, she's taking too big a risk, because she'd be putting a very weak Monster in Attack Mode._

He thought for a minute.

"Dark Magician, attack Dark Magician Girl!" he shouted.

Dark Magician cast his spell, and Dark Magician Girl cried out in pain as it hit her in the stomach. Yumi clutched her stomach in pain too.

"Mist Body may have kept her from dying," said the Pharaoh, "but it won't protect your Life Points, Yumi.

"I'll set a card facedown, and end my turn…"

A new facedown card appeared.

**(Y: 1,300) -------------------- (P: 4,200)**

Yumi quickly drew a card.

"I activate Call of the Haunted!" she shouted.

One of her facedown cards lifted, and Rocket Warrior appeared in a flash of light. (1,500/1,300)

"Rocket Warrior, attack Dark Magician with invincible attack!"

Rocket Warrior transformed again, and shot towards Dark Magician. It collided with the mage in an explosion. Everyone gasped…

When the explosion cleared, Rocket Warrior landed back on Yumi's side of the field, and Dark Magician was holding his chest in pain. His Attack Score dropped to 2,000.

"Rocket Warrior's effect…" muttered Sheena. "When it attacks, it isn't destroyed, Battle Damage to Yumi is reduced to zero, and the attacked Monster loses 500 Attack Points…"

"And it's curtains for Dark Magician!" shouted Sam. "He and Dark Magician Girl have the same Attack Points right now… But with Mist Body protecting her, she'll win this battle!"

"You got that right," said Yumi. "Dark Magician Girl, attack Dark Magician!"

Dark Magician Girl flew at Dark Magician. She cast her powerful spell…

The Pharaoh sadly gestured. His facedown card lifted…

"Magic Cylinder?" screamed Ren. "He had another one?"

"NO!" shouted Chelsea.

The blast was thrown in reverse. Everyone screamed as it hit Yumi…

Sam shook her head.

"That's it…" she said. "It's over… So much for…"

"Look!" shouted Erik.

Yumi was still smiling, and a soft, white glow was covering her. And right next to her was the source of the glow – it was White Magician Pikeru.

"Surprised?" asked Yumi. "I had another facedown card… Pikeru's Circle of Enchantment. Once I activated it, all effect damage to me this round was reduced to zero."

The Pharaoh smiled. Then he laughed.

"So…" he said. "The duel continues…"

"But not for long," muttered Sam. "They must be running low on cards by now…"

_Sam's got a point,_ thought the Pharaoh. _With all the extra drawing and searching, I've only got ten cards left. This can't last much longer…_

He drew a card.

"I set one card facedown," he said.

A new facedown card appeared.

"Then I attack Rocket Warrior with Dark Magician!"

Dark Magician's dark magic attack shot at the small Warrior, and it exploded again.

**(Y: 300) -------------------- (P: 4,200)**

"This is it," said Chelsea. "One more attack, and Yumi has had it…"

"I end my turn," said the Pharaoh.

Yumi made a draw.

"Trap Card, activate," said the Pharaoh. "This really isn't necessary, but… Dust Tornado!"

The tornado tore across the field, and the protective mist surrounding Dark Magician Girl blew away.

Yumi looked at him.

"I flip Magician of Faith into Attack Mode," she said.

The card flipped, and Magician of Faith appeared. (300/400)

"Now, I get a Spell Card back…"

Her Contingency Fee card slipped out of her deck.

"But I'm not actually going to use it. I'll show you what I mean in a minute. First, I sacrifice Magician of Faith to summon Chaos Command Magician."

Magician of Faith smiled at the Pharaoh before she disappeared into grains of light. The powerful Chaos Mage in glossy, black robes appeared in front of Yumi. He turned to Dark Magician Girl and nodded. (2,400/1,900)

Yumi sighed. She felt a little strange still using this card. After all, Chaos was her enemy now. But she knew that there was a good side to Chaos, just as beings like Dispater represented an evil side to Law. Maybe she would need Chaos Command Magician in her deck more than ever from now on.

"Neither of them are strong enough," said the Pharaoh.

"Not alone, no," said Yumi. "But I'm going to play Double Spell."

She played the Spell Card, and then discarded the Contingency Fee card.

"Now I can use a Spell Card from your Graveyard, and I think I'll use Gift of the Martyr."

The Spell Card appeared in her hand.

"So, I'll send Chaos Command Magician to the Graveyard, and give his power to Dark Magician Girl!"

Chaos Command Magician faded into grains of light, and Dark Magician Girl glowed with fiery energy… (4,400/1,700)

"Yikes!" shouted Erik. "She's turned Dark Magician Girl into a super-girl!"

"Attack Dark Magician!" shouted Yumi. "Ultimate Dark Burning Attack!"

Dark Magician Girl hollered a mighty cry as her blast shot towards Dark Magician, and he exploded in a deafening blast. The Pharaoh cringed and covered his head.

Yumi panted for breath.

**(Y: 300) -------------------- (P: 2,300)**

"My turn is over," she said, "so the effects of Gift of the Martyr wear off. However, due to Dark Magician Girl's effect, she gains 300 Attack Points now that Dark Magician is in your Graveyard."

(2,300/1,700)

She closed her eyes.

The Pharaoh closed his eyes too, and drew a card.

He opened them to look at it. It was his own Magician of Faith.

He placed it on his Disk, and the card appeared facedown.

_I can use her effect to get back my Monster Reborn,_ he thought. _I can bring back Dark Magician…_

"I end my turn, Yumi," he said. "This duel isn't over yet."

Yumi drew a card.

A tear fell down her face.

"I'm afraid it is, old friend…" she said. "You see… I'm going to use Dark Magician Girl in a way that even you never used her…

"I play the Spell Card, Rite of Passage."

She played the card, and a new card appeared on her side of the field. It was a fancy picture of Dark Magician Girl kneeling, as someone handed her a sword.

"This Spell Card lets Dark Magician Girl evolve into a whole different power…"

Dark Magician Girl glowed with a dark aura… The aura covered her…

When it subsided, her short dress and hat had been replaced by dark plate armor and a helmet. A circular shield was on her left arm, and a sword was slung by her side. It looked like she had been transformed into a dark version of Queen's Knight. (2,000/1,700)

"Meet Dark Magician Princess," said Yumi. "And when this transformation is invoked, she can destroy one card on the field."

Dark Magician Princess held out her free hand, and her eyes glowed. A blade of energy shot towards the facedown Monster, and it was slashed in half.

"And there's more," said Yumi. "She retains her old ability to draw 300 more Attack Points from each Dark Magician in each Graveyard."

(2,300/1,700)

The Pharaoh sighed.

"Yumi…" he said. "You are truly a duelist unlike any I have ever faced… I guess I can leave knowing that I've left everything in good hands.

"You're truly the Queen of Games now…"

He nodded. Yumi nodded back.

"Dark Magician Princess…" said Yumi.

The Princess drew her sword, and eldritch runes encircled it.

"Attack directly."

Dark Magician Princess flew at the Pharaoh, and everything seemed to slow down for an instant…

He fell to his knees as the sword struck, but a smile was on his face.

**(Y: 300) -------------------- (P: 0)**

"Pay up," said Erik to Sam.

"My mother is right here," whispered Sam. "We'll be back in Domino in a few hours…"

The Pharaoh removed his Duel Disk, and placed it on the floor.

"Yumi, I don't have much time to say goodbye," he said. "People are waiting for me.

"The duel is ended. It's finally time for me to join my own family, whom I've been apart from for so long…

"I can only wish you luck…

"Shogarr will still be a threat, and he still might try to make another attempt at you…

"And while the prophecy foretold that you would oppose him when he attempts to enact the Grand Rebirth, no-one could predict who would be victorious in that struggle.

"Fight well… Because I guarantee… When the dark tide finally comes, it won't be easy…

"But I have trust in you…"

The eyes of the statue of Re-Horakhty glowed, and he started to fade away.

"Goodbye…" said Yumi.

In the next minute he was gone.

She turned to face everyone else.

"So, Cass," she said, walking up to Cassandra, "any views on what the future holds?"

Cassandra shook her head.

"The cards tell me nothing more about you or your friends, Yumi," she said. "I cannot see any vision of what your future holds now. I can only come to one conclusion…

"Your future has not yet been written. You alone can decide your fate. You alone can decide where you go from here.

"But I have no doubt, that the Queen of Games is not yet ready to abdicate…"

_Keep reading! The epilogue is next!_

**0**

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**DARK RED ENCHANTER (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Spellcaster/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level:** 6  
**ATK:** 1,700  
**DEF:** 2,200

**Card Description:** When this card is successfully Normal Summoned, put two Spell Counters on this card. Whenever a Spell Card is played by you or your opponent, put one Spell Counter on this card. This card's ATK increases by 300 for each Spell Counter it has. You may remove two Spell Counters on this card to discard a card at random from your opponent's hand. This effect can only be used once per turn.

**0**

**0**

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**THE TRICKY (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Spellcaster/Effect  
**Attribute: **Wind  
**Level:** 5  
**ATK:** 2,000  
**DEF:** 1,200

**Card Description:** You may Special Summon this card from your hand by discarding one card from your hand, other than this one.

**0**

**0**

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**TRICKY'S SPELL 4 (Spell Card)**

**Quickplay Spell**

**Image:** A colorful capsule with the number 4 on it.

**Card Description:** Offer one "The Tricky" on your side of the field as a Tribute. Special Summon one "Tricky Token" (Spellcaster/Wind/Level Five/2,000 ATK/1,200 DEF) for every Monster on your opponent's side of the field in Defense Position. "Tricky Tokens" cannot attack.

_Note: "Dark Red Enchanter", "The Tricky", and "Tricky's Spell 4" are Japanese cards that have not yet been released in the United States. "Dark Red Enchanter" is scheduled to be released in "Phantom Darkness" as a Secret Rare (go to the sneak preview this weekend, and maybe you'll be lucky)._

**0**

**0**

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**ENIGMA, THE CREATOR (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,200  
**DEF:** 1,200

**Card Description:** When this card is destroyed as a result of battle and sent to the Graveyard, Special Summon one "Enigma Token" (Warrior/Dark/Level Four/1,200 ATK/1,200 DEF) to your side of the field.

_Note: "Enigma, The Creator" was first used by The D in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "The Dark Light". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**DIVINE EVOLUTION (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** A stained glass window with Slifer the Sky Dragon's silhouette behind it.

**Card Description:** Target one Monster on the field. The targeted Monster gains 1,000 Attack and Defense Points for as long as it remains face-up on the field. The activation of this card cannot be countered or negated.

_Note: This card was used by both Yugi and Tenma in "Yu-Gi-Oh R". Also of note is the fact that this card is one of the few Spell Cards that affects a God Card for longer than one turn._

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**MAGICAL PIGEONS (Spell Card)**

**Quickplay Spell**

**Image:** A magician's top hat with pigeons flying out of it.

**Card Description:** You can activate this card when you have at least one "Dark Magician Girl" face-up on your side of the field. Return that "Dark Magician Girl" to your hand, and Special Summon two "Pigeon Tokens" (Winged Beast/Wind/Level One/0 ATK/0 DEF) to your side of the field in Defense Position. At the End Phase of the turn, destroy any remaining "Pigeon Tokens" and Special Summon the same "Dark Magician Girl" to your side of the field.

_Note: "Magical Pigeons" was first used by the Pharaoh in the original anime episode "Grappling With A Guardian (Part Two)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**RITE OF PASSAGE (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** Dark Magician Girl on her knees, as someone hands her a sword.

**Card Description:** Offer one face-up "Dark Magician Girl" on your side of the field as a Tribute. Special Summon one "Dark Magician Princess" from your hand, deck, or Graveyard.

**0**

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**DARK MAGICIAN PRINCESS (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level:** 6  
**ATK:** 2,000  
**DEF:** 1,700

**Card Description:** This card cannot be Normal Summoned or set. This card can only be Special Summoned via the effect of "Rite of Passage". When this card is successfully summoned, you may select one card on the field and destroy it. This card gains 300 Attack Points for each "Dark Magician" and "Magician of Black Chaos" in both players' Graveyards.

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**EPILOGUE**

**0 0 0 0 0**

"Vampire Genesis," shouted Chelsea, "attack Yumi directly!"

Yumi gasped, and her eyes opened wide as the powerful direct attack hit her.

She fell on her behind as her Life Points fell to zero.

"You're getting sloppy, Yumi!" laughed Chelsea.

"Yeah, yeah, enjoy it now," said Yumi. "I just need to get used to doing this alone…"

"So…" said Ren. "How about we try out that new Thai place for dinner? We need something healthy after all of that junk food in Duelatopia."

"You two go ahead," said Yumi. "I'm meeting someone for dinner myself."

"Can it be?" asked Chelsea, as she and Ren walked away. "Has she actually got a boyfriend?"

"She could use one," said Ren, with a shrug.

Yumi sighed as she got up.

"Yumi?" said Anastasia's voice.

"Yes?" said Yumi, turning towards the angel.

She noticed a difference. Anastasia was almost transparent now. It looked like she was fading away.

"Yumi," she said. "You would be interested in knowing that Rasputin's fate has been decided…"

Yumi sighed.

"Give me the bad news…" she mumbled.

"It's good news, actually," said Anastasia. "After much deliberation, they have decided to give him the same chance I was given."

Yumi looked at her.

"The Bastion of the Hopeful…" she muttered. "The citadel of redemption…

"But why? Just because he gave me that Glass Menagerie card?"

"Yumi," said Anastasia, "you may think that Heaven is very strict, but in truth, we take into account all circumstances.

"Unus had not planned to give you a chance. His plan was to ambush you while you were asleep, after you had mistakenly thought that all your enemies were defeated.

"But due to Rasputin's generosity, you learned otherwise, and were able to confront him. This ultimately saved you from being captured, foiling Unus's plan, and as a result, foiled Shogarr's plan as well.

"And as we know, this may well have averted a catastrophe on the cosmic scale. All because of one act of generosity on Rasputin's part that was genuine and sincere.

"True, it might take him much longer to succeed than I did. But at least now he has a chance.

"But anyway, Yumi… Now it's time for me to say goodbye…"

"Wait!" shouted Yumi. "You're leaving? I won't see you again?"

Anastasia smiled.

"The Pharaoh is freed, Yumi," she said. "The Shadow Charms are gone. I cannot let myself be seen by mortals any longer. We've bent the rules for too long already.

"But keep this in mind…

"Whenever you feel tempted to steal money from your father's wallet… Whenever you feel tempted to put salt in a classmate's milk at school… If ever again you feel tempted to put blue food coloring in Akira's shampoo…"

"How did you know I did that?" shouted Yumi.

She paused.

"Oh… right…" she said.

"Whenever you feel tempted to do something you know is wrong," said Anastasia, "and you get a nagging feeling telling you not to do it, just remember, that nagging feeling is me.

"And if you listen to those nagging feelings, I'll never have cause to leave you, and when you finally pass on, I'll be the one leading you to the Gates of Heaven, for your eternal reward.

"Now, you'd best get going… You said you'd meet your date in half an hour."

"Oh… right!" shouted Yumi.

"Goodbye…"

As she ran off, Anastasia Pegasus smiled, and faded away.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Yumi's Duel Disk was in her duffle bag under the table as she waited inside the fancy sushi restaurant. She hoped he'd be punctual.

"Is this seat taken?" said a familiar voice.

She smiled, as she looked and saw Nicholas. He sat down.

"So tell me, Nicholas," she said. "Uhm, I can call you that, right?"

"Only when we're alone," he replied. "Anytime else, I'm Joshua, and Olga is Madelyn."

"So what strings did you two have to pull to get relocated to Domino?" asked Yumi.

"Not many," said Nicholas. "Once the Yard found out that we both spoke fluent Japanese, they were all right with it.

"We just have to keep our noses clean, not leave school, report to the British embassy every month, and answer any questions they happen to have, and we get to stay here.

"And Domino is quite a town, I must say… It doesn't rain here nearly as much as it does in London, and the folks are friendlier…"

"Yeah," said Yumi, "it's a nice place to live… When Rare Hunters aren't lurking around, and Duel Spirits aren't overrunning it…"

"When did THAT happen?" asked Nicholas.

"A few times since Duel Monsters became popular," said Yumi.

"So, I'm confused, Yumi," said Nicholas. "Why are you even giving me the time of day? After all I did a few weeks ago…"

Yumi sighed.

"I dunno, Nicholas," she said, "I really don't… I guess it's just part of the nature of females to be attracted to bad boys…

"I mean, just look at my two grandmothers. One of them married a guy with a dark spirit inside him, and the other married a guy who used to be a street thug before he was straightened out…"

She chuckled.

"Just try not to be so bad that you end up siding with a demon again."

"Hey, I honestly didn't know I was the first time," said Nicholas.

"Understood," said Yumi. "Anyway… You dueling again?"

"Not yet…" sighed Nicholas. "I have to build my deck from scratch… I gave the Cyber Ogre deck back to its rightful owner, I was getting tired of the Ojama Deck for some time, and the one with Chronopsis… Well, Rasputin gave me those cards, and I want as little reminder of him as possible.

"Say, does your family still own that game store? Maybe I can get some good cards there… Or at least get some ideas…"

Yumi looked at him in the eye.

"I have a better idea," she said, lifting her duffle up to the table. "You like Warriors?"

Nicholas laughed.

"Yeah, right…" he said. "A Toolbox Warrior Deck, with Marauding Captain, Gilford, Freed, and that whole crowd… I'd be a hit…"

"No…" said Yumi. "I mean a different class of Warriors…"

She handed him a deck case… One that contained the Six Samurai cards that she took from Samen.

Nicholas slowly looked over the cards.

"Whoa…" he said.

Yumi sighed.

As Nicholas eagerly looked over the cards, she took out her own deck.

She looked at Dark Magician Girl.

_So…_ she thought. _Where do we go from here?_

_Yumi and her friends have finally earned a respite. But where DO they go from here? The Pharaoh is gone, but so long as Yumi still stays by her allies, she'll never be alone. If new trouble might threaten, she will stand ready to face it…_

_What does her future hold? We'll just have to see. For now, we close the book on this tale, hoping to start a new one in the future._

_**It's a whole new generation!**_

_**It's a new legacy to be made!**_

_**Just believe in yourself,**_

_**And remember one thing:**_

_**The duel's never over until…**_

_**The last card is played!**_

_**No, the duel's never over until…**_

_**The last card is played…**_

_**Finis**_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

_I'd like to thank my loyal readers for reading "Legend of the Sorcerer Kings". It's been a wild ride._

_And what of the sequel you have been hearing so much about?_

_Well, it will start soon. For now, I want to work on some other things._

_Keep on the lookout for my next Yu-Gi-Oh fic, and be here when it starts. Because this next fic will be my last fic. Once it is done, I am retiring. There comes a time when a man must know when he's done all he can do._

_But, I look forward to entertaining you all until the next fic is finished. Until it begins… _

_Excelsior!_


	63. Trailer

**Arthur C. Clarke's Three Laws of Prediction: **

1. When a distinguished but elderly scientist states that something is possible, he is almost certainly right. When he states that something is impossible, he is very probably wrong.

2. The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible.

3. Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. 

In this universe, there exist many opposing forces…

Good and Evil… Law and Chaos… Light and Darkness…

One set of opposing forces that most folks don't consider is this one: Magic and Science.

In ages past, Magic was the stronger of the two forces. Powerful entities held sway over the natural world, and man was able to tap the powers of the elemental forces and the mysterious Shadow Games to harness great power. Scientific theories, if they were mentioned at all, were secondary.

But as man advanced, science and technology became stronger. The powerful entities who watched over mortals had mixed feelings. The nature goddess Demeter worried about the strange machines that humans were building, while her nephew Hephaestus, the god of the forge, couldn't have been more delighted.

With the gods in disagreement over whether Magic or Science should reign, mortals continued to advance without their advice. They invented the steam engine and gunpowder. This progressed to the internal combustion engine and electricity.

The gods realized too late that it was now happening at too fast a pace for them to stop. Technology was taking over the world entirely. Automobiles and flying machines came. Radios and televisions… More and more advances came with each year.

The gods finally decided that Science had won this struggle, and Magic no longer had a serious place in the world. So all but the most powerful deities decided to retire, and leave mankind to their toys.

In the modern era, where computers, cellular phones, and the worldwide web dominate our lives, Magic has time and again lost the struggle to regain dominance. Often, when a powerful practitioner of Magic, such as Dartz and Zorc, have tried to dominate the world, they were defeated by, ironically, more benign users of Magic. So Science remains the dominant force.

One would have to imagine what would happen…

…if a force of Science and a force of Magic…

…were to call a truce?

Some might say that it's impossible…

Clarke would say, it's only natural. Because when all is said and done, they're actually more alike than folks believe.

_**Yu-Gi-Oh…**_

Young Yumi Mouto has changed. The Pharaoh has gone. The few duels she has fought since Duelatopia, she has fought alone. She now looks towards the future, towards an ominous prophesy that was made in the Pharaoh's time.

But now, an attack comes not from beyond, but from within. And it will take her and her friends to a place where dueling is not just a game, but a means of survival.

Magic and Science… Sorcery and Technology… Two opposing forces that might not oppose each other at all.

A struggle to survive in a forsaken land…

**Yu-Gi-Oh! **

Soul of Silicon 

If you thought _Myst_ was a hard game, you won't want to be in Yumi's shoes…

_Coming in April…_


End file.
